About
Digitalization concepts are not a new phenomenon for Frank Bischof. Through tools such as DATEV Unternehmen Online and DATEV Meine Steuern, his firm is already working digitally with their clients.
Location
Oldenburg, Lower Saxony
Founded
2011
Team Size
13
Usage since
March 2024
Challenge
The communication and exchange via email traffic are unstructured and result in a lack of clarity on both sides.
Solution
A tool that brings structure, minimizes follow-up inquiries to clients, and accelerates processes.
Results
Accelerated Work Processes
Transparency in Document Management
Satisfied Employees
The time wasters of accounting
"It is not a matter of time, but of priority. Ultimately, every company must work on itself."
Frank Bischof and his team have long operated in a digital landscape. Driven by the topic of reducing working hours, the firm has been focusing on digitalization and automation since 2022.
The initial question of how to make existing work processes more efficient and optimized led to a comprehensive analysis of all firm processes. Weaknesses were identified, and hurdles in the workflows were filtered out.
In the area of accounting, communication with clients proved to be the greatest time waster. Inquiries via email were mostly answered incompletely or belatedly. There was a lack of clarity on both sides regarding outstanding issues. Repeated follow-up questions and missing Receipts delayed the entire process.
New structures of collaboration
"Steuerboard provides clarity, ensures transparent communication, and noticeably facilitates collaboration. We can clearly assign tasks, share information in a comprehensible manner, and nothing gets lost."
By centralizing on Steuerboard, interaction is much smoother, says Frank Bischof. The platform offers both the firm and the clients an overview of pending matters and missing documents. Steuerboard assists in organizing oneself and managing the daily work routine. With the help of deadlines and automatic reminders, presence can be established and exchanges facilitated.
The platform also opens up new opportunities for internal collaboration, says the tax advisor. Especially in cases of representation or larger projects, the tool can simplify organization and onboarding.
The team finds significant relief in digital signatures. Manual signing processes were not only cumbersome but also resource-intensive. “Printing, stapling, scanning - all of that is now unnecessary.” Through Steuerboard, signatures can be quickly obtained digitally, accelerating exchange processes and minimizing archiving.
Simultaneously, the firm increasingly focuses on monitoring in the area of accounting. Increased inquiries and document requests are not part of accounting but rather a paid extra service. Steuerboard allows for transparent measurability in document management, says Frank Bischof. This motivates clients to submit complete bookkeeping and respond quickly to feedback.
Positive feedback and methodology
"For a long time, we were searching for a tool that brings structure and traceability to collaboration - for both sides. With Steuerboard, we have found exactly that."
Both employees and clients have given positive feedback on Steuerboard. On the firm side, it was helpful to introduce the tool initially to individual employees and then share their experiences with the entire team. Clients were also initially selected based on their readiness and implementation was gradually expanded.
From a business perspective, Frank Bischof recommends first reflecting on firm processes and then seeking suitable solutions based on the results. He consciously chose against large and powerful market providers.
Steuerboard impresses on one hand due to its elegant, clear design, and on the other hand through close collaboration during development and rapid support response. Follow-up discussions always leave room for exchange and the introduction of new features.