'Accounting firms are a business," said Lynette Downing, business analyst at the CPA firm of HLB Tauges Redpath, in White Bear Lake, Minn.

A very profound statement, yet the systems that most firms utilize don't integrate to support a business. Take a moment and think about how everyone, including the vendors, has talked about an integrated system for the past ten or more years. Are we any closer today than we were 10 years ago? I am confident I can find differing opinions. Why is this the case, and what should firms do to break through the ceiling of complexity and simplify their processes in order to leverage today's and future technology?

Vendors like CCH and Thomson have been investing millions of dollars into next-generation systems, but they have the unenviable task of maintaining legacy technology and can't totally focus on Software-as-a-Service. The vendors' investments plus the resources firms have expended in an attempt to make integration work make me ask the question: Can firms get there from here?

HLB evaluated their systems and determined that they were not going to be able to make the pieces fit and operate efficiently without going to an ERP-type system. They chose Maconomy and are in the process of implementation. This is a very good firm, with great IT skills and leadership, yet they will readily admit that changing paradigms and processes is not an easy task. You can see how complex the problem is by making an inventory of all the applications that your firm uses, from core applications to the back office. My guess is the number will likely exceed 50 if you include QuickBooks versions used by clients and supported by the firm.

Dan Sullivan, my coach and founder of The Strategic Coach, has always said, "You must simplify in order to break through the ceiling of complexity," and I believe his visionary statement applies when it comes to developing a system for today's accounting firm. Developing a requirements list with priorities classified as "must have," "nice to have," and "didn't even know we could do that" is not an easy task for even a seasoned business analyst like Downing.

While everyone in the firm has an opinion, getting those opinions to integrate and work in a manner that is best for the firm requires time and knowledge that a firm may not have internally. Some firms try to rely on the vendors, but their knowledge of their entire product line is often limited. It requires a team and can be summed up as planning, people and processes.

Let me provide a brief checklist of features today's systems need in order to meet the needs of a growing accounting firm:

Scalability.

Easy to use.

Affordable.

Remote access.

Database-driven.

Integration with the general ledger, time & billing, accounts payable and receivable.

Online billing, collections (credit cards and ACH payments), and bill payment.

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