Most firms use practice management software – yourself included. And you probably also use Xero for client accounts (or your own).

Did you know that they may work on different software platforms?

Let me explain…..

One is installed on your office server

One is installed on a server on the internet

When using the program it doesn’t affect the way you use it but it does have a significant impact on the overhead your business carries for using each one.

 

Why use software on the internet?

As broadband, wireless and mobile connections to the internet become ubiquitous more firms are preferring to outsource more and more of their information technology. This is leading to a decline in purchased software and a rise in rented software, usually paid monthly by subscription.

Your team still gets to access exactly the programs they need to do their job but you do not have to pay out large sums, nor run a server in the office in order to use them.

Xero is probably the most famous program for Accountants which is hosted on the internet. You know how it works – you go to a website https://login.xero.com/ and type in your logins and magically you have access to the exact set-up purchased by your firm or your clients.

Now why aren’t you using a similar service for Practice Management?

If your firm is using CCH iFirm, APS, or MYOB Accountants Office then chances are you are duplicating cost and adding to your overheads.

 

What’s the logic?

In every revolution there’s a transition point as more and more people move onto the “new” thing. In this one, it’s software on the internet, also called Software-as-a-Service or SaaS.

The difficult place to occupy is a halfway house where you have one foot in the old installed, server software camp and one in the new SaaS online software camp. This is the worst of all worlds. You are keeping your overheads high while not taking advantage of the new way of working and so are disadvantaging your firm compared to the industry.

 

Do not stay here.

If you’re using both Xero and one of the server based practice management services, please come and talk to us about ways to make the shift. Believe us, you do not want to keep doing both. And if you stay with server-only software, dinosaurs should be flying past your eyes.

The future is not in your office server, it’s on the wireless internet.