We are considering instilling the DMS (Document Management System-Paperless) in our office. I wanted to ask those who have made the change from paper to paperless with DMS, what is expected in training and setting up/implimating this new program before tax season? How long would it require to set up the new system and train the employees? What, if anything, do you lose when you go paperless in the office?
We went with the DMS last August. The first tax season went well. We will adjust our process before next year. There is a good yahoo group that intuit recommends.
http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/LacerteDM.../
Lots of informative discussions.
HTH
Ken
I have been wanting to update some of our software, especially in the schedule and phone message area. I have looked at the Client Manager by Intuit (not highly recommended on the QB message board), looked at GroupReady (not bad), ACT! (not quite what I am looking for), Practice Manager (doesn't work with Express ProSeries per salesman) and my salesman tells me to look at DMS. He said it has sceduling capabilities, I don't see it. What is everyone here using for tracking phone logs, to do list, multiple employee scheduling? I run a peer to peer network with 4 users. Not concerned about scanning W-2 Forms as I feel I should have paper backup for various reasons. I do however want automated phone messages (hate those pink slips), internal instant message, interface with ProSeries Data, and network scheduling. Would appreciate any suggestions.
We use the appointment calender provided with Lacerte for scheduling appts and the like. We us Post-it Notes (Professional network version) for phone messages and general communication around the office. Its very easy to setup and use and works great. We use ms office outlook for interoffice email and personal calenders and task lists. Just recently ordered exchange whick should let us share calenders, task lists and contacts amoung all users (currently 7) in the office. Lacerte lets us export client info into Outlook contacts. Always looking for a better way.
HTH
Ken
Thanks, it sounds like you have a dedicated server as that is the only way I am aware Outlook will work over a network. I'll check out the other products you mentioned. Just seems that someone should be able to put it all together. As I mentioned, a product called GroupReady at Groupready.com isn't too bad. I am getting to like it more and more as I work through my 30 day demo.
Just to let you know what we use to help us through tax season. We are on a network and use small business server 2000 which comes with exchange. Each user has outlook 2003 to make appts for each professional it works very good as you can look at clendars side by side for each professional. For phone messages we use phoneslips network version with the outlook addon. Phone meesage appear in your inbox in outlook and is very easy to add and see even if outlook is not on. If you do not have exchange phoneslips will still work for each user as if you had exchange it has its own database. It has scheduleing for more than one person. It works somewhat just like outlook with exchange on a network even though you dont have exchange.
Someone was asking about keeping track of appointments. We use Time & Chaos, Includes a Calendar, a Clint List where you can add a long list of information, on apts, pickups, phone calls, etc. Also a Task area, where you can have a list of to do's, and it also works as a place to send notes to each other. We use this program on a network, and it works better than anything else we have tired. It is affordable also. We have made some adjustments to make it do what we want it to do. I think you can get a free demo (they used to do this). Technical support has also been great. Their web site is www.chaossoftware.com
