CCH, a Wolters Kluwer business — ProSystem fx Practice Management, Office Edition

From the Oct. 2007 Review of Practice Management Systems

ProSystem fx Practice Management offers enterprise-level services and is available in a tiered package for small and midsize firms. An emphasis is placed on control features to provide a secure, stable and regulated environment. This product is best placed in midsize and large firms with internal support to manage and maintain the application. However, the vendor also notes that it has a significant number of firms with fewer than 20 employees that enjoy the essentials of the Office modules, and, as their firm grows, they can grow in the software.

Ease of Use/Flexibility – 4 Stars
As with last year’s review, ProSystem fx Practice Management’s interface still can be difficult to navigate, especially when considering the needs of a small firm. In a work environment where users have specific job responsibilities, system administrators will appreciate greater control over employee access. The application has a modularized approach, with independent programs for different management functions. Timesheets are easily entered and have numerous tools for employees and firm administrators. Some screens present an overwhelming amount of options and information. However, billing appears to be easy with a “walk-you-through-it” approach.

Finding your way between applications is not always the easiest, and only one dialogue can be open at a time, although any module can be minimized to the task bar. In particular, users can keep Time Entry and Contact Management open for quick use all day. This was probably my biggest frustration with the program, but other firms may adapt to this methodology better than I did. Setup of service codes, employees and clients provides for multiple categories and subcategories. Firms can opt to track CPA requirements, CPE, payroll and allowances for employees. Growth opportunities can be followed by tracking leads, lead generations, affiliates and referrals.

Using an instance of SQL Server, data is available in real time, and the system provides a number of ways to review, enter new and update records. Note that while information can be found, it’s not handed out as freely as those systems using dashboards.

Scalability/Stability -- 5 Stars
After several unsuccessful installation attempts, a call to tech support finally solved my issues, and ProSystem fx Practice Management was up and running. If you have other SQL Server instances, especially desktop edition, make sure you use the assistance available from tech support rather than the brute force method. The software is extremely stable and can handle large volumes of data. Few firms will have concerns about database capacity, though they may need to move up from the Office Level of the suite. Because ProSystem fx Practice Management is a part of the ProSystem fx Suite, firms can readily grow into other components. Careful planning should be done if this is expected. ProSystem fx Practice Management fulfills the needs of appointments, time, billing, contact management and project management, but each of these are best implemented through a well-executed adoption plan, rather than hazarding a “wait-and-see” approach.

Productivity Tools/Features – 4.5 Stars
An administrative application provides linked access to the different utilities and setup actions. Time and expense entries are straightforward and include options for appointments, timers, corrections and performance analysis. The Time Entry interface also includes tabs for Alerts, an Appointment Log, and Due Dates. Alerts are notifications that previously set thresholds have been exceeded (such as time or value), and Due Dates are similar to Outlook’s tasks but with direct ties to projects and client numbers. Appointments make use of a calendar and task system that ties with the individual and entities involved. A free/busy view is available for all employees. Notes can be recorded with appointments, but individual files and e-mails cannot.