“Darn. I need that document, but I’m not at the office.”
That’s a phrase that is slowly phasing out.
Over the years, the cloud has been on the rise with many people, as well as companies, making the transition to store physical content digitally. In addition to efforts of going paperless, the main appeal of cloud-based software is accessibility any- and everywhere.
Imagine the following scenarios:
- You’re out and about and need to look at a document that’s on your computer—or you need to make a change you randomly thought about and will probably forget by the time you get back to your computer—but you can’t access it.
- You’re out and about and receive a physical document that needs to be stored, and you’re left battling the anxiety of keeping it safe and sound with the risk of losing it.
With cloud-based software, these scenarios can be resolved. You can access and store these important documents wherever you are—readily in your grasp. An Internet connection is all you need, along with a functional computer or mobile device.
Recently, our building at PKF Texas lost all power for 24 hours, which resulted in many of us working remotely. Prior to working at the firm, cloud-based technology was not on the radar for me, because I’m old-fashioned and prefer having physical copies of everything. But because PKF Texas is a mainly paperless office with our email server and our Microsoft OneDrive in the cloud, I was relieved I was able to continue working from home, and at Starbucks the next morning.
In the latest Entrepreneur’s Playbook with PKF Texas Director Danielle Supkis Cheek, CPA, CFE, she emphasized the use of cloud-based accounting software, thus leaving the days—and headache—of complicated bookkeeping in Excel behind. She shared utilizing the cloud will improve organization and maintain cleaner books for accounting services, which will save time (and money!) from having to tidy it up.
Going further, I recently read an article Entrepreneur.com posted in 2016, presenting three benefits of using cloud-based accounting tools. One in particular struck a chord that further enhances accessibility.
The article asserts that using cloud-based marketing software can help “maintain relationships and easily verify discrepancies.” For example, say you’re out of the office when a client contacts you with an urgent need for verification of numbers, documents, or more. You can easily respond if you have everything stored in the cloud. Instead of postponing the task or saying the usual, “I’m sorry, but I’m currently not at the office where ‘said document’ is. I will get back to you when I have access to it,” you can go onto your computer or phone, access the cloud and promptly provide an answer and solution. Additionally, you’re not shuffling through mountains of paper, trying to locate the specific document while your client taps their finger on the other end. By having quick access to the cloud, you reduce the turnaround time without making the client wait, which further strengthens your client service relationship.