Displaying 1-50 of 76 results
Exclusive
Time for a rest over Christmas... or does the “tax returns outstanding list” spoil it?
- Article
- 20 Dec 2021
- Kevin Salter
Whilst offices tend to ostensibly close as far as the public are concerned, it does not mean that everyone is not actually working.
Exclusive
Real world IT problems... wasted time when the IT doesn’t work
- Article
- 13 Dec 2021
- Kevin Salter
When everything works as expected and anticipated, there are no grumbles or complaints (well may be a few!).
Exclusive
Alternative methods can save you time
- Article
- 30 Nov 2021
- Kevin Salter
I was on a product support call recently with a practitioner. We had tried talking through the issue he was having by telephone, but this was not getting very far.
Exclusive
Checklists - a ticking exercise or a useful reminder?
- Article
- 22 Jun 2021
- Kevin Salter
Whether it is accounts preparation, tax planning or compliance, payroll functions or, indeed, any other aspect of the busy professional office, how do you ensure all angles are covered?
Exclusive
How do you communicate and collaborate with clients and internally in the office?
- Article
- 17 Nov 2021
- Kevin Salter
A recent conversation with a “professional” client – highly qualified in the medical field – was to remind us that we should be writing to him; his electronic mailbox contained over 35,000 unread emails!
Exclusive
Automated accounting – who needs an accountant or bookkeeper?
- Article
- 01 Nov 2021
- Kevin Salter
As automation and AI become more prevalent in software, this does not always ensure the transactions are “correct”.
Exclusive
Unravelling seemingly “good ideas” in the IT
- Article
- 25 Oct 2021
- Kevin Salter
What seemed like a “good idea” at the time does not always turn out to be so and unravelling these can be time consuming.
Exclusive
How many information islands exist in your practice?
- Article
- 25 Oct 2021
- Kevin Salter
Is all data available to everyone….or is it secretive?
Exclusive
Accounting errors and anomalies
- Article
- 07 Oct 2021
- Kevin Salter
Over recent weeks, with the aid of review software, a significant number of problems have come to light.
Exclusive
Preparing accounts
- Article
- 17 Sep 2021
- Kevin Salter
My friend has prepared my accounts in the past ….he isn’t an accountant though……
Exclusive
Screen recording videos - save time!
- Article
- 17 Sep 2021
- Kevin Salter
Kevin Salter considers various scenarios.
Exclusive
Does xxx software integrate with other packages?
- Article
- 01 Sep 2021
- Kevin Salter
A big fuss is often made about “integration” – the ability to transfer data from one package to another seamlessly to reduce rekeying and reduce the risk of errors.
Exclusive
Where does bookkeeping stop and accounting start?
- Article
- 01 Sep 2021
- Kevin Salter
A major change with cloud accounting is always on access to the data.
Exclusive
RTI and HMRC filing
- Article
- 10 Aug 2021
- Kevin Salter
RTI filing started in April 2013, over 8 years ago now! There were some issues at the start, and, 8 years later, it appears there are still some problems.
Exclusive
My system is down - what do I do now?
- Article
- 02 Aug 2021
- Kevin Salter
In the last couple of weeks, a significant number of accountants, their clients and businesses will have been affected by “major outages” with cloud accounting software.
Exclusive
Digital transformation – all change
- Article
- 22 Jul 2021
- Kevin Salter
Digital transformation can mean different things to different people; it is a catchall term describing the implementation of new technologies and processes to improve business operations.
Exclusive
Payroll issues - it never rains but it pours
- Article
- 09 Jul 2021
- Kevin Salter
Payroll software is very simple (theoretically) - put in the information and it works out everything for you and arrives at the net pay and how much to pay HMRC in relation to the deductions and employers NI etc. If only…..!!!
Exclusive
Time wasted with IT issues - is it getting worse?
- Article
- 02 Jul 2021
- Kevin Salter
When things work as they should, IT is a real boon. However, when it goes awry, so much time can be wasted trying to sort it.
Exclusive
Does software that is “perfect” for everyone exist?
- Article
- 30 Nov 2021
- Kevin Salter
The accounting function, whether it is day to day business bookkeeping or the whole range of services in a practice, revolves around software.
Exclusive
Software features: how many are used and how do you educate and inform?
- Article
- 11 Jun 2021
- Kevin Salter
A throw away comment in an online meeting recently struck a chord. “there are loads of icons- I have no idea what they do …I only use three of them”. This is probably common in so many of the programs being used today.
Exclusive
Tax is very taxing at times
- Article
- 10 Jun 2021
- Kevin Salter
Time is a very precious commodity – there are only so many hours in a day. Sometimes apparently simple tasks go awry, and many valuable hours are eaten up trying to resolve issues.
Exclusive
Leading a horse to water
- Article
- 21 May 2021
- Kevin Salter
“You can lead a horse to water, but you cannot make it drink” – a phrase that can be associated with clients and the (potential) use of software for their business.
Exclusive
How much "tech training" do you provide each year?
- Article
- 11 May 2021
- Kevin Salter
Developments in technology have changed methodologies in accounting dramatically, and accountants need to adapt and change.
Exclusive
Data everyone
- Article
- 10 May 2021
- Kevin Salter
Some horror stories have arisen recently regarding the migration of data (or, to be more accurate, the inability to do so).
Exclusive
Changing telephone systems – get on with it!
- Article
- 19 Apr 2021
- Kevin Salter
Good old analogue telephone systems have been in place for many years in a two-office practice. This has not been without its challenges over that time.
Exclusive
How many silos of information exist... and why?
- Article
- 09 Apr 2021
- Kevin Salter
Information silos occur when different individuals or groups generate or record new data, but don’t integrate or share that information so that other parts of the business can view or use them.
