“I really like your Secure file exchange. Even my clients that aren’t that computer literate find your File Exchange easy to use. We used to use the post office a lot to send tax returns and other documents to our clients but now we are using the post office a lot less which saves us time and money.  Also unlike typical mail, we get proof that someone receives a file with the exact date and time. As an added bonus, If someone ever gets a tax penalty, I don’t have to worry if they claim that it’s because I didn’t send them a file because I have proof that I did. “

–Ben Bennett (bmbennett.com)

Everyone talks about switching to a paperless office but in the end when it comes time to do it, what does it mean? How would you go about it? If there ever were a time to figure that out it would be now when there is some breathing room from the business of the regular tax season. Lets take a closer look at going paperless. This is part one of a two part series dedicated to the process of going paperless. This first part will look at the Vault and how to use it, the second will look at how to get clients to adopt using it.

There are some who consider the process of making your office paperless part of getting into 2.0 business stream. Whatever you call it, the process is the same, making your firm more efficient by leveraging the tools of the Internet. Although there are many directions that you can turn when thinking about going paperless ultimately you want something that will not just save paper but time. Having a website with CPASiteSolutions gives you automatic access to a paperless solution within the Vault. This gives you a portal to exchange files with clients on-line with 24/7 access and no paper used in the whole process.

How is this any better than sending an email? An email is not secure and is much like sending a postcard in the mail, anyone can read it and take whatever information they want. Not only would it be damaging if the information got leaked but your firm could get fined from breaking some of the laws in place. To avoid this it is best to stop using email to exchange files and start using the Vault.

The best way to think of the Vault is as a virtual filing cabinet that you or your clients can access from anywhere at anytime. Unlike a real filing cabinet you can actually limit what clients can see and do while logged into the Vault. This control gives you and your clients the piece of mind they need surrounding their financial information. This also means you can exchange even larger documents anywhere you have access to a browser and much more securely than with email or even regular mail. This freedom can save both of you time and money.

To get started with the Vault make sure your familiar with signing up new client users and managing client accounts. You can look forward to features such as having an email sent to your client or sent to you when a change is made. This means when a client uploads a document you will be notified via email so you can still have your finger on the pulse of client activity. Once you have a familiarity with the system the next step is getting your clients to use it. Look forward to part 2 where we go into steps you can take that will give your clients motivation to join your paperless office.

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