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LEARNING RESOURCES

Client Accounting Advisory Services Certificate
[from the CAS practice] during busy season. This is
an every-month, all-year-long type of job.” The Client Accounting Advisory Services certificate
helps firms demonstrate their expertise in the
fundamental client accounting service deliverables.
3. Restrict the number of general ledger software
programs you support CPE SELF-STUDY
In the CAS Benchmark Survey, a median of 88%
of top performers supported no more than three
CPA.com Virtual Client Advisory Services (CAS)
general ledger (G/L) software programs, versus a Roadmap Workshop
median of 79% of all respondents. Limiting the
The CAS Roadmap Workshop helps firms develop a
number of G/L programs you use makes for greater
plan to build a CAS practice or expand an existing
efficiency because it reduces the amount of time client accounting service line, using a proven and
staff need to spend learning new software. tested practice development approach to help firms
“Identify the technology you need to use to be achieve success in client advisory and accounting
services. Offered once a month.
efficient and understand it, implement it, and stick
to it,” advised Scott Lazarone, CPA, partner at WORKSHOP
Faulk & Winkler in Baton Rouge, La. “Whenever
we have clients that follow our tech stack, it’s so
much more efficient and more enjoyable for both
our internal staff and the clients.” His firm oc-
casionally accepts clients that don’t use one of their
two main G/L systems, he said, but does so with 5. Secure buy-in from firm leadership
the caveat that fees might be higher as a result. In top-performing CAS practices, firm leadership
“Our desire is that eventually we can move [such not only understands the value of CAS but has
clients] to one of our preferred programs,” he said. also aligned firm strategy and goverance to support
Other top-performing firms, including Miller’s, CAS growth, said Kalil Merhib, vice president of
turn down potential clients who aren’t willing to Sales & Client Services at CPA.com, the business
switch to their platforms. “We hold to that because and technology arm of the AICPA. Ensuring that
we believe we deliver better service with the right your firm’s leadership understands the value of
tools,” he said. CAS practice will benefit your practice, Lazarone
said. At his firm, he said, “everyone has bought into
4. Invest in staff the idea of CAS and knows how profitable it can
Hiring the best staff, treating them well, and ensur- be,” which has led to “a very strong pipeline for
ing they get the training they need are, naturally, internal referrals,” he said. “The tax partners, the
best practices for any accounting firm. Top CAS audit partners, they understand CAS, they value it,
performers, though, stress the importance of and when they see an opportunity, they generally
staffing to a high-touch area such as CAS. “We rec- jump on it pretty quickly.” He recommends that
ognize the fact that in order to service our clients non-CAS partners learn “what exactly CAS is, why
well, we need to service our staff well, so we need it’s not bookkeeping, how you price it, and how
to give them the tools that they need to do their you evaluate it.”
jobs effectively, and maintain sufficient capacity to
where everyone’s workload is spread out and they 6. Be selective about which clients you accept
don’t become overwhelmed,” Lazarone said. CPA firms know that accepting clients that aren’t
Top performers also emphasize the need for a good fit will likely lead to conflict sooner or later.
training and development. In the CAS benchmark- That’s especially true for a CAS practice, where
ing survey, top performers said their staff took a CPAs work so closely with business owners. CAS
median of 44 hours of CPE or training per year, practices are also most successful when they use
versus a median of 37 hours for all respondents. software to automate routine tasks, and so clients
Allen, whose firm has offices in Charlotte, N.C., who balk at converting to a practice’s software system
and Greenville, S.C., said that her staff are trained might not be ideal.
in CAS processes and software but also receive “CAS works when you can take the same pro-
training in their niche areas and take part in a cesses and [use] them across multiple clients,” Allen
continuing education program sponsored by the said. If, during the proposal process, a prospect says
alliance her firm belongs to. they don’t want to use your systems or process,

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