AAA 2015 Paperless Benchmark Survey Results… Bleeding or Stable Digital Edge?

1. NEW: Tax: Does your firm utilize a digital workflow tool to manage tax return progress?

-25% XCM Solutions

-15% Thomson Reuters FirmFlow

–  5% CCH Workstream

–  3% Office Tools Professional

–  3% Utilized their firm’s Practice Management

–  6% “Other” included Outlook, Doc-It, Conarc, and custom applications

2. Tax: Is your firm delivering the MAJORITY of your Organizers via digital means?

–  9%: Thomson Reuters Portal CS/GFR Portal

–  4%: “Other”

–  2%  CCH Portal

3. Tax – Does your firm PRIMARILY scan client source documents (W2, 1099, etc.) at the front end of the process when the return is received and/or prior to review (mid-level scanning) so they are utilized onscreen?

4. Tax – Is your firm utilizing internal software or external services to organize/bookmark scanned client source documents into a standard PDF Format?

-41% CCH FxScan

-13% SurePrep

–  8% GFR/TR Source Document Scanning

–  9% “Other” (Doc-IT, , Adobe)

5. Tax – Is your firm using software that utilizes Optical Character Recognition to automatically transfer data from scanned source documents into your tax program?

-27% CCH AutoFlow

-10% SurePrep

–  6% Thomson Reuters Source Document Scanning

–  4% Other

*2013 Question asked only for “Internal” software for OCR

6. Tax – Does your firm primarily deliver tax returns in a digital format?

-11% CCH Portal

–  9% Thomson Reuters

–   6% ShareFile

–   6% Physical CDs/Flashdrives

–   7% “Other” Portals/DM Systems

7. Tax: What is the primary monitor configuration for tax professionals on their desktop?

-55% Triple Monitors

-24% Dual-Oversize (at least one screen 20” or greater)

-20% Dual-Standard (both screens 19” or less)

–  1% Quadruple

8. NEW: TAX – Do the majority of your tax personnel utilize at least one monitor in a vertical, “portrait” mode?

9. NEW: Tax – Do you plan to use a digital eSignature tool for tax returns this busy season? (Note: wide variety of products listed with Right Signature listed most often-5 firms)

NEW

31%

1. Audit – Does your firm primarily link its audit applications to its tax application to digitally transfer trial balance information?

1. Audit – Do your personnel working outside the office access firm applications and information via a remote connection (SaaS, Virtual Private Network, Citrix/WTS) more than 50% of the time?

2. Audit – Do your auditors carry multiple monitors in the field?

3. Audit-Do auditors carry any of the following into the field the majority of the time?

– 57% Scanners (32% in 2013)

– 22% Printers (15% in 2013)

–   9% Multi-Function Devices (10% in 2013)

*Some firms responded to two or three devices

4. Audit: Does your Firm utilize a single vendor for audit programs/engagement binders?

– 21% CCH Engagement with CCH Knowledge Coach
– 13% TR Engagement CS/Advance Flow with PPC Smart Practice

5. Audit: Do your auditors utilize data extraction tools on the majority of their engagements? (Check All that Apply):

-45% Excel

-21% IDEA

– 7% Information Active/ActiveData

6. Audit: Do your auditors utilize a digital audit scheduling tool?

– 19% utilizes ProStaff or Staff Track “dedicated” scheduling tool which was down from 29% in 2013

Please note that 31% utilized Excel in 2015, down from 39% in 2013, and 14% utilized Practice Management, which was not tracked in 2013.

7. Accounting: Does your firm utilize web-based accounting products for client service?

8. Administration – Does your firm utilize an intranet to store firm wide information (i.e. personnel manual and internal firm procedures)?

-28% utilized Microsoft SharePoint

-21% utilized Document Management

-23% “Other: Yammer, Engagement, HR, Custom

9. Administration – Does your firm deliver firm internal financial and management reports electronically?

1. Administration – Does your firm have an electronic document destruction procedure to ensure deletion of outdated electronic files on the network?

1. Administration – Does your firm use a firm-wide document management program for archival of all final tax returns, financial reports, and firm correspondence?

-31% CCH Document (22% on Premise, 9% Axcess)

-12% Thomson GoFileRoom

-11% Thomson File Cabinet CS

–  6% Conarc iChannel

–  6% Engagement Binders (CCH/Caseware)

–  3% Doc-It and 3% eFileCabinet

2. Administration – Does your firm pay the majority of accounts payables via electronic means such as credit card, online bank draft, or online service (Bank ACH, Bill.com, etc.)?

3. Administration – Does you firm utilize a remote check scanner in your office to deposit client checks?

4. Administration – Does your firm deliver digital payroll stubs via secure email or portal?

5. Administration: Are expense reports submitted electronically?

6. Practice Management – Do owners/managers receive internal management reports electronically (via email or by looking them up on the computer)?

7. Practice Management – Do firm personnel utilize information dashboards within your Practice Management application to update internal reporting information?

48%

33%

8. Practice Management – Are the majority of invoices prepared onscreen rather than completed on manual billing sheets?

9. Practice Management – Does your firm deliver client invoices electronically?

1. NEW: Practice management –Does your firm accept digital payment for services (check all that apply)?
   -81% Credit Card (firm entered)

-51% ACH (firm entered)

-15%Credit Card via Website  (client entered)

1. NEW: Practice management –Does your firm have a centralized contact management list accessible by all personnel (Check all that apply)?
   -67% Practice management contacts (stored in time and billing)

-32% Outlook

-18% Other

*2013 Question: Does your firm maintain a contact/prospect list in its practice                           .       management or groupware application?

2. Communications – Does your firm provide internet enabled devices (other than smart phones) for senior management working outside the office (i.e. tablets, netbooks, etc.)?

3. Communications – Has your firm implemented Unified Messaging Technology for all staff (voice message/integrated fax delivered electronically via email)?

-17% Lync

-13% Skype

-18% Other (Phone, Yammer, ShoreTel, Google, Cisco, Jabber)

*2013 Question: Does your firm utilize instant messaging?

5. Communications: Does your firm utilize video calling/conferencing?

6. Technology – Does your firm backup all firm data to the Internet (web-based storage/archival) on at least a monthly basis?

-56% Daily/Work Days

-7% Weekly

-3% Monthly

7. Technology – Does your firm utilize a SharePoint server or Lotus Notes knowledge database?

8. Technology – Has your firm transitioned to a virtualized server environment?

-51% VMware

-13% Microsoft HyperV or “Did Not Know”

9. Has your firm implemented a Mobile Device Management application to secure your mobile devices and access to the firm’s network?

-7% AirWatch

-7% Exchange/Active Sync

-5% Maas360

-16% Other (Good, Meraki, Mobile Iron, Citrix or “Did Not Know”

NOTE: 3% Provided Firm Issued Smart Phones (2^nd Phone)

1. Does your firm utilize remote access tools to connect to client computers to provide support, training or remote work?

-16% LogMeIn

–  9% Go to Meeting/GoToAssist

-22% Other (Join.me, TeamViewer, RAS, Lync, etc.)