Best workflow management software for accountants

What is accounting workflow software?

Accounting workflow software is a type of software developed to help accountants manage their tasks more efficiently.

In the accounting industry, a workflow management solution is an essential component of an accounting practice management software suite, a powerful all-in-one computer application that helps accountants manage every aspect of how their practice operates daily. If you're curious about the possibilities of accounting practice management software in general, check out our insightful guide: why do you need accounting practice management software?

Implementing a workflow management solution for your accounting practice will depend on your accounting business and the unique challenges you're currently facing. Generally speaking, we can define workflow management as identifying, improving and automating any business process in your firm, and ensuring that your team accomplishes its tasks.

To learn more about accounting workflows and how effective workflow management can save time for your accounting business, check out our deep dive into this subject: what is a workflow for accounting firms?

What are the benefits of workflow management software?

Accounting firm workflow tools offer endless benefits to make life easier for time-poor accountants, bookkeepers and tax professionals.

Here are some benefits you can count on from the best workflow management platforms on the market:

• Thanks to workflow automation, accounting professionals can streamline and speed up their work processes. A workflow management platform can use automation to help teams complete tasks and jobs faster to focus on what's important.

• Accounting businesses can save both time and money with workflow management.

• Workflow management with automation capabilities can help to reduce the errors associated with manual tasks.

• Workflow management can foster greater collaboration and communication between team members.

• The top workflow management tools will help to reinforce a paperless practice, drastically reducing paperwork and its associated costs.

• With workflow software's process management capabilities, you'll be able to identify functional workflows and redundant ones, improving the quality and consistency across every process in your practice.

• You'll boost the overall productivity of your accounting firm through workflow management, as well as your output.

• Workflow automation software gives you end-to-end control over creating, managing, and organising the flow of every work process.

• With effective workflow management, you'll have improved visibility over the progress of every ongoing work task. You'll be able to see the big picture and drill down into a task within a project.

If you'd like to learn more about automations for accountants in public practice, and how this helps productivity, don't forget to read our guide: What does automation mean for accounting practices?

What are the key features of workflow management software?

The best workflow management software should contain the following key features:

• Accounting workflow software platforms improve compliance by integrating with compliance software as part of a complete practice solution.
• Planning work tasks is made much easier with workflow software, by mapping and prioritising work to tackle your deadlines more effectively.
• An accounting workflow solution can easily reduce unhelpful admin by setting up recurring tasks and automatic notifications.
• You'll be able to create workflow templates and business processes that standardise the way your practice management system works.
• With built-in workflow automation, you'll have the capability to schedule recurring work, due date reminders and overdue alerts.
• Real-time updates in your workflow management software will ensure your team is aligned, with fewer meetings and more time for billable work.
• Customisable user permissions in your workflow software will give you complete control over what users can access.

Why do accountants need workflow management software?

One of the biggest challenges that every accounting practice faces is how they will manage vast amounts of ongoing projects. Not to mention, also catering to the needs of every client.

Without an accounting workflow system, it can be very easy for accounting firms to lose track of many moving parts.

Accounting firms that embrace a workflow automation tool will see uncountable changes to their project management capabilities. With the right software for workflow management in accounting firms, you'll be able to foster a greater level of organisation within your workplace.

Accountants need a workflow automation tool for their practice to meet modern-day demands. Every time-consuming task can be streamlined with automation, freeing accountants to take on more value-adding work. There will be no more deadlines falling through the cracks. Any accounting work process can be tracked and simplified. With workflow software, team members will have greater control too, having the authority to update their project goals.

Workflow management tools are necessary in our digital age, and the best workflow management software out there will help your firm scale and grow, while also being effortless to use.

Accounting workflow management software: what you should look for

Our look into the critical components of workflow management software for accountants will make it easier for you to decide to implement workflow software to suit your requirements, rather than wasting time on other workflow management software that isn't the right fit for your firm.

Accountants should be able to manage their tasks with more efficiency

This is the number one rule for your workflow management tool.

A workflow management software solution should mean accountants (even those with only a cursory knowledge of technology) can customise their tasks and edit according to their assigned permissions.

With workflow management software, you can use automation to reduce the number of time-consuming, repetitive tasks in the business's day-to-day operations.

Learn how to use your day more efficiently beyond workflow automation software, with our time-saving tips for busy accountants.

Workflow management tools should remove bottlenecks

Data is a precious commodity, so, unsurprisingly, many practices want to protect it as much as possible.

But the common problem is that control over such vast amounts of information complicates the data funnel, disrupting its flow and forcing users (i.e. accountants) to get approval from the 'gatekeeper' or ‘'champion' of the practice's data.

This draws out tasks that are already time-intensive and increases costs for the practice – which may then be passed on to the client.

Your workflow management tool should cater directly to the accountants who need to access data and manage their jobs quickly, efficiently and without roadblocks from upper management.

Workflow software should enable remote working

The prospect of flexible working arrangements for accounting practices, including hybrid and remote work models, being a viable alternative to office-based work has come a long way in recent years, thanks to in no part to workflow automation software and videoconferencing tools on the market.

Accounting firms recognise the value that remote working can bring to their business. Talent shortages are a real problem for many practices – large and small – but remote working allows hiring managers to acquire quality talent beyond their local boundaries.

The best workflow management software for accountants will maximise efficiency for your team, so they can interact, collaborate and complete tasks in real time, regardless of where they are based.

For more information on how to deal with recruitment issues in today's challenging hiring environment, look at our blog: Accounting Outsourcing vs. hiring an accountant.

Workflow management software should meet client demands

To stay relevant in a future that relies increasingly on accounting practice automation and artificial intelligence, accountants need to diversify their skill sets. Firms, too, need to widen their offering if they are to compete in an increasingly competitive marketplace.

Clients now recognise that they hold the upper hand thanks to an abundance of competition in financial services, which is why accountants find themselves managing more tasks for more clients with much shorter deadlines.

A workflow management tool lightens the caseloads of busy accountants who can spend more time building relationships with current and potential clients.

Workflow management software should keep up with the times

For team members to thrive in this incredibly demanding and fast-paced environment, they can no longer rely on traditional spreadsheets or Word documents to document their accounting processes.

They must apply a workflow automation platform to map out every business process, providing greater visibility and ensuring every team member is on the same page.

Accounting workflow software: in conclusion

As we have uncovered in our article, not all accounting firm workflow management software is created equal.

To find the best workflow management software for your practice you must cut through the noise until you find software with the workflow capabilities that meet your firm's needs.

With Access's workflow software for accounting practices, you can manage jobs, streamline processes, hit deadlines, and improve your core processes, project management and team collaboration.

Simple workflow management tools can help you stay organised, but using a top workflow management software solution by Access, will take your practice productivity to the next level.

Your practice will feel the benefits of accounting workflow software tools that utilise automation to provide a better experience to your customers, map out your jobs and prioritise upcoming work.

With our workflow application software for accountants, you'll stay on schedule, automate complex workflows and facilitate collaboration to enable your team to charge forward with clarity on shared goals.

Access Practice Management is a workflow management tool powered by Salesforce, that employs automation to enhance the efficiency of accounting workflows and create engaged, motivated team members and clients.

Our fast and powerful APS software is used by 3 of the big 4 top accounting firms, optimising workflows for accountants through automation and enhancing your team's productivity.