Acclipse Online Accounting Blog

Capacity Planning in Acclipse Practice Manager

2012-05-22T00:00:00+10:00

Real-time and up to date Capacity Planning has finally arrived. Together with recurring jobs and resource allocations you can monitor current and future jobs allocations in your firm with ease. There are many innovative features that make allocating and spreading the workload in your firm more efficient and more reliable. Visit the Learning Centre to find out more.

We sit down with Tim Munro from Change Accountants

2012-05-15T00:00:00+10:00

At Acclipse, we share an on-going and intimate relationship with our clients and partners. Recently, I met with a number of accounting firm owners who are running their businesses on iFirm, to gather feedback and to understand how we can serve them better. I asked a number of them about their experience of moving their IT operations to the cloud and how they are reaping the benefits of the move.

This video is the first in a series of conversations with accounting firm owners about iFirm, the Cloud and how it has changed the way they do business. Today, we have Tim Munro, Director of Change Accountants, Brisbane sharing with us what led him to online software, the real benefits of the cloud in the day to day functions of the firm and how his staff embraced it and have taken the business to the next level.

Watch the short video below (2:20).

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Master Charts in Acclipse Client Accounting

2012-05-14T00:00:00+10:00

In Acclipse Client Accounting, ledgers are always based on a Master Chart. Whether you create a new ledger, or import one from MYOB AO, you will be asked to select a Master Chart. The available master charts depend on the entity type of the client.

The Master Chart contains pre-defined account codes, relevant to the entity type, for example Full Reporting Company â€" FRS. This structure means that you never need to copy the ledger of another client. You simply create a new ledger based on the Master Chart you require.

The Master Charts are standardised and locked to match the supplied Master Reports.

Once the ledger is created, you can make customisations to the accounts by viewing and editing the accounts on the Chart tab.

Learn more about:

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Capacity Planning and Recurring Jobs

2012-05-07T00:00:00+10:00

There have also been some major enhancements made to Capacity Planning

so you can now see your capacity in real time,
include all jobs, including recurring jobs (provided the jobs have a target end date and have resource allocated)
and set up capacity plans for multiple years.

Watch the video and click here to learn more.

We will be running a free 45 min webinar on Reoccurring Jobs and Capacity Planning on Friday the 2nd March at 1300 - 1345 (NZDT) Click Here to register.

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Edit and customise your own 901 letter templates

2012-05-04T00:00:00+10:00

The latest release of iFirm sees the introduction of a new feature allowing users to customise their own 901 letter templates.

This solves the headache of trying to line up your templates with IRD pre-printed stationery, as well as providing the flexibility to make simple changes to the wording of your letters.

The video below is the first in a series we'll be producing, and demonstrates how the editing tool works in one of the most common scenarios an accounting firm faces: receiving new 901 letter stationery from the IRD.

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Online accounting for $5 a month - only with Acclipse iBizz & BankLink

2012-03-13T00:00:00+11:00

It's been a long held dream of mine to deliver a real 'collaborative accounting' solution that truly empowers accounting business success.

Many of you will be aware that through the years of CA-Systems and Acclipse I've attempted to deliver this through partnerships with several business accounting product suppliers.

Today I'm thrilled to announce iBizz (a full online accounting product) and let you know that we've formed a business alliance with BankLink to deliver it to you.

Acclipse purchased iBizz recently from a company that created the product over the past 5 years, spending tens of thousands of hours in development.
iBizz is fully featured; including automatic bank feeds, quotes, invoicing, payables & receivables, contacts, BAS and reporting. It's a mature and proven product.
iBizz is being delivered with the security and reliablity of BankLink feeds.
The sign-up process for iBizz will be included as part of the same sign-up process you currently enjoy with BankLink.
iBizz is ONLY available through accounting firms, just as BankLink is.
iBizz is being launched for a game changing price of $5 per month, plus BankLink data fees.

The teams in Acclipse and BankLink are working as fast as possible to integrate the daily BankLink feeds, and to fine-tune the processes for ordering the product.

I expect BankLink users will now be able to offer up to 80% of their clients an accounting solution that fits their needs, at a price both they and their clients will really appreciate.

At Acclipse we're really enthusiastic about the opportunity this brings to deliver a fully integrated practice and client solution (iFirm & iBizz) which really does meet our mission of empowering accounting business success.

