The short answer
Write down where work gets lost in your month, turn it into eight questions, and test two tools with three real clients for two weeks. Choose the one your team opens without being asked.
What it is, and what it is not
Practice management software runs the work around the ledger: clients, recurring work, deadlines, documents, messages and time. It is not your accounting ledger and it is not the system you file returns in. A good one is clear about that line.
- It should know which work is due for which client, who owns it, what is waiting on the client and what has been sent.
- It should not pretend to post entries or file returns on its own. If it does, ask exactly how, and who confirms.
Start from where work gets lost
Before you open a single vendor page, answer these for your own firm. The answers are your requirements.
- Which deadlines almost slipped last year, and why?
- Which documents are always late, and who chases them?
- What do you type again every month?
- What does only one person in the firm know?
- What do clients ask you that the system could answer?
Eight questions to ask
A rubric you can reuse
| Question | A good answer looks like |
|---|---|
| Can it create recurring work for every client from one setup? | One series, every period created, weekend rules visible |
| How do clients send documents? | One link per request, and you see what is missing |
| What leaves the system without a person's approval? | Nothing: drafts and suggestions wait for a confirmation |
| How is one firm's data kept apart from another's? | Enforced in the database, not only in the interface |
| Who sees which clients? | Roles, and clients assigned to people |
| How do your clients get in and out? | CSV import and export, no lock-in |
| What does it cost when the team grows? | A price per person, stated, with no surprises |
| Which languages and countries does it support? | The interface language, local deadlines and formats |
Run a fair trial
Days from the start
- 0days
Pick three real clients
One easy, one messy, one with payroll. Real data, not a demo.
- 3days
Set up their work
Recurring series, contacts, one document request each.
- 7days
Run a real cycle
Send a request, follow up, receive the files, close the period.
- 14days
Score it with the team
Use the eight questions. Ask who opened it unprompted.
Common mistakes
- Choosing on feature count. A long list you will not use is not a plus.
- Moving every client at once. Start with three, then add in groups.
- Forgetting the client side. If clients will not use it, half the value is gone.
- No owner for the rollout. Someone has to own the setup and the first month.
- Trialling with fake data. The mess in real data is the test.
Where Claister fits
We build Claister, so weigh this section accordingly. Against the questions above: it creates recurring work from one series, gives clients a portal for documents, keeps every draft and suggestion waiting for a person, separates firms in the database itself, assigns clients to people by role, imports and exports clients as CSV, and shows its prices on the site. The app is in English and Russian today. It does not replace your ledger and never files or posts in it.
If you are still on a spreadsheet, spreadsheet or software for client deadlines helps decide whether it is time.
Questions
Two or three. More than that and the comparison becomes the project.
No. Practice management software works around the ledger. Keep the ledger where it is.
The person who sets up recurring work, one accountant who does the work, and someone who talks to clients. Their three views are the score.
About this article
Author: Claister
Published by Claister, the company building the accounting practice management software discussed on this website.
Design partner: Natalija Miadzelic
Editorial review: Natalija Miadzelic · Accountant · Approved
Editorial policyChoosing accounting practice management software
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