Picture this: you are sitting on the deck at the beach.  The sun is shining and the waves are splashing.  You have your pitcher of margaritas, your Internet connection and you are logged into your firm’s remote access application, billing your clients and having a wonderful time.  Sounds too good to be true, right?

CPA firms are on the horns of a dilemma.  The demand for CPA firm services is at an all time high.  However, the ability of firms to attract and retain quality staff is under severe pressure.  Additionally, the demand on firm partners to perform more client related (chargeable) tasks is increasing.  To prosper (or survive) in this environment, CPAs must be as efficient as possible with their staff and they must think in new and interesting ways when it comes to staff scheduling and retention.

In the efficiency area, giving firm members access to all firm technology resources, regardless of their location makes a lot of sense.  It is hard to argue with the concept that more work can be accomplished at the client’s office compared to doing the same work in the CPA’s office.  This is even truer if staff working outside the office have the same access to research, specialized software, and firm electronic information that they would have if they were in the office.

Creative scheduling can include staff that work from their homes, rather than commute to the office.  These firm members have the same need to access the firm’s technology resources as do those staff working in the office or at a client’s location.

Both staff efficiency and creative staffing and scheduling impact the management of the firm.  Partners and other firm members responsible for managing staff and insuring that client and firm tasks are completed in a satisfactory manner, will need to manage more things.  Additionally, they need access to client and staff information (practice management information) while outside the office.  Partners and other members of management can improve their efficiency by having access to practice management information from outside the office.

Okay, how can this be done?  While I am a huge proponent of notebook computers for all partners, managers, and any staff that work out of the office, notebooks alone cannot meet these remote-use needs.  You cannot carry all the research materials, specialized software, and electronic documents with you.  Tax research is becoming very accessible from remote locations using the Internet, but engagement programs such as those from PPC are only available electronically through CD.  Firms are running special-purpose software for administering employee benefit plans, doing financial planning for clients, and running computer assisted audit tools.

A remote access solution, such as the Microsoft Terminal Server application, is the answer to these needs.  With Terminal Server, users can have access to applications that would previously be available when not directly attached to the firm’s LAN or WAN.  With an Internet connection of even modest bandwidth such as a dial-up connection, applications running under Terminal Server perform at speeds approximating that of firm members working inside the office.  Additionally, applications that run under terminal server, as opposed to running on each staff computer, cost less to upgrade and maintain. 

When making the decision to move to Terminal Server, be realistic in evaluating the benefits and selecting the applications to run.  Terminal server requires Internet access.  If you have a need to work in an unattached mode, it may be beneficial to have the application installed on the remote computer so that an Internet connection is not needed. 

Remember that Terminal Server is not unlimited in the number of users that can access it.  If you have moved to Terminal Server as a solution for multi-office practice management, you may find there is no resources left for running other applications.  It may take a lot of bandwidth to get all the benefits from terminal Server.

Tom Davis, CPA is a partner in the Valdosta Georgia CPA firm of Davis, Nichols & Associates LLP.  He also consults with CPA Firms all over the United States and in Canada on technology and practice management issues.