Click here to read the official media release, or visit the www.ibizz.com website for more detailed information, and to register your interest.

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Your clients are mobile. Are you?

2012-02-23T00:00:00+11:00

With over 1000 accounting firm websites under our belt, our Web Team know a thing or two about generating publicity for your business online - and any of you who have been through our design process will know this.

As well as a thorough research and design procedure, we provide several additional services to enhance your site's value:

Blogs
Surveys
eMarketing modules
Secure client login areas

Our latest offering is designed to make your site even more effective - by optimising it for handheld mobile devices so clients and prospects can find you, and get hold of you, when they're on the go.

By 2013, more people will use their mobile phones than PCs to get online.

If you find this hard to believe, see the reports compiled by Google, Cisco & Gartner - some of the biggest players in the research arena.

Mobile is a relatively recent movement, and not until lately has it become viable to offer it without spending thousands developing a custom solution.

We've been hard at work behind the scenes to develop a process that makes owning and maintaining a fully customisable mobile site - and now it's ready.

This means you get:

A site designed for small screens, that can be saved like an app on your iPhone or other device
A mobile-friendly layout, that provides a one click button to call you and gives GPS directions to your office
A custom branded site, that matches the theme of your main design
Google analytics, to show how many local searches you're appearing in

Find out more, and get your own mobile site, over at acclipse.com/getmobile

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Christchurch, one year on

2012-02-22T00:00:00+11:00

Today marks the first anniversary of the earthquake that hit Christchurch at 12:51 pm on Tuesday, 22 February 2011.

I know for many of our Christchurch-based staff, clients and other members of the wider Acclipse community this is an important day of reflection, and a significant milestone in the recovery journey.

The people and businesses of Christchurch have shown incredible resilience over the past 12 months - weathering the constant barrage of aftershocks, and dealing with the uncertainly they bring.

As the hour nears, our thoughts go out to those in/from #Christchurch, and our thanks to all who stood in support. #eqnz
- Acclipse (@acclipse) February 21, 2012

The support from those outside the city has been overwhelming. Our staff have been inundated with kind messages, offers of hospitality and other gestures that have made this time all the more bearable.

Christchurch is an incredible city, and we here at Acclipse are committed to being part of the rebuild. To those who offered your support, once again, a thank you from all of us here - and to the people of Christchurch, we're proud to be standing side by side with you.

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Acclipse training counts toward your NZICA CPD

2012-02-20T00:00:00+11:00

With the increased number of events and webinars our team has been running lately, it was no surprise when attendees started asking, 'Will this count toward my CPD?'

Our answer is plain and simple, 'Yes!'.

After discussions with NZICA, we can confirm that all Acclipse training sessions count as verifiable Continuing Professional Development hours.

So, if you're looking at your log book and thinking it's a bit bare, we recommend you fill in the blanks with the latest webinars you took part in.

Don't worry, if you're a little hazy on the details - we have everything documented at our end, so just let us know (training@acclipse.com), and we'll fill you in.

Of course, if you still need a few more hours before the clock ticks over, why not register for one of the upcoming courses, or get in touch to arrange a customised refresher.

We're continually running events for new users and administrators, which let you join our product experts in an online training session, focussed on getting the most out of your software.

To find out more, or to register for an Acclipse iFirm event, click here
To find out more, or to register for an Acclipse Practice Manager event, click here
To find out more, or to register for an Acclipse Document Manager event, click here
To find out more, or to register for an Acclipse Web Manager event, click here
To find out more, or to register for an Acclipse Tax event, click here

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Additional Training Webinars

2012-02-17T00:00:00+11:00

A couple of weeks ago our training team hosted a series of additional webinars for iFirm Practice Manager and Acclipse Web Manager users - the turnout, and feedback following online sessions like these, has been great over the past few months.

Must say, the @acclipse trainings are top notch! #aheadofthegame
- Tyler J. Wise (@wisetyler) November 28, 2011

A big thanks must go out to all who attended - we love putting together these additional events that help you and your firm get the most out of the systems you're using.

Practice Manager

Over 80 firms from across New Zealand and Australia participated in a live discussion focussed on reviewing past performance, and setting up for a successful new year.

The conversation covered many topics - with special focus on resource allocations, budgets and fees, employee billable time, and annual accounts jobs.

