A technology plan is a long-term strategy for how you utilize and prioritize technology — and it’s time for your bookkeeping firm to adopt one! We know it can be tempting to always go with the “new thing” regarding tech. Shiny gadgets always catch our eye too! Having a technology plan helps you avoid that impulse AND more specifically tailor your tech to satisfactory client experiences.
Why YOU Need a Technology Plan for Your Bookkeeping Firm
Your bookkeeping firm is unique, with its own unique capabilities and challenges as a business. That means you need technology that is especially suited to your needs AND helps you stand out for the qualities that make your firm great. If you want to stand out, you’ve got to have the right tools that make working with you a wonderful experience for clients. Plus, technology doesn’t have to isolate us — in the workplace, it can help us be more connected than ever!
Consider Client Experience
You should never make assumptions about what your clients want when it comes to technology. Rather, you should listen to their feedback and make it clear to them that you want it. Take a look at your current client base. What industries do they work in? What tools do they use? Be sure to ask your clients what their current experience is like with you and what tech they are currently using.
Consider Your Team
Your team should also be front of mind when it comes to decisions about technology. After all, who’s going to be using this technology on a day-to-day basis? Create a training plan so that your entire team is up to speed when new tech comes into play. You should also make your tech selection process inclusive so that your team’s needs are at the forefront of decision-making.
Assess Your Needs
Do you know what you’re looking for in a new app? Researching any kind of technology can be a hassle, with a million results at your fingertip for any inquiry. That’s why you have to make a list of what your needs are before you even start your search. Narrow your needs down to 1-3 pain points and try out some demos! You should be considering how the tech integrates with your other tools, how it improves productivity, what the application programming interface is like, and pricing, contract, and cancellation terms.
Develop a Process For Implementing New Tech
If you’ve got a lot of technology gaps at your firm, you might feel the need to tackle everything at once. That’s… not exactly a great idea. Instead, you should only implement one new change at a time. This is where it becomes essential to consider what the new tech offers in terms of support and resources.
Just adopting new tech whenever it’s time to update isn’t a sustainable solution to your tech needs. Instead, you have to go into all technology decisions at your bookkeeping firm with a plan and process. That way, new systems are implemented and selected in a way that is efficient and thought-through.
Are you in the market for new accounting software? We’ve got a demo you can try here to see if Aero might be a good fit for you!
