Though the idea of controlling the flow of business processes and other work dates back to the construction of the pyramids, it was not until the 1980s that the modern concept of workflow management for companies began to coalesce.

For the accounting profession, the concept of the "paperless office" took root only in the 1990s. But this effort was loose and uncoordinated. Tax processes were digitized and automated, followed by the general ledger and some audit procedures. Finally, client relationship management made its debut. But the idea of tying all of these functions together into a single flow is a development of the 21st century.

"It has only been within the last year that vendors have really hit their stride and responded with better workflow tools," said Jim Bourke, director of firm technology at WithumSmith+Brown, and chairman of the Certified Information Technology Professional Committee at the American Institute of CPAs. "The initial products addressed tax returns, but there was little to address what we do the other nine months of the year. We needed tools that tracked the flow of all of our work, not just tax returns."

In part, the problem was that the forces behind office automation had not matured enough to build market demand for an integrated solution that encompassed all of the firm's processes and procedures.

"There are so many small-to-medium-sized firms that have not addressed all of their needs for workflow management, or have not implemented the solutions that are available to them," said Bourke. "Nearly all firms have gone digital, but many have not taken the next step to automate their workflow. They have automated every other aspect of their practice, but have yet to tie it all together into a single, automated, digital flow of the work cycle. They are not yet tracking and managing every step of the process, from the time a work product comes in the door until it leaves the firm."

Reaching that point, and embracing both the concept and reality of workflow management, is a three-step process:

* Understanding how work flows through the office, from the first client interview and engagement until the final product, or products, are delivered to the client - including an understanding of the critical deadlines and time considerations for each work process.

* Selecting the appropriate software for workflow management.

* Selecting the right hardware for workflow management.

ASSESSING THE FLOW

Work flows through an accounting office, whether or not that flow is digitized, automated or formalized in a written structure. Automating workflow is less a process of replacing that flow than a method to eliminate waste, duplicated efforts and inefficiencies from the process that already exists.

"Workflow management is about saving time and reducing unnecessary effort," said Joe Manzelli, director of operations for the Fuoco Group in Hauppauge, N.Y. "It means we no longer have to sit around a conference table for hours or days with a client. We can gather the input, the work can be assigned immediately, and the staff can be at work on a client engagement before you are even back in the office. It requires that more of the work be done electronically, but has the advantage of reducing the time it takes to deliver the finished product."

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