Our team also used the session to highlight some key reports in the system, provide an overview of our new and improved capacity planning module, and concluded with a sneak preview of the next release.

Web Manager

In our discussions with accounting firms, we often find that maintaining the company website is a task that 1) isn't assigned to anyone, or 2) drops off the radar altogether. That is, until we sit down and discuss the importance of growing a strong brand presence online, as doing so is one of the easiest ways to attract new clients.

Web Manager has an excellent feature set designed to make the process of keeping your website up-to-date as simple as possible; including blog posts, email campaigns, and standard web pages.

For those who joined us in the webinar - we hope the session gave you a better understanding of how you can use each of these mediums to your advantage, and that you can see how a little effort on the part of your website administrator can result in a site that really stands out from the crowd.

We're looking forward to the next lot of these events. Stay tuned to the blog, or keep an eye out on Twitter for details.

For those who missed these ones, recordings are available. Please contact training@acclipse.com for more information.

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Hi from Lionel, our newest team member in NSW

2012-02-15T00:00:00+11:00

Hi. I'm Lionel Kemp and I've recently joined Acclipse as a Solution Manager for NSW.

I excited to become part of the Acclipse team, as I believe we're at the tipping point of a once-in-a-generation change in the way things are done within both firms and with clients, and Acclipse is leading the way.

More about me

With 15 years experience working with some of the leading suppliers to accounting firms, and having spent time working in a firm myself, I chose to jump back into what I am passionate about; serving accounting firms and the teams that serve them to help them reach their goals and aspirations.

Simply put my goal is to make a difference with the clients I'm working with.

Why I chose Acclipse

There have been a lot of discussions on the new cloud and mobile platforms for years but now that time is upon us, and Acclipse is the only cloud based solution built with accountants in mind.

I believe it is a revolutionary time to be working with firms on innovative, integrated, efficient and lower cost systems - so I am looking forward to working with firms to gain the benefits of the cloud.

To those of you in NSW, I look forward to catching up with you soon.

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Track Job Responsibilities

2012-02-03T00:00:00+11:00

You can now track job responsibilities; watch this short video to learn more.

Find out more about how Practice Manager fits into iFirm here.

Exclusive SmartPayroll partnership connects more dots for accountants

2012-02-02T00:00:00+11:00

Today I'm excited to announce another link in the chain towards providing accountants with the most versatile online software solution.

New Zealand's leading online payroll provider, SmartPayroll, has partnered exclusively with Acclipse to provide every accounting firm in New Zealand with a free version of their service.

When we roll this out to users, it will make managing the pay cycle easier for all accountants using iFirm. Of course specific permissions can be set, so that only the necessary staff have access to this.

iFirm users will also be able to manage their clients' pay (if they are authorised) directly from within iFirm, with plans further down the track to enable easy account creation for clients.

The best part about this integration, is that it requires absolutely no additional effort on the accountants' part, as the pay info for each team member is entered when your iFirm site is set-up for users - and, for those using another payroll system, SmartPayroll will handle the conversion for you as part of their usual customer service.

I'm really excited about this new offering, and equally so about working alongside the SmartPayroll team - who share a similar vision. Asantha Wijeyeratne, CEO of SmartPayroll says, 'we're excited to be part of the iFirm offering to accounting firms in New Zealand. We see this opportunity to partner with Acclipse, a key player committed to empowering accountants, as a logical extension of our business. We’ve been working at developing and strengthening our relationships with accounting firms around the country and this is a logical forward step to provide a better, more versatile online solution for them and their clients. I’m confident that this initiative will certainly connect more dots between accountants and the SME marketplace'.

For too long accountants in New Zealand have had to deal with desktop software and separate vendors (and systems) that don't talk to each other - or if they have made the move to online software, it's simply been to a spaghetti tin of separate vendors, account logins, and multiple browser windows. Sure, they've got themselves online; but they're not realising the true benefits that the cloud can bring.

Fixing this, and streamlining the flow of data from client to accountant to Inland Revenue, and back, has been my motivation behind developing iFirm.

It's not just about the flexibility and security of online software, it's about software that is designed from the ground up to be fundamentally better; to simplify capacity planning, to make managing your workflow easier, to automate the tax process, to provide you with an accurate set of reports - faster, easier and smarter.

