Choosing the Right Project Management Accounting Software for Your Firm
Finding the best project management accounting software for your accounting or CPA firm can be difficult when you don’t know what to look for exactly. There are features your firm may not need or add-ons that come standard with other software tools.
That’s why we’ve reviewed 11 best-in-class project management software tools through the lens of an accounting firm owner. Based on the recurring work you have with retainer clients and specific service levels, there’s an ideal tool for your team that will make organizing work easier — not more complicated — with technology.
Why Project Management Accounting Software Helps You 10X Your Firm
The world today is increasingly digital, remote, asynchronous, and flexible. We wouldn’t say the accounting industry is considered flexible.
True, but as a service provider, it’s becoming increasingly important to have a seamless service process as completely online as possible. With that comes outsourcing expertise in areas you have gaps and coordinating projects and work within a software platform based in the cloud.
Investing in a project tracking and management system can reap an abundance of benefits, including:
- Making your staff’s jobs easier with collaboration channels and accountant due date tracking and accounting task reminders for key clients
- Creating a visual representation of your firm’s work deliverables, deadline tracking, and other key metrics for managing your book of business
- Taking more time off to enjoy your life or grow your business with networking and passion projects
- Automating workflows and critical path tasks with labels to keep you and your team accountable and stay on track each month
The Ultimate Guide for Choosing the Best Accounting Task Tracker for Your Firm
Only 57 percent of small business owners planned to take a vacation in 2020. If you want to start living the life you intended when you became an entrepreneur, you need to start delegating some of your work. Sure, there are plenty of things that only you can do. But there are a bunch of little things you do that can easily be transitioned to someone looking for industry experience instead.
Convinced yet? Here are the exact steps you need to take in order to find the project management solution that will help you grow your firm:
Step 1: Research project management software programs and read reviews from business owners.
Most corporate functions have project management systems in place, so your staff coming from bigger firms may already know how to set up a retainer client’s work assignments for the year already. If not, it’s helpful to have resources available as you take this journey on your own.
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Step 2: Setup a demo with your team.
Narrow down your list of finalists to 3-5 top contenders. They should have most of your non-negotiable integrations or features, but they may have a few minor trade-offs between the group. Once you find out which of the trade-offs you value least, you can sign-up for demos with your favorites. Get to know their sales team, and try a free trial to get used to the user interface.
Step 3: Start converting manual tasks to projects with templates.
During your free trial period, you’ll want to make a few test projects in your account to see how easy it is to set up a project, work on those tasks, and then report on completed work based on deadline and client. Once you’ve run a few tests, meet with your team to discuss favorites and ask everyone to rank them from best to worst. Be sure to weigh those working most in the tool more heavily than others (a supervisor or your own vendors, for example).
Step 4: Promote or train a backup administrator.
You should have it narrowed down to one or two at this point. The last step is to see how easily you can transition the bulk of managing the work to your team or fit it into your schedule. Having a backup will give you the chance to take time out of the office to take vacation, invest in special projects or professional development, or drum up some more business for your firm with your additional time.
Step 5: Tell your customers.
Once you’ve implemented your software with the implementation or client success team for the software, you can share the information with your clients. Maybe there is no impact to their work or what they see as a final deliverable, but it’s still something you can pepper into conversations about future projects or with new prospects as a feature in your marketing.
Project Management Accounting Software Made Easier by a Workflow Software
Jumpstart your research on the best project management softwares with a free 14-day trial of Jetpack Workflow. We’re in the business of workflow automation, so you can focus on your business.