How IT helped grow our practice

13 January 2009

FPM Accountant

s LLP

22

Practice OverviewPractice Overview Formed In 1991Formed In 1991

Offices in Newry, Belfast, Dundalk & Offices in Newry, Belfast, Dundalk & DungannonDungannon

General Accountancy services with General Accountancy services with specialism in Taxation particularly Cross specialism in Taxation particularly Cross Border TaxBorder Tax

66 staff, 8 partners66 staff, 8 partners

Achieved several awards including UK Best Achieved several awards including UK Best General Tax Practice 2008General Tax Practice 2008

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1992 first computer and printer purchased

Accountancy and cashflow modeling prepared via Lotus 123

Chose package as 1st employee trained using Lotus

Little initial IT investment and no real IT strategy

Technology UsageTechnology Usage

44

Technology MilestonesTechnology Milestones

1992: 11992: 1stst Computer Purchased Computer Purchased 1992 – 1995: Number individual PC’s added1992 – 1995: Number individual PC’s added 1995: Office networked and basic Peer-Peer 1995: Office networked and basic Peer-Peer

network established between 15 usersnetwork established between 15 users 1995 – 2003: Office grows to 35 staff all with 1995 – 2003: Office grows to 35 staff all with

desktop/Laptop machines. Network moved to desktop/Laptop machines. Network moved to stronger Windows NT platformstronger Windows NT platform

Dec 2003: Move to purpose built 8500sq ft Dec 2003: Move to purpose built 8500sq ft premisespremises

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Technology MilestonesTechnology Milestones

2003: implementation of Practice 2003: implementation of Practice Management SystemManagement System

£150k IT spend following consultative £150k IT spend following consultative process including Microsoft Small Business process including Microsoft Small Business ServerServer

2003 – 2008: Business expands to 75 users 2003 – 2008: Business expands to 75 users on network with 35 users accessing servers on network with 35 users accessing servers from branch officesfrom branch offices

Nov 2007: Move to DRIVE CRM SystemNov 2007: Move to DRIVE CRM System Summer 2008: CRISIS!!Summer 2008: CRISIS!!

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Technology MilestonesTechnology Milestones

New office locations in Dundalk and Belfast New office locations in Dundalk and Belfast paralyze network with huge downtimeparalyze network with huge downtime

Expert advice retained and 3 month Citrix Expert advice retained and 3 month Citrix project and Broadband upgrade rolled out - project and Broadband upgrade rolled out - £100k cost£100k cost

Christmas 2008: – everybody happy. No Christmas 2008: – everybody happy. No down timedown time

2009: – IT consultants retained permanently 2009: – IT consultants retained permanently to advise in futureto advise in future

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Practice ManagementPractice Management

Initially no TRSInitially no TRS 1993: Primitive System developed1993: Primitive System developed 2003: Implementation of Practice Management 2003: Implementation of Practice Management

systemsystem Huge costs in training and no link to Internal Huge costs in training and no link to Internal

Accounts ProductionAccounts Production Staff encountered many problems with usability Staff encountered many problems with usability

and no real CRM advantagesand no real CRM advantages 2005: Introduction of Company Secretarial 2005: Introduction of Company Secretarial

Software - RELATESoftware - RELATE

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Practice ManagementPractice Management

2005: Discovered DRIVE system available from 2005: Discovered DRIVE system available from RELATERELATE

2007: Decision to move made after realising 2007: Decision to move made after realising potential savings and recognising inefficiencies potential savings and recognising inefficiencies being experienced with existing CRM system.being experienced with existing CRM system.

Nov 2007: DRIVE Installed and staff training Nov 2007: DRIVE Installed and staff training completedcompleted

99

Practice ManagementPractice Management

Feb 2008: After some teething problems, Initial Feb 2008: After some teething problems, Initial benefits experienced included better credit benefits experienced included better credit control, Accelerated Invoicing and better control control, Accelerated Invoicing and better control of WIPof WIP

April 2008: First mail merge run for our quarterly April 2008: First mail merge run for our quarterly newsletter – Client Matters going out to around newsletter – Client Matters going out to around 3000 contacts3000 contacts

July 2008 to date: Start of work to move our July 2008 to date: Start of work to move our Internal accounts to DRIVE from SAGE Line 50, Internal accounts to DRIVE from SAGE Line 50, to allow complete integrationto allow complete integration

1010

Practice ManagementPractice Management

Oct 2008: Move to Relate Accounts Oct 2008: Move to Relate Accounts Production (RAP) from Sage Accounts Production (RAP) from Sage Accounts Production (SAP) for all incorporated Production (SAP) for all incorporated clients accountsclients accounts

Nov 2008: First use of DRIVE to send Nov 2008: First use of DRIVE to send emails to clients and contacts emails to clients and contacts

Feb 2009: Planned move to RAP from Feb 2009: Planned move to RAP from SAP for all unincorporated clients SAP for all unincorporated clients accountsaccounts

1111

Document ManagementDocument Management

Document management Document management is one of our next big is one of our next big

challengeschallenges

1212

Document ManagementDocument Management DRIVE provides a system of ‘less paper’ document DRIVE provides a system of ‘less paper’ document

management which we are currently using.management which we are currently using. DRIVE can store all emails to/from clients electronically DRIVE can store all emails to/from clients electronically

on the client record allowing all staff to access them.on the client record allowing all staff to access them. There are huge efficiencies being experienced in using There are huge efficiencies being experienced in using

templates and the mail merge facility in DRIVE to create templates and the mail merge facility in DRIVE to create correspondence to clients.correspondence to clients.

All documents created for or received from clients can be All documents created for or received from clients can be stored on the Client record within DRIVE.stored on the Client record within DRIVE.

Now that RAP is being used, the accounts and Trial Now that RAP is being used, the accounts and Trial Balance of the client can also be easily accessed Balance of the client can also be easily accessed through DRIVE.through DRIVE.

DRIVE also interacts with Company SecretarialDRIVE also interacts with Company Secretarial

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Company SecretaryCompany Secretary

We have already implemented RELATE company secretarial software for all ROI company

clients – Valuable source revenue

Looking @ RELATE NI company secretarial package. Initial teething problems and not same demand as not same level of compliance in NI

as ROI

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Accounts ProductionAccounts Production

Currently using RAP to produce all Currently using RAP to produce all accounts for Incorporated entities and plan accounts for Incorporated entities and plan to move all clients to RAP from Feb 09.to move all clients to RAP from Feb 09.

Initial teething problems experienced Initial teething problems experienced linking RAP with tax compliance softwarelinking RAP with tax compliance software

Major benefit of having accounts viewable Major benefit of having accounts viewable within client database without having to within client database without having to load application software. load application software.

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Managing for the futureManaging for the future

Future development projects include:

Move towards paperless office

Installation of Blackberry Enterprise server

Installation of Citrix Access Gateway

All staff to move to Thin client applications

Server migration and virtualization