But this alone isn't enough.

The core iFirm modules (Contacts, Practice Manager, Tax, Client Accounting & Fixed Assets, Intranet and Web Manager) provide accounting firms with all the tools they need for their compliance work, and more - and that's just the beginning.

We know you'll never have all your clients running on the same accounting software (and nor should you) - which is why our General Ledger product supports connections to BankLink, Saasu and Xero. This means instead of worrying about your workflow (the direct integration to iFirm takes care of this), you can focus on what's best for your client. We've even made it easy for firms running MYOB AO to import their ledger files into iFirm with just a few clicks of a button.

I respect your role as a trusted advisor... you've spent a long time establishing it. Don't risk your reputation by being locked into one system. We've designed iFirm to play nicely with several other great products, and will continue to add more as the platform grows.

If you're keen to find out more about iFirm, and what it can do for your practice, join us at one of our free roadshow events throughout February.

SmartPayroll are also running a series of events in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch - you can register for those here.

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Additional Training

2012-01-26T00:00:00+11:00

Just a quick reminder about our Acclipse Special Training Events coming up in Feb - we hope you can join us.

Practice Manager - Get Ready for 2012
This training session focuses on reviewing your performance in 2011. Then based on that review, set up resource allocations, budgets and jobs to achieve the best possible outcomes for 2012.
Who should attend - Work Flow Managers, Managers and Partners.
Date - 8^th February 3:00 pm NZDT

Web Manager - Best Practice
This training session focuses on best practice tips for updating website content. This will include: blog, e-newletters and optimising your site for search engines.
Who should attend - Anyone in your firm who updates content on your website and has previously attended the Content Manager Essential training.
Date - 3^rd February 3:00 pm NZDT

To learn more about these events or to register click here

Taking iFirm the length of the country

2012-01-18T00:00:00+11:00

Our team are hitting the road in February, with a series of free roadshow events being held in 24 locations across the country.

We've been hard at work over the last few months preparing our General Ledger module of iFirm for release, and we're pleased to say it's here!

With this complete - we're now able to demonstate that iFirm is a complete alternative to your old desktop software and that running your firm online, without depending on expensive servers or tedious software updates, is now a reality.

If the concept of cloud software is new to you, read our points on why it's the way of the future, or alternatively come along to the roadshow and experience it first hand.

To find an event near you and register, click here.

Customisable Billing Templates

2011-12-21T00:00:00+11:00

You can now customise the templates for your invoices and statements in Acclipse Practice Manager.

Find out more about how Practice Manager fits into iFirm here.

We're on the road again

2011-11-28T00:00:00+11:00

Next week our team hits the road, putting on a series of free events for accountants in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch.

We're looking forward to catching up with those of you haven't seen for a while, before you disperse for the Christmas and New Year break.

The main focus of these sessions will be discussion around the launch of our all-new General Ledger module, as well as showcasing our online Intranet product.

We'll be giving an overview of the key features of each of these products, and explaining how they fit together alongside our Practice Management and Tax modules within iFirm.

This is a great opportunity for current and prospective iFirm users to find out the latest developments in the product, as well as a sneak peak of the direction it's heading.

The details of the events are as follows:

The George, Christchurch
Monday 5th December, 8:30am - 10:30am

NZICA, Wellington
Tuesday 6th December, 8:30 - 10:30am

North Harbour Stadium, Albany
Wednesday 7th December, 8:30am - 10:30am

Alexandra Park, Epsom
Wednesday 7th December, 3:00pm - 5:00pm

If you'd like to join us, you can register online here.

Client Profile: Munro Accountants

2011-10-19T00:00:00+11:00

It's always great to wrap up a conversation with a client and hear that our products are making a positive difference to their firm.

I recently caught up with Jennie from Munro Accountants in the Gold Coast, to see what she thought of their recent website redesign in Web Manager.

Q. Before this new website went live, what sort of approach did you take to the internet, and maintaining a web presence?

A. Being online has always played a part of our firm's marketing plan. It's where people are looking for information these days.

We've had a site designed by Acclipse (but using different software) for the last 6 years.

Q. What prompted the redesign of your site, and the move to Web Manager?

A. When we found out about the new features Web Manager could offer we were keen to subscribe to some of these features as we could see they would enhance our presence on the net.

