Client Data: How Everyone Wins

It’s summertime. This is the season of outdoor activities and games like tug-of-war, where each side tries to move the other team over the center line. How fitting, then, that many accountants are engaged in their own tug-of-war with clients over data. It feels like a test of wills to see which side will win. The need to exchange information is constant, with each side having different requirements and trying to use different tools. On the accountant’s side there are concerns over secure and compliant exchanges, access to information for members of internal teams, the need for signed agreements, and efficient workflows. On the client side, there is the need for easy access, and a way to manage and track documents as they are delivered.

Who will win this battle?

?For accountants using ShareFile?, the answer is “everyone wins.”

Designed to streamline document and client-facing workflows?, ShareFile for Accounting offers accountants a branded portal where clients can efficiently collaborate. When a client has a question, they can communicate with the accountant directly from a given document or task. Everyone can easily see the source of the question and its associated resolution – all in one place. Cheers all around.

The client can then sign, review, and even share the information with third parties right from the portal. Full visibility, bank-level encryption, and customizable security settings ensure that all documents and sensitive information are protected. Each side has a reason to celebrate.

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If you have previously tried to manage document requests in spreadsheets, you can import those steps right into the document request functionality? and start reaching out to clients and keeping track of their progress. ShareFile enables automated workflows that you can customize to fit your client workflows that save time by eliminating manual tasks, like automating welcome emails to clients. Time for a refreshment break!

?ShareFile can also help you accelerate repeatable processes, like client onboarding agreements. It can auto-fill client data and save signed documents in specific folders-- automatically. Once they have signed, your clients can rest assured that their e-signatures are legally binding and meet IRS standards, including knowledge-based authentication or KBA. That’s a point for each side.

No one wants to be in their office all summer. Luckily, accountants and their clients can use their mobile phone to review existing files stored in ShareFile. Time to get back in the game.

?When it comes to managing individual client engagements, ShareFile helps to level the playing field with collaborative spaces that show active document request statuses and whether documents have been reviewed or approved by internal staff. Both owners and contributors can comment directly on individual document requests, making client communication simple. No more time spent tracking down emails. Score!

Thanks to features like these, accountants and their clients will have more time to enjoy their summer and the peace of mind that comes from knowing their critical information is secure – thus improving the overall client experience. When clients and their accountants can safely and easily collaborate, everyone wins.

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of?ShareFile.?All opinions are mine and are based on my?knowledge of accountant and client needs and expectations and are drawn from my own experience in using the product.

About Geni Whitehouse, CPA.CITP, CSPM

Geni Whitehouse is a consultant to wineries in the Napa Valley through?www.bdcocpa.com, is a co-founder of a bookkeeping company for wineries and is a keynote presenter, tech association leader, and author.?She frequently works as a paid consultant for tech companies looking to create relevant content about products that serve a unique need in her own business or that of her clients.