Roman H. Kepczyk, Author at CPA Trendlines

Internet Bandwidth: How Much Is Enough?

What about redundancy?

By Roman H. Kepczyk
Quantum of Paperless: Technology Guide & Checklist

The internet has undoubtedly had a profound impact on firm communications. It has become the primary driver toward the next generation of accounting applications that run entirely on the web through “cloud” computing.

MORE: The Right Tech Tools for COVID Work-from-Home | Maximize Your Office 365 ROI | How the Cloud Impacts Server Replacement | Capturing Documents at the Source
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Before we get ahead of ourselves discussing cloud opportunities, we have to assess how the internet is used within your firm today. Most likely the internet is

a digital pipeline,
a conduit for communications, updates, research and backups, and
a platform for exchanging files with clients.

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The Right Tech Tools for COVID Work-from-Home

iPads, Android, or Microsoft Surface?

By Roman H. Kepczyk
Quantum of Paperless: Technology Guide & Checklist

One of the key components in optimizing firm production is providing the capability for firm personnel to work from any place, at any time, at their own convenience. Allowing experienced firm personnel the ability to work remotely used to be a key employee retention strategy. Then came COVID-19 and it became a necessity.

MORE: Maximize Your Office 365 ROI | Why You Need Windows 10 with Automatic Updates | It’s 10 p.m. Do You Know Where Your Backups Are? | How the Cloud Impacts Server Replacement | Laptops vs. Desktops | The Best Scanners to Buy Today | Capturing Documents at the Source | The More Monitors, the Better
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Giving your personnel secure access to the firm’s application and data resources allows them to work effectively outside normal office hours and avoid unnecessary commuting time.

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Get Proactive with Software Updates

For servers, have personnel on hand.

By Roman H. Kepczyk
Quantum of Paperless: Technology Guide & Checklist

Every firm has concerns about their systems being hacked, getting attacked by a virus or malware, or being the victim of ransomware that encrypts all the firm’s data. The 2018 CPAFMA survey found an increase in firms impacted by ransomware, which carried into the 2020 survey.

MORE: Maximize Your Office 365 ROI | Why You Need Windows 10 with Automatic Updates | It’s 10 p.m. Do You Know Where Your Backups Are? | How the Cloud Impacts Server Replacement | Laptops vs. Desktops | The Best Scanners to Buy Today | Capturing Documents at the Source | The More Monitors, the Better
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The vast majority of these virus and malware issues can be effectively negated with one simple process: KEEP YOUR SOFTWARE UPDATED on your servers and individual workstations.
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Maximize Your Office 365 ROI

Don’t settle for adequate knowledge.

By Roman H. Kepczyk
Quantum of Paperless: Technology Guide & Checklist

To be effective in business today, every member of your firm must optimally utilize the Microsoft Office suite at an intermediate to advanced level for Outlook, Excel, and Word.

MORE: Why You Need Windows 10 with Automatic Updates | It’s 10 p.m. Do You Know Where Your Backups Are? | How the Cloud Impacts Server Replacement | Laptops vs. Desktops | The Best Scanners to Buy Today | Capturing Documents at the Source | The More Monitors, the Better
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Firms have traditionally been behind the adoption curve because of the lag time of accounting vendors supporting the latest version, particularly for audit engagement binders.

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Why You Need Windows 10 with Automatic Updates

Tax personnel need more RAM than others.

By Roman H. Kepczyk
Quantum of Paperless: Technology Guide & Checklist

Okay, we all know that the Microsoft Windows operating system is preferred to run computers by the primary vendors to the accounting profession.

MORE: It’s 10 p.m. Do You Know Where Your Backups Are? | How the Cloud Impacts Server Replacement | Laptops vs. Desktops | The Best Scanners to Buy Today | Capturing Documents at the Source | The More Monitors, the Better
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With Microsoft discontinuing support of Windows 7 on Jan. 14, 2020, and Windows 8 receiving poor reviews, it is recommended that all firms standardize on Windows 10 and have the system configured for automatic updates.
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No Backups? No Excuses!

