10 Steps to a Digital Practice in the Cloud, 2nd Edition

5

The CPA Technology Toolkit

The CPA Technology Toolkit is our recommended collection of the hardware and software tools that you need to outfit your staff with on an individual basis. This includes desktops and laptops, tablets, smartphones, Microsoft Office, Adobe Acrobat, and so forth. We will provide a detailed blueprint that will put you in a position to achieve maximum productivity by leveraging the most cost-effective solutions (see figure 5-1 for an overview). We have tried to make the point throughout this book to not be penny wise and pound foolish with these tools. Your staff time is too valuable and comes at a high price, so anything you can do to maximize their productivity will benefit all concerned. The investment payback on these items is typically measured in months, not years.

Desktop Computer Versus Laptop

This is always one of the most important decisions you have to make in regards to outfitting your staff. Our recommendation is that all your client service delivery personnel should be equipped with a high performance, lightweight laptop with a full-featured docking station. This provides maximum flexibility and usability. It allows you to implement stronger mobile computing security controls because they are using the same device in and out of the office, and it is under your ownership and control. You can eliminate the option of allowing them to connect to ...