If your firm is considering outsourcing its IT service needs, or you are thinking about switching to a new service provider, it is likely because you have some specific “problems” to solve.
After working with hundreds of accounting firm owners, staff and consultants in my various roles here at Swizznet, I have found there often are many “surface level” issues that drive firms to search for a way of eliminating the pain points related to IT. These usually are some combination of the following:
- Service level upgrades
- Updates on hardware needing to be done more frequently
- Budgeting and planning for IT needs
- Creating a predictable cost structure for IT
- Consolidating services with one provider
Many of these issues can be addressed with surface solutions that often appear on the technology wish lists of accounting firms, and many of them tie back directly or indirectly to the bottom line, productivity and compliance requirements. These also are key end goals for Swizznet.
However, there are several other critical criteria that often are overlooked by accounting firms when they are evaluating managed IT services.
Given these five critical criteria for accounting firms, you can see there is more to selecting an outsourced or managed IT services provider for your accounting firm than just their technical capabilities.
The real problem is that as an accounting firm, you have specific software, systems and needs that an outsourced IT partner must be intimately familiar with to truly provide the best and most comprehensive solutions.
Without this “insider” knowledge, dedication and expertise, it is pretty much impossible to maximize your firm’s ability to run smarter, leaner and more effectively, which is ultimately what will increase revenue potential over the long-term for your firm.
To get the maximum value and benefit from outsourced IT services, you need a partner that can go beyond the basics. Consider these five critical criteria in addition to the basics mentioned above when selecting an outsourced IT partner:
- Do they have accounting industry expertise? Is your potential outsourced IT partner up to speed on IRS recommendations/requirements?
- Are they certified in using and experts in working in the apps and platforms native to your firm? For example, all of our support team members at Swizznet are QuickBooks ProAdvisors. We not only understand the IT needs for this and other critical software solutions such as Lacerte, ProSeries, Sage Intacct and all of the other common tax platforms, but also how accountants actually use them.
- Do they understand the workflows and team structures of accounting firms in terms of access and security? Some examples of where it is critical that your IT services provider understand your workflow occur during the seasonal flow of a firm such as the tax preparation period. You may have seasonal workers, part-time staff and other needs where access must be controlled and easily turned on/off while everything is secure for remote workers, too.
- Are they familiar with end-to-end administration and support of your core solutions for tax, accounting, bookkeeping, and more? If your outsourced IT solution provider is not familiar with the specifics of server installation for CCH, ProSeries, accounting software and other industry-specific common solutions, you are going to be paying for a steep and often painful learning curve. Are you prepared to do that?
- Do they have strong accounting industry support relationships with solution providers critical to your firm? Swizznet has specific accounting vertical partnerships with many tax, accounting, bookkeeping and advisory software vendors, which give us a direct path to additional support which benefits your firm in the long run.
Given these five critical criteria for accounting firms, you can see there is more to selecting an outsourced or managed IT services provider for your accounting firm than just their technical capabilities. Consider how familiar they are with the accounting profession, and at what level they have expertise, interest and partnerships, which will benefit your firm beyond the “usual” IT support and service packages offered in the market.
At Swizznet, we are 100% committed to providing our trademark Obsessive Support® to accounting firms and our SwizzStack-managed IT service solutions are designed specifically for firms like yours.
Learn more about our holistic approach to supporting your firm 24/7, then talk to us. We are here to make your firm more productive and more profitable through the passionate pursuit of the IT solutions and support that you need to succeed.
Sam Schuemacher is Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor and an expert in developing and implementing cloud accounting solutions and strategies. Sam works with accountants and bookkeepers to conceptualize and implement innovative solutions to maximize return on investment and help grow their businesses. Sam can help streamline the accounting process and can make offering online accounting services easy.
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