Paperless Possibilities Presented by: Bill Parrish (oneplusone) 3
Those Pesky Disclaimers This Information is copyright protected by (oneplusone) 3 and may not be reproduced or otherwise distributed without the written consent of (oneplusone) 3 This presentation is for informational purposes only and should only be implemented by a practitioner after appropriate due diligence has been performed Not all of the concepts and strategies proposed in this presentation may be appropriate for all practices. Careful study must be undertaken by anyone considering the implementation of these concepts and special attention should be given to individual state laws governing the practice of professionals. Several programs and applications are referenced in this presentation. These are not recommendations, they are cited as examples.
The Glamour of “Paperless” It’s the latest thing to do… It’s “Green”… Everyone else is doing it… It will solve my problems… It will save me time and money… I want to say I am “there”…
The Realities of “Paperless” We will not be paperless in our lifetimes… It is not a tool, it is a mindset… It will save time and money… It will cause us to improve the way we do business… It will not happen easily…
Cost Savings Time 5 minutes per file times 10 files per $20.00 per hour = $ annually Space Costs A file cabinet = 4 square feet at $20.00 per sq ft per year plus walk space, utilities, lighting etc Estimated $ per year per practice.
Other Benefits Increased security Better disaster recovery Environmentally friendly Remote access Faster performance Resource sharing (possibly outsourcing) Efficiency
The Mind Set It’s not about paper – It’s about electronic work flow Everyone in practice must buy in Must be tailored to each practice Decisions Scan forward approach Selective scanning Total conversion
The Beginning Capture at first touch & marshal that workflow Examine all processes Mail ( Billing ( Collections Time keeping ( Communications Postage ( On Line payroll ( File Transfer Protocol Report & work product delivery (
Hardware Needs As much hard drive storage as you can afford with a “raid” drive A reliable back up system with ability to be taken off premise At least 2 monitors – preferably 3 Dedicated scanner(s) Scan Snap by Fujitsu Avoid multi function machines
Technology Needs Document Management System May just use Microsoft components In house program for total client management Paperport Outlook Remote Access Server Vendors such as Creative Solutions and Ark Works E Document Management Systems such as Avoid combinations of these
It’s a Fact E mail has caused a 40% increase in paper usage Paper going through an average accounting office / department has increased 28% in 4 years While computers generate tons of paper reports, computers and paper are not compatible (well almost)
Some New Stuff Paperless printers Coffee table computers Electronic signatures Voice actuation Virtual office sharing The newest cell phone (Oct 22, 2008)
Some New Technology
How to Start Do not go it alone Design a flowchart for your work Design an electronic workflow plan Develop an implementation plan Will be multi year Will not be expensive Be flexible as you learn and progress
Lets Get Started Be ready for tax season Talk to practitioners who have been successful in this arena Designate a “control person” Test the system Disclose your policy to clients Do not look back
For Information About ConnectEd: Jodi Goldberg, Director of Member Services National Society of Accountants Ext 1304 About the Presentation Bill Parrish, Founder & CEO (oneplusone) Ext
C P E Credit Jodi Goldberg with NSA has sent you an with the qualifying questions for today’s webinar. Complete that questionnaire and submit to NSA. They will then provide you with the CPE credit certificate.