Exclusive
Sharing files and information. Some winners and losers in this arena
- Article
- 24 Mar 2021
- Kevin Salter
Let’s start with HMRC. A VAT aspect investigation was started, and various information was requested be supplied.
Exclusive
How can you ensure that information is set up completely?
- Article
- 24 Mar 2021
- Kevin Salter
I have lost count of the number of times recently that I have had to send emails with screenshots asking people to ensure they tick the appropriate boxes.
Exclusive
How do you provide instructions or feedback?
- Article
- 26 Feb 2021
- Kevin Salter
Let us look at just three possible illustrative scenarios that might arise in the workplace.
Exclusive
The top excuses for not going paperless
- Article
- 19 Feb 2021
- Kevin Salter
In the current working environment, which is predominantly remote for many, access is still required to information relating to clients. It is of little use when it is stuck in a filing cabinet in the office!
Exclusive
February time to revisit working practices and methods
- Article
- 15 Feb 2021
- Kevin Salter
The usual manic January has ended, and tax return season is practically over.
Exclusive
Mobile apps or desktop versions?
- Article
- 05 Feb 2021
- Kevin Salter
Many software products these days have mobile apps – be it accounts software, add-on partners such as invoice processing, banks, email, office apps (word processing, spreadsheets, etc) …. the list goes on.
Exclusive
Please download the bank statements for the year - "How do I do that?"
- Article
- 29 Jan 2021
- Kevin Salter
With accounting software, bank feeds and growing digital knowledge across accountants and clients this is a question that increasingly seems a little old-fashioned…it certainly becomes increasingly tiresome and time consuming to try to help.
Exclusive
What does 2021 have in store for IT
- Article
- 05 Jan 2021
- Kevin Salter
There is no doubt 2020 saw some significant changes to working methods and practices and all the signs are that this will continue into 2021.
Exclusive
Open banking
- Article
- 22 Dec 2020
- Kevin Salter
A whole new way to view your financial information and interact with your money.
Exclusive
Exceptions - exceptions - exceptions!
- Article
- 11 Dec 2020
- Kevin Salter
Exception reports are a favourite tool. It is all very well having reports but is the underlying data in those reports a) correct and b) complete?
Exclusive
Checklists - an essential tool or filling forms for the sake of it?
- Article
- 30 Nov 2020
- Kevin Salter
Checklists are tools used to better organise your assignments and to verify, easily, your most important tasks. They are designed to reduce errors and ensure consistency and completeness.
Exclusive
To Excel or not to Excel
- Article
- 19 Nov 2020
- Kevin Salter
There is a never-ending debate as to whether Excel, and spreadsheets in general, have a place in the working world.
Exclusive
Implementing multiple apps and software for clients
- Article
- 09 Nov 2020
- Kevin Salter
Do you favour the “big bang” approach or the “softly softly” method? For a business startup, there is so much to consider and action, and the accounting is often a low priority, but a necessity, nonetheless.
Exclusive
The client dashboard view
- Article
- 09 Nov 2020
- Kevin Salter
A hugely valuable resource for work allocation and planning.
Exclusive
Software features: how many are used and how do you educate and inform?
- Article
- 21 Oct 2020
- Kevin Salter
A throw away comment in an online meeting recently struck a chord. “there are loads of icons- I have no idea what they do …I only use three of them”. This is probably common in so many of the programs being used today.
Exclusive
This week's news headlines: IT glitch - in reality a spreadsheet error
- Article
- 08 Oct 2020
- Kevin Salter
As if the numbers of coronavirus cases were not horrendous enough already, the news was dominated in the last week or so by an “IT glitch” which led to numbers being significantly understated for a few days – by around 16,000.
Exclusive
New software - we ought to look at that
- Article
- 24 Sep 2020
- Kevin Salter
It might not just be new software appearing in the marketplace that warrants a “look”. Inevitably there will be upgrades, enhancements and new features added to existing software already in use too.
Handover information to a new agent: how would you do this?
- Article
- 10 Sep 2020
- Kevin Salter
Sometimes the parting of the ways is amicable and smooth – and sometimes it is bumpy and can leave a nasty taste in the mouth!
Exclusive
How many IT changes are needed when a staff member leaves?
- Article
- 26 Aug 2020
- Kevin Salter
Staff come to the firm or practice, and staff go again. The leaving may be retirement, moving on to another practice-either locally or moving away, or it may be they have decided to set up on their own.
Exclusive
The software does not work – it is “rubbish”
- Article
- 26 Aug 2020
- Kevin Salter
Does that phrase (or something along those lines) sound familiar? We have probably all been there and had “issues” at one time or another.
Exclusive
The HMRC digital roadmap
- Article
- 11 Aug 2020
- Kevin Salter
Making Tax Digital is a key part of the government’s plans to make it easier for individuals and businesses to get their tax right and keep on top of their affairs.
Exclusive
Working with virtual teams
- Article
- 07 Aug 2020
- Kevin Salter
Whilst some staff are venturing back to the office environment, this might not be on a full-time basis – either due to flexible furlough or still working from home for a number of days per week.
Exclusive
Streamlining manual processes: what next on the to do list?
- Article
- 22 Jul 2020
- Kevin Salter
Bank feeds changed the accounting world when introduced – taking out huge swathes of manual data entry. Not only that, the potential for error is much reduced; transposition errors, wrong payees etc.
Exclusive
What has happened to voice technology in accounting and business?
- Article
- 09 Jul 2020
- Kevin Salter
Many years ago, speech recognition was hailed as the next big application to make a difference in the accounting world, and this seems to have surfaced at various times over the years.
Displaying 1-50 of 76 results