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March 2007 - Office Tools
Pro does a good job of putting all of the relevant data
entry
and
lookup
information onto one screen. From within the central data
entry forms, you have access to your client data, time
sheet, calendar, work in process, and the to-do list, as
well as notes.
Contact information can be established
in one central location with subsequent notes added to
a common screen with appropriate date and
staff signatures automatically appended to each note.
Phone messages or notes can be attached directly to a client
contact. When phone messages are taken, the information
within the note can be transferred directly to the billing
module to make sure the maximum amount of billable time
is captured for even the smallest tasks.
Scheduling
is performed on a daily, weekly, or monthly calendar
that is laid out graphically. When you have the proper
permissions,
you can view any staff member’s schedule. One great feature
included in the scheduling is automatic creation of reminder
cards for upcoming appointments. You can even generate
confirmation cards and email reminders for the client
to send back acknowledging that the time is correct.
The records
management aspect of Office Tools Pro is clearly geared
toward the firm that has not yet embraced the paperless
office. The management of records through this module
is primarily aimed at generating labels for and managing
paper
files. There is included functionality for indexing and
subsequent recalling of any digitally scanned client
files. Office Tools Pro is nicely laid out with a common
interface
and a minimum of different screens to navigate. It is
especially suited toward any Accounting firm looking
to bring all
the different practice management functions under one
common system. The records & document management features,
in addition to embracing scanning, may just be a perfect
match
for firms looking for a system to track the boxes and
boxes of paper files which often appear out of nowhere
and threaten
to take over whole office comple
Return on Investment
Since Office Tools Pro offers many built in features
the initial costs are minimal compared
to other office systems. This makes
the return on investment immediate.
However, the real return on investment
is the increased efficiency of management and delegation that can be attained
by making Office Tools Pro an integral part of your business. Ultimately,
efficient management and delegation fundamentally
determines the firm’s success,
profitability, and quality of service. Office Tools Pro with all features
starts at $500 for the first user and $150
for each additional user. SR |
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