Not Your Father's File Cabinet – – Digital Document Management & Storage Systems

The radical fundamental change for document management
systems of many accounting firms & professional practices

Intuit announced in Spring of this year the discontinuation of its Lacerte and ProSeries Document Management Systems, in lieu of SmartVault to fill that space.

Technologist Randy Johnston of K2 wrote in his 2013 column that, “It is rare to see a document management project implemented correctly. Further, I don’t believe a document management project is ever complete.”

See also: All Cloud9 Paperless Articles and Solutions

Many users of public cloud storage sites with inadequate security, like the personal versions of OneDrive, DropBox, Apple iCloud, and SugarSync, are transitioning to more secure and robust document management systems as they experience inadequacies in their own home spun systems.

Many or most of the local-desktop applications providers like Office Tools Professional, Thomson Reuters, and Drake are offering cloud hosting services through strategic alliances with Cloud9 Real Time.  Such cloud hosting provisions allow professional practices to work with traditional desktop applications with the programs, data, and settings actually stored in a remote, secure commercial data center.

The teutonic techno-shifts of late have helped many firms to re-imagine their traditional business processes, and are spurring the adoption of newer more fluid and secure workflow management and client portal initiatives in the second year after their conversion. 

Questions before moving to cloud-based document management:

• What is our document retention policy?
• How will we organize our digitized documents?
• What will be the naming conventions and strategies for existing documents?
• Will we scan old paper documents or prior year working papers?
• How will we restrict access to firm administrative documents?
• How will completed files protected so that they cannot be changed after completion?
• Will the same document management system be used for tax engagements, client bookkeeping, reviews, audits, and consulting engagements?

While there are no correct or incorrect answers to these questions, it is critical that firms assess and brainstorm their internal business procedures to best utilize the new tools available.  

Are you ready to begin your move to a digitized document management universe with one of North America’s most respected managed cloud providers? Remember us: Schedule a demo or a 7-day trial and discover first hand why Cloud9 Real Time is the #1 choice of cloud computing providers among more accountants, CFOs, entrepreneurs, small business owners, and CPAs. Or come to Cloud Summit 2014 in San Diego September 17-19 and find out what all the hubbub is about!