Managing the IT direction within a CPA firm is a complex undertaking.  Often times the person in charge of this role is strapped with billable charge goals and overseeing other departmental responsibilities, leaving limited time to lead the technology charge. To complicate matters, technology is evolving faster than ever, making it harder to determine exactly which technologies to analyze and eventually implement within the firm.  Therefore, it is imperative that the firm’s technology leader has a plan to get access to the right information and resources so they can be implemented on a timely schedule during the slower times of the year.   

The learning process for the firm IT leader should be formalized and consist of reading the most current and concise publications, attending training targeted specifically to firm initiatives, and networking with peers that have experience in implementing those initiatives.  Most importantly, learning opportunities and resources should be scheduled through the rest of the year and hours and accountability allocated specifically to the IT champion to lead and report on the firm’s IT initiatives. 

Regular reading of information delivered directly to IT personnel is critically important to keep them informed of what is happening within the industry.  Each IT leader should subscribe to one or two periodicals targeted specifically to the accounting profession, such as the CPA Technology Advisor you are currently reading.  In addition, content that comes from the firm’s IT and application vendors are often the first place where new features are described and upgrades explained. Many of these vendor publications are delivered via email formats making it easy to organize them in their own email folder and making it quick to search all emails by keyword.   

There are also free email list serves such as the CITPTalk from Yahoo Groups and our own ITPNA ExSTRM Vision alert that provide leading information and commentary on evolving IT issues.  To round out IT reading resources, it is also recommended that the IT leader subscribe to at least one general IT publication such as PCMagazine and eWeek, both of which can be accessed in an electronic format. To get any value out of these publications they must be read, so it is imperative that the IT leader have a regularly scheduled hour once or twice per week to focus on this reading.

Attending conferences or participating in webcasts is another important component in helping IT leaders gain awareness and understanding of leading technologies.  Many vendors have web-based seminars throughout the year which allow the IT person to participate in training from the comfort of their own office, without having to incur any travel expenses.  The IT leader should develop a list of current and future initiatives and then sign up for email alerts from vendors so they can be informed of future educational opportunities.  In addition, some of the publications such as the CPA Technology Advisor have regular IT webcasts which are targeted specifically to our profession’s issues, along with some of the general providers including Ziff Davis eSeminars. 

National conferences targeted specifically to CPA IT directors such as the AICPA’s TECH 2006, Xcentric XcIT Ed., AAA Accounting Technology Administrators, and the Information Technology Alliance’s Fall Collaboration are also an excellent opportunity to network with peers and find out what really works or not.  There are also national CPA IT conferences developed by state CPA Societies such as those led by California, New York, Florida, and Illinois.  Most other CPA state societies also have an annual technology meeting to expose members to programs targeted specifically to accountants.   IT leaders should review the agendas of these various conferences early in the year to determine which offers the most courses that the firm would benefit from, and to schedule the programs on their calendars to let everyone know when they will be away from the office.  For a list of current CPA IT conferences, please visit: http://itpna.com/Vision/2006/20060330TechnologyConferenceCalendar.htm.  

One of the greatest benefits of national symposiums is that their stronger budgets allow them to bring in a larger number of industry leaders and technology speakers.  This provides more opportunities to create a robust schedule of courses that can be customized to match the IT requirements of almost every firm.  Physically attending conferences also allows the participant to introduce themselves to the session leaders and collect a business card for any future questions. 

Another benefit of attending the larger accounting IT shows is that many also have trade shows with vendor representatives demonstrating their applications and services firsthand.  This is a quick and effective way for IT leaders to review and evaluate new products and get immediate feedback on any questions. This is also often an opportunity to meet with product development and support personnel and most importantly, it is a great way to hear what other users have to say about the products.  

Nothing speaks as strongly as first hand experience, and networking with peers is probably the most critical component of an IT leader’s learning program.  We have found that the best networking and knowledge sharing occurs amongst CPA firm associations that have regular meetings targeted towards technology matters.  As most of these associations consist of members that do not compete directly against each other, this fosters the open sharing of communications, and as they meet regularly it allows attendees to develop stronger relationships with other participants that they can contact at a later time. 

Finally, another important networking opportunity can be found at accounting vendor user conferences.  Two of the best attended user’s groups include Creative Solutions and CCH, which traditionally hold their conferences in the fall.  We recommend all firms attend a user conference for their specific applications at least every other year so they can fine tune their production processes prior to going into the busy season.   

Even though most people are cognizant that continued learning is very important, it usually takes a back seat to whatever client priorities are hitting at the moment. This year make sure that your firm’s IT direction is positioned for success by designating time to have your IT personnel attend an industry conference, keep current by reading leading periodicals, and scheduling time to network with peers. 

This article is reprinted with permission from the CPA Technology Advisor.  Roman H. Kepczyk, CPA, CITP is president of InfoTech Partners North America, Inc. and works exclusively with CPA firms to implement today’s leading best practices and technologies.