Too many firms are still ignoring the basics.

By Roman H. Kepczyk
Quantum of Paperless: Technology Guide & Checklist

Your firm’s safety net in the event of any disaster is your data backup.

MORE: How the Cloud Impacts Server Replacement | Laptops vs. Desktops | The Best Scanners to Buy Today | Capturing Documents at the Source | The More Monitors, the Better
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It had better be consistently performed and securely stored offsite.

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How the Cloud Impacts Server Replacement

You can save, but don’t hand the task to just anyone.

By Roman H. Kepczyk
Quantum of Paperless: Technology Guide & Checklist

The traditional core computers used for operating all applications are file servers managed internally within the firm. Downtime for a day or two is a disaster. If an “out of service” stoppage stretches to a week or more, partner income will suffer measurably.

MORE: Laptops vs. Desktops | The Best Scanners to Buy Today | Capturing Documents at the Source | The More Monitors, the Better
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Simply put, mission-critical file servers utilized for tax, audit, time and billing, and email have – at most – an effective five-year life. After this time, equipment becomes significantly more difficult to maintain whether you have a warranty or not.
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Laptops vs. Desktops

Standardization can save you 26%.

By Roman H. Kepczyk
Quantum of Paperless: Technology Guide & Checklist

Getting the right mix of mobility is critical for firms today. The accounting professional’s Rule of Thumb is that everyone who works out of the office one day per week or more and needs to be self-contained should have a laptop as their only machine. Thanks to COVID-19, those numbers grew by leaps and bounds in 2020.

MORE: The Best Scanners to Buy Today | Capturing Documents at the Source | The More Monitors, the Better
Exclusively for PRO Members. Log in here or upgrade to PRO today.

The obvious exception to this is for tax or administrative personnel who would never work from remote client sites and have a computer at home that they can use to connect to the firm via a secure remote access solution. However, this is changing. The string of natural disasters over the past two decades – along with the promotion of remote work opportunities to retain staff as well as the transition to more cloud-based applications – has led some firms toward making the decision that ALL professional staff will utilize a laptop as their only workstation.
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Roman H. Kepczyk

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Roman H. Kepczyk, CPA, serves as Director of Firm Technology Strategy for Right Networks, helping firms throughout North America effectively use information technology and accounting applications by optimizing their tax, audit, and administrative production workflows.

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He is a contributing author to
Bridging the Gap: Strengthening the Connection between Current and Emerging Leaders in the CPA Profession

He has spent the past 20 years consulting exclusively with CPA firms and prior to that, 10 years with the CPA firm of Henry & Horne, Arizona’s largest regional firm, where he was the partner in charge of the firm’s Management Advisory Services and PC Consulting practices. Roman also served as the firm’s administrative partner where he oversaw internal accounting, marketing, human resources, and was responsible for the creation and implementation of the firm’s technology plan and budget. He is a former member of the AICPA PCPS Executive Committee and a former Chairman of the AICPA’s Information Technology Executive Committee. He has served as a member of other AICPA initiatives, including the Special Committee on Enhanced Business Reporting, eBusiness Task Force, IT Best Practices, IT Research, IT Practices Committees, and Group of 100 projects. In addition, he is a former Chairman of the AICPA Top Technologies Task Force. Roman was named by INSIDE Public Accounting as one of the profession’s Most Recommended Consultants for each of the years from 2004 through 2014, CPA Practice Advisors Top 25 Thought Leaders for 2011 through 2015, and Accounting Today’s Most Influential People for the years 2000 through 2005, 2011, 2013 and 2014. Roman is also an Advisory Board Member to the Association for Accounting Administration and has served on the Board of Directors of the Arizona Society of CPAs. On a technical level, Roman is an AICPA Certified Information Technology Professional (CITP) and a Certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt (LSS BB). He authored technology chapters for the PPC MAP Handbook, PPC Guide to Paperless Engagements, and sections of the AICPA MAP Handbook.

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