Automation tools like Zapier are designed to give you your time back by taking care of these low value actions.

When you have two separate tools that don’t natively integrate with each other but do have Zapier integrations, you can create ‘Zaps’ between them, effectively creating an integration.

For example, let’s say your proposals and engagements app doesn’t have a native integration with your CRM. Ideally, an integration would automatically create a new client in your CRM as soon as they digitally sign your accounting engagement letter. Without this integration, you’d need to manually create your new client in your CRM. But with Zapier, you can automate this process, without the native integration.

Recommended reading: How to know if Zapier will be useful for your accounting firm in 5 steps

Ultimately, Zapier acts as the conduit between multiple apps, and has the potential to transform how your firm directs resources.

Challenge #2: Poor workflow visibility

Without being able to actually visualize your team’s workflows, it’s nearly impossible to manage them, measure them, and anticipate potential problems and/or bottlenecks.

A firm that runs smoothly needs a single source of truth—a place where you can oversee the production line, internal and external communication, and client information.

Potential solution: Consolidate your workflow management

By bringing all aspects of your fragmented workflow management into a single tool like Karbon, you can oversee each aspect of your firm’s operations.

This tool will become your single source of truth. You’ll gain visibility over:

• Each piece of work, including its status and assignee

• Client information, including email

• Communication history for each client and piece of work

• Internal communication

• Staff capacity

• Team performance

Consolidating your workflow management into a tool like Karbon also means that you’ve got an accurate view of performance analytics, helping you to benchmark and then improve individual and firm-wide KPIs.

Take charge of your workflow management

Protect your firm against the pitfalls of manual, convoluted, and fragmented workflows. Equip your team with the right tech stack, so you can watch their productivity skyrocket, while keeping an eye on workflow trends. From then, that aforementioned ideal world becomes more like a reality.

Recommended reading: ​​How to choose the best accounting workflow software

• One of the key factors getting in the way of building an accounting firm that runs smoothly and efficiently are your workflows.

• Common challenges related to workflow management at accounting firms include too many manual processes and a lack of workflow visibility.

• A workflow management tool will help automate even your most complex workflows, and give you a 360-degree view of your firm.