Computer Aid: Bridging the digital divide for over 25 years

By-lined to Paul Onions

Accountancy practice management software has come a long way. Today, features like automated billing and reconciliations are easily integrated into the day-to-day practice workflow of Wolters Kluwer Tax & Accounting UK customers.

Our employees work side by side with our customers to create and manage these solutions – driven by a deep understanding of their needs and addressing the rapid changes in their environment.

However, it’s often hard to look beyond improving performance in day-to-day operations. Amid Brexit, the COVID-19 pandemic and other disruptions, accountancy practices and their clients are dealing with an unpredictable economic landscape. Future business planning can appear daunting.

However, technology can support accountancy practices (and their clients) in making informed business decisions, and planning for the future. In the first part of our Accountancy Practice Management for Future-Fit Growth series, we’ll explore how they can use technology to define and easily track Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). Doing so gives practices closer control of performance tracking, and deeper insights that will inform strategic growth plans.

Saving Time

For several decades, business technology platforms have enabled practices to track performance metrics that they have customised. This highlights areas that qualify for improvement and underpins strategic planning.

Contemporary technology, such as CCH KPI Monitoring, makes setting up KPIs faster and easier for accountancy practices than ever before. This is vital today. The current business landscape demands that firms assess and amend KPIs more frequently, based on fresh market variables. KPIs such as client retention rate and business time-to-recovery have become increasingly prominent performance indicators in the past year. If clunky technology makes KPI management difficult, practices have less time and insight to plan future growth.

Reducing Risk
CCH KPI Monitoring makes it far easier to track KPIs and report on them. This is fundamental in minimising risk. For example, if a KPI is set to track and escalate debt filtered by overdue dates, the ability to easily set alerts and automatically generate reports is critical to practice performance management.

Some practices are manually running monthly reports to measure KPIs. Others are running real-time reporting engines, a key feature of CCH KPI Monitoring. This latter solution allows practices to review essential data at any time – covering both performance management and compliance requirements. They can do so remotely or on-premise.

This means that firms can assess issues before they become problems, and thus act proactively. Real-time reporting is a true asset in building a future-fit practice.

The Proof is in the Practice
A number of Wolters Kluwer customers have been using CCH KPI Monitoring for several years now. Our customers look to us when they need to be right. Ryecroft Glenton has successfully integrated CCH KPI Monitoring with its own system. This consolidates information from several sources, including CCH Central and CCH Practice Management.

“We can use the year end date to trigger a sequence of reminders. Have we asked for the books? Have they been received? If a request to a client has been outstanding for a certain period, the partner will receive an alert via email. For limited companies, we can monitor the corporation tax and Companies House filing deadlines – as well as the different deadlines for pension schemes”

– Ian Smith, partner at Ryecroft Glenton

Corporate events agency who benefited from greener graphics initiative

“Apogee are not just aprinting company, theyconsult with us and go onto deliver a full end to endservice from concept toinstallation. They go aboveand beyond and we lookforward to continuing ourjourney with them”

Corporate events agency who benefited from greener graphics initiative

“Apogee are not just aprinting company, theyconsult with us and go onto deliver a full end to endservice from concept toinstallation. They go aboveand beyond and we lookforward to continuing ourjourney with them”

Corporate events agency who benefited from greener graphics initiative

“Apogee are not just aprinting company, theyconsult with us and go onto deliver a full end to endservice from concept toinstallation. They go aboveand beyond and we lookforward to continuing ourjourney with them”

Corporate events agency who benefited from greener graphics initiative

“Apogee are not just aprinting company, theyconsult with us and go onto deliver a full end to endservice from concept toinstallation. They go aboveand beyond and we lookforward to continuing ourjourney with them”

Computer Aid International is a charity working to bridge the digital divide across the globe. It creates opportunities for people by providing access to the digital world, with a focus on improving education. Over the last 25 years, Computer Aid has provided access to computers and other digital technologies to over 14.5 million people and continues to do so by creating valuable partnerships with businesses. Their work uses donated devices from partners to change the lives of those who would not usually be able to access the world of IT, thus creating sustainable change that can last. Computer Aid also provides learning courses, giving teachers IT skills that can be taught to the next generation.

The mission of Computer Aid brings IT access through high-quality equipment and educational resources. They work with businesses and create partnerships with those who give back by contributing devices or through fundraising activities. The benefits affect both people and the planet. Computer Aid aims to reduce waste by always refurbishing computers or recycling them in an environmentally conscious way.

In Numbers
Crowe has provided Computer Aid with outstanding support over the last 3+ years and they continue to make valuable contributions to both people and the planet. Crowe is an accountancy firm based in the UK with an international reach. Over the course of the partnership, Crowe has donated over 3,320 devices to Computer Aid, including laptops, monitors, and more. This technology helps to provide IT access to many people across the globe.

Crowe has also made contributions to the environmental side of Computer Aid’s mission. During the partnership, Crowe created an e-waste saving of over 361,500 kg of CO2. This is the equivalent of taking approximately 177 cars off the road or planting 17,214 trees. The reduction of carbon emissions creates a safer, cleaner world for all.

Crowe donates laptops, monitors, PCs, and other communication devices through Computer Aid. These devices have been distributed in 11 different locations across the world. These donations benefit many different areas, including Education, Healthcare, and Employment, and have also helped refugees.

Solar Community Hubs
Computer Aid also provides Solar Community Hubs in the most remote parts of the world. These installations use recycled shipping containers to create a community space with devices installed inside. The computer lab is fully self-powered using solar panels on the roof and can be decorated and painted by the local community. These Solar Community Hubs are funded by partners and fundraising projects and can be deployed almost anywhere, creating a safe space for people to learn and socialise.

Partnerships
As part of the Accountants in IT (AIT) group, Crowe has made huge strides in helping Computer Aid whilst meeting their CSR and ESG objectives. Becoming part of Computer Aid’s work is mutually beneficial to all.  However, people choose to partner with Computer Aid, there is always a focus on sustainability as well as reducing the digital divide.

Computer Aid accepts donations of many different types of equipment, including mobile phones, tablets, laptops, and monitors. They also work with partners to build Solar Community Hubs. Businesses can partner with Computer Aid in many ways. You can head to computeraid.org to find out more about how you can get involved.

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