We can all agree that accountability and transparency are vital to any client relationship – but nowhere more so than in accountancy.
When handling finances and complex compliance requirements, accountancy firms need to ensure that their workflows and document management are top-tier, particularly when it comes to tracking work and deadlines.
Failure to do so could earn their clients financial penalties and serious reputational damage.
But how do they achieve this accountability?
A holistic view
One of the major problems facing firms looking to achieve accountability and transparency in its working processes is being able to see where a piece of work sits.
By that, we mean whose desk it’s currently on, the progress that has been made and any approaching deadlines.
With traditional paper-based processes or using digital files that are saved locally, this is all but impossible without physically asking the person who is working on the project. Hybrid and remote working have ruled this approach out too, so firms are in need of something better.
Based on our understanding of this issue, we have developed a solution within our client portal which allows document version tracking – allowing firms to easily manage and track different versions of a document. The client portal also allows firms to control who has access to documents, preventing unauthorised overwriting of data.
Security and compliance
Naturally, the handling of sensitive financial data means that transparency must be balanced with security – which is where traditional ways of working tend to fall down.
As accountants ourselves, we understand this. Clients expect to know where work is and how it’s being done, but they also want their data protected.
This was a major driver behind our client portal tool which, in addition to tracking documents and progress, helps firms comply with regulatory requirements, including features that assist with GDPR compliance.
It also creates audit trails of all document exchanges, helping firms maintain accurate records that make auditing that little bit easier!
Integration with practice management
To achieve the most efficient way of working, firms need a piece of software that will integrate easily into their practice management architecture.
For small and mid-tier firms, this is particularly important as they tend to lack the resources and infrastructure to develop and maintain a bespoke platform – relying on software products like ours to achieve efficiency.
This is why we’ve developed a solution that integrates well with a number of leading practice management software options, as a way of encouraging accountability and transparency industry-wide.
Although our goal is to help accountancy firms optimise the way they work, we also aim to support their clients, who benefit from enhanced accountability and transparency when secure software is deployed in the right way.
Contact our team for a demo of Summa Tech’s client portal.