5 Reasons You Should NOT Buy Accounting Workflow Software

Although you know how important workflow management is to your firm, you might be unsure if a software solution like Jetpack Workflow is right for you and your firm.

We’d love to say that yes all firms should buy accounting workflow software. After all, it’s the business we are in!

But we also are realistic and don’t want to be biased. Instead, we want to share some reasons why accounting workflow software might not be a good fit for you at this time.

Note: Of course we had to be a bit cheeky in this one too. But don’t worry, we also ensure to share some valid reasons as well.

1. Your accounting workflows are already standardized.

Every individual accountant and firm have their own challenges.

And after talking to thousands of CPAs, CAS leaders, and firm owners – we found standardizing accounting workflows and client tasks to be a very common top priority.

Yet it is possible that between the size of your firm and clients, you’ve found your own way to organize your workflows manually.

Maybe it’s using basic tools like Excel and Google Sheets. Maybe it’s using common project management tools like Asana, Trello, etc. Or a combo of tools and processes.

While a manual approach can get more complicated, you and your firm may have cracked the code internally.

2. Your team is comfortable with legacy systems.

The legacy accounting platforms you are familiar with tend to be clunky, outdated, and time consuming. And we’ve heard that complaint about those products many times.

That said, many firms have been using these platforms for years. And migrating the data and client work seems like a logistical nightmare.

Plus, members of your firm are probably well-versed in the legacy systems and making a change where everyone is comfortable can be tough.

While making a switch to Jetpack Workflow is easy (we offer migration and setup services to speed up the process), it’s understandable that it might not be the right time.

Keep in mind though, making the shift to cloud-based technologies like Jetpack Workflow are becoming the norm for firms.

Research firm Gartner recently said that by 2024 and beyond, more than 45% of IT spending will shift to cloud-based technologies; in many instances that will include financial and accounting software.

3. Your firm is way past workflow management needs.

Technology is advancing fast. This is both good news and bad. Why?

• The good news is it makes getting your accounting work done faster and more efficient. Allowing firms to grow their business.

 

• The bad news is there are so many tech options, it’s hard to know what to choose, how to integrate, and what will drive the most value for you and your firm at the current time.

 
Typically, accounting workflow software is focused on three core areas: Standardizing all your workflows, automating recurring tasks, and making it easier to track all projects, client work, and status of work.

That alone is a huge need for most CPAs, bookkeepers, and firm owners.

However, your firm may be rapidly growing where you need more than workflow management. This is where accounting practice management software can be the better option.

4. You’re working with a very tight budget.

While most workflow software is fairly affordable and is great for solo accountants, every accountant and firm has specific budgets.

We’ve priced our solution so that solo practitioners to larger firms can easily utilize our platform. But even then, every dollar counts!

So as much as you may WANT some sort of solution, you may need to wait it out until your budget opens more.

Typically, if you are just starting out or working on growing your client base, you may not want to spend any money on additional tech.

Eventually, it will be a good idea to invest in workflow management or accounting practice management software. You’ll find more free time, better organization, increased productivity, and even more revenue for your firm.

5. Your firm thrives off spreadsheet and post-it note chaos.

Okay okay, this last one is meant to be a bit funny.

But there is some truth to those who thrive off messy, last minute deadlines, and stressful situations.

For example, we know a few accountants where their desk is absolutely covered in notes about clients and working out of numerous spreadsheets.

And as much as we all love our classic spreadsheets and templates in accounting, it can get messy very FAST. Think about all the clients you might have, their needs, trying to keep track of client work, deadlines, what your team is working on, etc.

If you flourish with notes and spreadsheets only and are comfortable delivering quality work that way –  then by all means do you!

Just know there is a better way that can help you get more done in less time 😁

Reasons It’s Time to Consider Accounting Workflow Software

To us, there are so many reasons to consider account workflow software. Even if we didn’t have a product in this category, our team would still be highly recommending firms invest in one.

The reason is that almost every firm owner or solo accountant we’ve talked with, surveyed, or interviewed over the last few years has shared very similar challenges with their client work.

And many of those common challenges are solved by efficient workflow management.

So if any of these below resonate with you, then it might be time to explore a solution like Jetpack Workflow.

• Drowning in post-it notes and spreadsheets.
• Missing client deadlines and stressing out.
• “All in one” solutions are overwhelming and costly.
• Project management tools aren’t solving your challenges.
• Your workflows are still an absolute nightmare.
• Your firm is experiencing new rapid growth.
• A big business change is coming (merger, acquisition)
• Your firm is going remote or has a fully remote team.
• Need to quickly get every project and task organized in one single hub.
• You want to automate recurring tasks and free up time for new client work.
• Need to easily monitor progress and know exactly what’s upcoming, when, and for who.