At this year’s AIT U.K. Conference, leaders from top accounting firms came together to learn through informative presentations, thought leadership, roundtable discussions, and networking activities. This year’s theme was “Reach for the Clouds,” and attendees explored the ways their firms can improve collaboration and accounting document management via cloud-based technology such as Microsoft 365.
Check out the highlights from the 2022 AIT U.K. Conference — and discover how Intapp can help your accounting firm make the most of your Microsoft 365 investment.
Improve data security and governance
As the volume and complexity of client data increases, firms are finding that cloud-based accounting document management tools are necessary in terms of secure storage and easy accessibility.
Roger Pickett, U.K. Director of Transform Data International, an Intapp Implementation Partner, illustrated just how risky and inefficient it can be when firms don’t rely on advanced cloud-based management software: “For tax projects, many firms will copy information out of the legacy system, work with the client, then file the key documents back into the legacy system. Not only are these steps unnecessary, it’s also a governance issue because the firm is fragmenting data.”
The advanced capabilities of modern cloud solutions can help address issues around data security, governance, and accessibility. Finding the right cloud-based accounting document management system for your firm is challenging, but rather than searching through numerous options, accounting firms should first examine their existing cloud investments — especially Microsoft 365 and Teams.
Make the most of your Microsoft 365 investment
Many professional services firms have invested in Microsoft Teams to connect their remote teams and help them collaborate. When asked for a show of hands during the conference, all attendees indicated that their firms are using Teams. However, most attendees also acknowledged that their firms are only using the tool for calls and chat, and admitted that they aren’t taking full advantage of all the collaborative features that Teams and Microsoft 365 offer.
“When searching for cloud platforms, firms are faced with an abundance of choices,” said Marc McNicholl, Managing Director of Sales for Intapp Collaboration & Content at Intapp. “But if you’ve already invested in Microsoft 365, you already have everything you need.”
Intapp Collaboration & Content, an Intapp suite, can help accounting firms leverage their existing Microsoft 365 investment and turn it into a successful accounting document management system. The solution seamlessly integrates with Microsoft 365 to turn Microsoft Teams, SharePoint, and Outlook into intuitive, centralized engagement and client-centric workspaces with integrated document management and customer portals. Users can securely access data and content from across various firm systems, then collaborate on that content within Teams.
Avoid problems around implementation and cost
One of the biggest factors that deter accounting firms from adopting new accounting document management systems is the fear that the adoption process won’t go smoothly. Firmwide adoption can be difficult, especially among professionals who dislike change or are too busy to learn new systems. Investing in Intapp Collaboration & Content and leveraging your firm’s existing Microsoft 365 investment can help ease the adoption process, since your professionals can continue using the Microsoft applications they’re already familiar with.
Sticking with Microsoft 365 for document management is also a cost-effective decision: “Intapp’s competitors are putting out very expensive cloud solutions,” explained Gary Palmer, Director and Practice Group Leader for Collaboration and Content at Intapp. “Our clients get a better return on investment from our solution. They also don’t have to worry about reoccurring costs related to data server maintenance since the product is cloud-based.”
In addition to removing data server maintenance costs, Intapp Collaboration & Content also frees IT resources from having to perform manual upgrades, since the cloud-based system automatically updates. Instead, IT teams can use this newfound free time to focus their efforts on strategic and innovative initiatives.
Schedule a demo to learn more about Intapp Collaboration & Content and how you can leverage Intapp and Microsoft 365 for document management.