Make Tax Season Stress Free with IRIS – January Webinar Round-Up

Lacy Magby and Kevin Sharma brought together Shawn Drourr and Jodee Paape to help share their experience and discuss how they make tax season stress free with IRIS Document Management Solutions.

If you could not attend, here is a summary of the great insights you missed.

1.   Retention

Retention is broken down into file retention, client retention, and employee retention.

File Retention

Every firm must keep client documents and information, but how you organize and store that information drastically impacts your firm. Manual or outdated processes can be challenging and even harder to manage. By going to a digital document management solution, firms can centralize and standardize file retention processes ensuring that every document for every client is managed with the same level of care, making it easier to work with and manage.

Client Retentio

Effective document management can directly impact your customer care and satisfaction level. Jodee Paape shared a quick example of how one of her clients was experiencing some difficulties with her bank. Jodee could find the documents in question for her client and share the relevant information with her client immediately. She said it was a quick five-minute phone call to resolve the conflict, but that speed and accuracy for the client were only possible due to her firm's IRIS document management solution. 

Employee Retention

Employees don’t want to deal with cumbersome document management processes. They want the tools they need to help them do their job in the best way possible. IRIS document management solutions empower employees to do more with their time by streamlining the entire document management process. Making employees’ jobs easier makes them more productive and satisfied with their position, helping firms retain their talent.

2.   Security

The information accountants deal with is highly sensitive and must be protected from hacking or attacks. Clients expect their information to be safe and protected by their accountants. Firms that choose not to use security measures like HTTPS, multi-factor authentication, and encrypted web traffic are putting their firm and their clients at risk.

Many firms are choosing the bare minimum for their digital security, which puts them at a very high risk of something going wrong. For example, some firms are choosing to back up their data annually. While something is better than nothing, this is extremely dangerous because if an attack or data breach happens at the wrong time of the year, you could potentially lose almost a year’s worth of data in one breach.

Data security isn’t optional anymore. Federal mandates require firms to meet specific security standards to remain compliant. Document management solutions from IRIS help streamline data security, ensuring your firm has the necessary security without requiring more work.

3.   Responsiveness and Client Communication

If your client calls with a question - do you have access to the information you need to help them?

Client communication and transparency are becoming a necessity for every firm. Clients are interested in having direct access to their information around the clock, and firms are expected to provide that access.

Document management solutions from IRIS provide unique customer portals for each client, which gives them valuable insights into their information. Additionally, firms can quickly generate and share key reports to give your client better insights and more information.

The client portal also creates a standardized form where clients can interact with your firm, rather than being inundated with phone calls or emails, Doc.It and iChannel from IRIS have client portals where clients can (and should) communicate any questions or needs. This standardized communication approach helps ensure that no information is lost between the cracks and that every client receives the same level of customer care.

See what IRIS Document Management Solutions Can Do for You

Depending on the size of your firm and your specific needs, Doc.It or iChannel by IRIS can help you streamline your firm’s document management workflow, making storing, sorting, and indexing all client data easy. Contact IRIS Global today to find out which solution is right for you and how to get started in saving time and money while improving your firm’s productivity and customer retention.