Every accounting firm searches for ways to squeeze more productive minutes out of each day and more billable hours out of every week. Kevin Krueger, founder of Krueger & Associates, P.A., discovered a path to efficiency with the integrated CCH Axcess™ tax preparation, compliance and firm management solution.

1. Leveraging the integrated CCH Axcess
modules, Krueger & Associates has been
able to:
ll Access client information anywhere, anytime for maximum
efficiency and productivity.
ll Enjoy leading-edge technology and efficient workflows
without manual software updates.
ll Utilize staff more effectively and spend less time on
low-value tasks.
ll Answer client questions faster and surprise them with the
“wow” factor.
ll Improve communication between staff members and also
between the firm and its clients.
How Krueger & Associates, P.A.
Gains More Efficient Workflows and
Higher Productivity in the Cloud
Krueger & Associates, P.A. Key Data
ll Founded in 1985.
ll Based in Tampa, Florida.
ll Four full-time and three part-time staff members.
ll Specializes in construction and real estate.
Every accounting firm searches for ways to squeeze more
productive minutes out of each day and more billable hours
out of every week. Kevin Krueger, founder of Krueger &
Associates, P.A., discovered a path to efficiency with the
integrated CCH Axcess™
tax preparation, compliance and
firm management solution.
The busy Tampa, Florida-based firm provides audits, reviews and
compilations as well as tax preparation, payroll and other services
for businesses and individuals. The staff needs all the time it can
save in order to meet client demands during busy tax seasons.
Over the last few years, the pressure has been even greater, as
the firm has helped clients prepare and file damage claims related
to the BP p.l.c. oil spill.
Krueger has consistently adopted new, world-class technologies
that provide Krueger & Associates with a competitive edge over
other firms. Three years ago, he implemented CCH Axcess and
has seen it help his firm increase the amount of high-value work
performed for clients.
I went to CCH Axcess because I wanted a tax product that is
first in its class.
— Kevin Krueger,
Founder, Krueger & Associates, P.A.
Moving to the Cloud Reduces IT Burden
Krueger has always handled the IT side of the business himself.
Moving to cloud-based CCH Axcess has allowed him to
remove a significant IT maintenance burden. He used to spend
about 15 percent of his time performing software updates
and maintenance issues, coming into the office on nights and
weekends to update the server and each individual PC when
no one was using the system. CCH Axcess does not require
firms to perform manual updates; they occur automatically.
I do not have to worry about any of that anymore. When an
update comes out, it happens at night. Wolters Kluwer sends me
an email ahead of time. When I come in the next morning and
open the system, it’s ready to go. It takes literally no time out of
my day, which is a huge advantage for me.

2. CCH Axcess Provides Powerful Synergy That Creates Efficient Workflows
Every CCH Axcess solution shares a Common Client and
Staff Database, enabling anyone in the firm to go to one
central location for any type of client information. It’s easy
to change client phone numbers or addresses, and these
changes automatically flow out into the other modules.
I like only going to one place — the client dashboard. People move,
especially in Florida. It is a very fluid society. It is really nice to go
to one place and make one change. You know that the next time
you open that tax return or anything related to that client, the
change is going to be there.
CCH Axcess™
Document offers effective organization and
storage of client source documents, achieving a true digital work
environment. “We all live in Document every day. Every machine
working has it open.”
CCH Axcess™
Portal provides a secure online space where clients
have 24/7 access to their financial documents and the ability to
collaborate with firm staff in real time, at any time. Krueger looks
forward to a smoother tax season, because, “Since I started with
CCH Axcess, I publish Tax Organizers and engagement letters to
Portal. I think 85 percent of the clients are using them, so they
can access it anytime they want. I really try to not print anything
anymore. I do not involve the post office if not necessary.”
CCH Axcess™
Practice provides a full-scale practice management
system for time capture, billing and other aspects of firm
operations. “In CCH Axcess, you have the ability to start a clock
when you open a return and post time when you are done. I can
immediately flip to the billing module and put the invoice together,
email and then publish that to Document and post it to Portal.
Cash flow is quicker. No one can tell me that they did not get the
invoice,” says Krueger.
CCH Axcess™
Tax creates a streamlined, digital tax process
complete with thousands of automatically calculating forms
and schedules for federal, state, county and city entities; robust
diagnostics; and a state-of-the-art electronic filing system. Krueger
likes how easy it is to track the status of returns, keep the project
updated in Workstream and publish returns and invoices for review
by the client in Portal. “My staff likes being able to check on the
status of a return and know that it shows up on my screen when
they get finished,” says Krueger. “CCH Axcess Tax is a magnificent
product.”
CCH Axcess™
Workstream offers a full-featured project
management solution designed to streamline administrative
tasks, such as tracking due dates, identifying key milestones and
monitoring project status. “I want it all in Workstream,” Krueger
states. “Here is the last person that touched the project. Here is
the email they sent where they requested information. Here is the
information that was needed. We called three times in the past
week but did not get an answer. That kind of information tends to
really negate any client pushback.”
“The ability to right-click on a file, publish something to Portal and
know that the client has just gotten an email that the file is there is
tremendous,” says Krueger.
The CCH Axcess modules have been designed to integrate
seamlessly, providing firms with greater efficiency
and the flexibility to design workflows that improve
productivity. In January 2012, Krueger & Associates
implemented every module within a two week period,
starting with the practice management system, and
then going live with tax preparation and document
management. After observing the benefits of integration
first-hand, Krueger urges other professionals to consider
going “all in” with the complete CCH Axcess solution.
Once you use CCH Axcess modules together and see
the synergy that they create, you are not going to look
back. I joke that if I pulled into my parking lot one day
and someone said they took away all of my CCH Axcess
products, I would probably just get back in my truck and
drive home.