Q. The process of building a website can be daunting to some - how did you find it working with your Account Manager and Designer?

A. We've always got on well with the design team - a great relationship. I'm fairly web-savvy and know what I want, but am happy to leave the back-end to the experts.

Q. Is there a feature of Web Manager that you like most?

A. The e-marketing module, ease of setting up new pages, WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) editor just like Microsoft Word, social media integration... everything.

I can track our direct hits off Google too, so I know how people are finding us. I also love the SEO (search engine optimisation) tools!

Q. What do you think of the design?

A. We love the site design! It's very unique. We did the layout and used our corporate colours and images but the water background and functionality was from Acclipse and it looks great! We've got a consistent beach theme, and with it a point of difference. We spent time looking at lots of other sites as examples of what we wanted, and were thrilled to have something of our own. It's been a great to help build brand credibility too.

Q. Have you seen an increase in site hits and enquiries?

A. Yes! It's great to be able to track these through the analytics dashboard, and we can see that most come straight off search engine optimisation that we manage ourselves through Web Manager.

Q. What do you think of the e-marketing tool?

It's great. We publicise all our seminars and events through e-newsletters and send out regular e-bulletins. It's a really effective way to get our message out to a large pool of people. It's also a great way to monitor relationships with clients.

Q. Do you use the Secure Client areas?

A. Secure Client Areas are another way we're able to communicate with clients - sharing their reports, files and even letting us put promotional material about new services or events right in front of them. Our clients really appreciate this feature and it reduces our carbon footprint.

Q. Overall, how do you feel about your Web Manager site, and how it is helping build a stronger brand for your firm?

A. The new website has been a great success because it embodies our slogan 'More than just Accountants'. It shows to the world that we are a web savvy company, and with the translation facility, also shows we cater to international businesses.

It has many features appealing to a younger tech-savvy market such as the Social Media section, The M Zone, and is now multi-dimensional and multi-sensory and encourages participation from the visitor.,, The website is very flexible and easy for us to change and we have built a very strong brand due to the wonderful Acclipse support and development team.

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Your client details on your phone â€“ everyone wants this!

2011-10-05T00:00:00+11:00

A few months ago I met with around 100 accounting firms at some events we were running to present Acclipse iFirm. I asked the audience "who would like to have access to their client or contact database on their phone without needing to update the phone contact list?" How many hands were raised? Hopefully you guessed it as I did - 100%!

I was amazed that the incumbent suppliers had seemed to get so out of touch with their users and what they wanted.

Why hadn't they delivered this?

Well we have and it's here now.

We've developed a version of iFirm that is optimised for small devices, and makes it easy to pull up your contact records while you're on the way to that out-of-the-way meeting location.

Accessing the app is simple - simply type your firm's unique URL (eg. smithjones.acclipse.com) into the address bar of your device's web browser, and log in using the same details you use to access iFirm at your desk.

The screenshots below show the app as it appears on an iPhone... but, because this is a web app (runs online) as opposed to a native app (downloaded from the app store) it will work on your Android, Blackberry, or Windows Phone 7, as well as several recent Nokia and Palm devices. If you're using a device other than the ones listed above, feel free to try it out too - we'd love to hear your feedback.

PS: Of course this is only the beginning. Our next release will include debtor balances!

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Accountants day in the snow

2011-07-25T00:00:00+10:00

Prominent industry consultant Rob Nixon wrapped up his Australian & New Zealand G.R.O.W.T.H tour yesterday, with a free event in Christchurch for all those affected by the recent earthquakes.

I spent the day with his team, and it was great to see so many Acclipse customers amongst the attendees.

It was an intensive seminar that challenged accountants to rethink their Practice model, and to identify and overcome the obstacles that are limiting their business potential.

The G.R.O.W.T.H acrostic sums up Rob's message:

Grow your revenue & profit
Reap the results you deserve
Opportunities for your clients
Win new business
Tactics that work
Happiness with less hours

It was good to catch up with Acclipse users at the end of the day, and hear their excitement at how they would begin to implement Rob's ideas.

I could almost hear the penny drop when people realised software like Acclipse Practice Manager is designed to help you run a more efficient firm, and make revolutionary changes like Rob was suggesting possible.

It wasn't all work though, and we did manage to get outside to make the most of the rapidly disappearing snow!