Most accounting firm owners are confident in the skills and expertise of their team. At smaller firms, owners may even handle some of the day-to-day client work, using their significant experience and professional knowledge to drive desired outcomes for clients.
The problem most firms face isn’t about the ability of individual staff members—it’s figuring out how to scale up that ability and expertise. Sure, you can deliver on a single project or client account, but can you provide the same level of results when there are four, six, or even 10 different projects happening at once?
This is where it’s easy to recognize the importance of solid accounting firm client project management, a broad term that encapsulates everything from the number of employees you have on each project to the amount of time you expect each one to take.
Accounting client project management is a broad concept, which means some of the most pioneering practitioners are constantly inventing new ways to make it more efficient.
Entering into 2025, we expect accounting client project management to take even more exciting leaps forward. Here are a few of the top trends that will continue to be popular this year:
There are several different accounting client project management styles, but the most common by far are waterfall (also known as linear) or agile, the latter of which has several common sub-varieties like kanban and scrum. Today there are many different software tools that were designed to work with one or more of these approaches to project management.
Each one has its own pros and cons depending on the size of your firm and the kinds of clients you work with. What’s more important than selecting one or more specific approach to client project management is making sure your tools align with the chosen method.
It may be worthwhile to invest in a comprehensive accounting practice management software platform that can accommodate multiple philosophies, in case you decide to change down the road.
It’s true that some of the popular AI use cases in mainstream media are more about hype than substance: dancing robots, songs created in the style of popular artists, etc. But you’d be unwise to believe that the AI revolution isn’t going to bring practical benefits to your accounting firm project management sooner rather than later.
Some of the things that AI can already do to help with client project management:
One of the common misconceptions about automation and marketing technology, in general, is that it drains the human touch out of interactions. Many old school accounting firms pride themselves on doing things manually, believing it gives them a more personal connection with clients and colleagues.
The idea that manual always means more personal is simply not true. If an increase in automation does cause a negative impact on your relationships, you’re not using it the right way.
You should always be automating the less personal aspects of the engagement—scheduling emails, meeting reminders, generic reports, and statements—so that you have more time to foster a personal connection with clients and teammates.
Research indicates that customized service is a significant desire of accounting firm clients, a pattern that will only continue to grow in 2025.
We see lots of firms with an excessively scattered approach to project management. Some of their information lives in one app, but it has to be merged with another software platform that houses their client database.
Perhaps their calendar tool doesn’t interface easily with their secure file sharing system. Or maybe the employee time tracking tool is a completely separate web portal that exists on its own. These situations can lead to bloat in a firm’s technology stack, adding unnecessary software tools or web apps that cause inefficiency and frustration.
Instead of individual programs for project management, consider using a centralized accounting practice management software to get the job done. Versatile, efficient software platforms are always popular among accounting project managers.
2025 could be the year your firm finally streamlines operations and improves revenue growth through the use of comprehensive practice management tools.
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