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Mobility Increases Productivity and Provides a
“Wow Factor” for Clients
One of the things that Krueger appreciates most about CCH Axcess
is the ability to work with documents, tax returns and more from
his smartphone, away from the office. Krueger feels that it’s
important to try to answer a client question as quickly as possible.
“If I’m at a playground with my kids or away for the weekend, it is
nice to be able to flip open the CCH Axcess app, open Document
and access any information the client needs.”
Five years ago, there was no possible way to do these things
outside the office. If I got a question on a Thursday, I would
have had to wait until the following Monday to answer it. With
CCH Axcess, I can already have it done. It’s off the desk. I do
not have to worry about it. More important, you get your client
answers. That’s really what they are after.
Harnessing these brief moments of additional productivity
enables Krueger to use his time at the office more effectively
and to increase the perceived value of his client service.
CCH Axcess Helps to Grow, Manage and
Protect the Firm
Krueger believes that using CCH Axcess enables his firm to be
able to take on new clients and better manage relationships with
existing clients. “It allows me to integrate new clients much more
quickly and easily than I have ever been able to do it in the past,”
he says. Krueger can set a new client up in Document and Portal
“… literally in only five minutes, and they’re ready to interact
and exchange documents. That is essential in today’s world.”
CCH Axcess offers security and accountability features that assure
sensitive client information is protected while making it easy
to know the status of any project, tax return or document. This
protects the firm’s reputation and helps Krueger & Associates
communicate more quickly and accurately with clients, delivering
a higher sense of value.
Summing up the improvement in his firm’s management
capabilities, Krueger says, “CCH Axcess has streamlined our
workflow so much over the past two and a half years, I cannot
imagine running the practice without it.”
Premier Content, Award-Winning Tools and Innovative Integration
For firms like Kevin’s it’s important to have reliable answers to the questions that constantly arise. The most recent addition to
the CCH®
IntelliConnect®
platform, CCH®
IntelliConnect Browser Search is a complimentary browser add-on that instantly adds
CCH IntelliConnect results to the results pages of popular search engines including Google®
, Bing®
and Yahoo!®
. Additionally, from
any Internet page, users can simply highlight a term(s) they’d like to see what CCH has to say about, and CCH IntelliConnect
Browser Search will take them directly to CCH IntelliConnect’s answers. What’s most exciting for Kevin is that CCH Axcess users
can instantly access CCH IntelliConnect via CCH IntelliConnect Browser Search directly from certain CCH Axcess modules including
Return Manager. No need to alternate between products!
While I often begin with Google to quickly search for a high level answer, I always check CCH IntelliConnect Browser Search results
so I know I’m correct. With CCH IntelliConnect Browser Search I can now do in one step what used to take many, plus I don’t have
to take the extra steps to log into CCH IntelliConnect since CCH IntelliConnect Browser Search takes me right to the answer I need.
CCH IntelliConnect Browser Search was definitely a key consideration in renewing my CCH IntelliConnect subscription and I’m glad
that I did!
For More Information
CCHGroup.com/Axcess
800-739-9998
11/15 2014-0418-12