Managing an accounting or finance firm goes beyond handling numbers—it requires seamless task management, efficient client communication, and secure document sharing. Accounting Practice Management Software helps firms stay organized, but finding the right solution that fits your workflow can be challenging. In this blog, we’ll explore how Cubicl serves as an alternative task management tool for accounting professionals. We’ll also discuss how it can be customized to suit the unique needs of accounting and finance firms, helping you streamline operations, improve collaboration, and enhance client service.
Accounting Practice Management Software
Practice Management Software (PMS) is a type of business software designed to help professional service firms—such as financial advisors, accountants, law firms, and medical practices—manage their daily operations efficiently. It streamlines tasks related to client management, workflow automation, team collaboration, and document organization.
Alternatives to Practice Management Solution
Accountants may hesitate to choose Practice Management Software due to its high cost, especially considering that these applications often come with a broad range of features that may not be necessary for their specific needs. These tools can become increasingly complex as the firm grows, making them more difficult to learn and apply effectively. As a result, many accountants begin to explore alternatives. One option is to develop custom software tailored to the firm's unique needs. However, this also comes with significant drawbacks, such as high initial costs, a time-consuming development process, and the ongoing maintenance required to keep the software up to date.
Given these challenges, a more practical and efficient solution could be to consider a task management software. These tools offer an affordable, user-friendly alternative that is easier to implement and maintain. They allow accountants to focus on organizing their daily tasks and workflows, improving team collaboration and client communication without the complexities and financial strain of custom development or comprehensive practice management software.
Task Management For Accounting Firms
Cubicl is a user-friendly task and project management software designed to help teams streamline workflows, enhance collaboration, and boost productivity. With customizable features and an intuitive interface, Cubicl allows users to organize tasks, track progress, and manage projects and clients efficiently, making it ideal for businesses looking to stay organized and focused on what matters most.
Let's how to customize Cubicl for an accounting and financial consultancy firm, LedgerWise Accounting.
Create Workspaces for Teams
Managing a financial consultancy firm like LedgerWise Accounting requires handling multiple clients, departments, and operational teams simultaneously. Without a structured system, tracking tasks in one central location can become overwhelming.
That’s where Cubicl’s project-based organization comes in. By creating separate projects, firms can manage tasks more efficiently and maintain clear visibility over different workflows.
With Cubicl, you can reflect your company’s internal structure by creating different projects for:
- Departments – Human Resources, Finance, Operations
- Teams – Tax Advisory, Audit, Payroll Processing
- Client Projects – Each client gets a dedicated project for tracking financial reports, tax filings, and ongoing consultations
- Office Locations – If your firm has multiple branches, each office can have its own project
How LedgerWise Accounting Firm Customize Projects
Let’s say your firm, LedgerWise Accounting, structures its Cubicl workspace like this:
Main Project: LedgerWise Accounting (Company-Wide Management)
Subprojects:
- Human Resources – Tracks hiring, employee training, and internal policies
- Management – Oversees business operations and strategic planning
- Operations – Manages internal workflows, document processing, and deadlines
Client-Specific Projects:
- Johnson Enterprises – Tracks financial audits, tax filings, and advisory tasks
- GreenTech Solutions – Organizes financial reports, budgeting, and compliance tasks
- Horizon Logistics – Manages bookkeeping, payroll, and invoicing
By separating tasks into different projects, each consultant, accountant, or manager can focus on their specific responsibilities without being overwhelmed by unrelated tasks.
Streamline Tasks Even While Working Remotely with Cubicl
With the rise of remote work, staying organized and maintaining clear communication within teams has become more challenging. Cubicl offers a solution to streamline task management, improve collaboration, and ensure accountability, no matter where your team members are. Here are some of the key features that make Cubicl perfect for task management:
- No more email and phone traffic – With the chat feature, communication within the team is centralized. You no longer need to worry about lost emails or missed phone calls.
- Mutual comments and feedback – Team members can leave comments directly under tasks, keeping all feedback in one place and reducing the need for lengthy email threads.
- Time tracking – When tasks are assigned in Cubicl, start and end dates are set, and team members can track how much time they’ve worked on each task with a built-in time tracker.
- Reports on work done – Generate detailed reports on completed tasks, both for individual employees and clients, to track performance and productivity.
- Role-based access – Tasks, projects, and customer data can be authorized at different levels to ensure confidentiality and security within the team.
- Other helpful features –
- Repetitive tasks that automatically create new copies
- Private tasks and projects
- Workflow creation to map out complex processes
- Subtasks or substeps added to tasks to break down projects into manageable pieces
Ready to discover all the features Cubicl has to offer? Start your 14-day free trial today!
Simplify Client Services in Accounting Company
For an accounting and consultancy firm, firm management is important, but customer satisfaction is paramount.
Imagine you’re a payroll and accounting specialist at LedgerWise Accounting, and one of your clients is Z Software. You regularly prepare their tax documents, manage payrolls, and provide various other financial consulting services. With Cubicl, you can easily organize and track all tasks for Z Software in a dedicated project.
Create a Client Record
To start managing your tasks related with the client, create a client record for Z Software in Cubicl. Here’s how:
- Go to the Client Page and add Z Software as a new client.
- Add all relevant information about Z Software, including contact details and project preferences.
- Assign yourself or a team member as the client manager.
Note: If you can’t create a client record, it’s likely due to insufficient permissions. Make sure to review your Cubicl permissions to ensure you have the proper access.
Add Client to Project
Now that you've created the client, head to the project’s settings page and add the client under Details > Project Details.
Here’s what happens next: Every time you create a task in this project, Z Software will be automatically tagged to the task. However, this doesn’t mean the client can view everything. Only the tasks or details you choose to share will be visible to Z Software. Let’s dive into how you can control this visibility.
Create Tasks
Let’s say Z Software has a tax payment due between the 15th and 20th of each month, which we’ll call the SaaS Tax. The task involves preparing the tax documents, sending them to the company, and having the company review and pay by credit card or money order.
To create this task in Cubicl:
- Set the start date as the 15th of the month and the end date as the 20th.
- Under the Recurrence section, choose 1 recurrence per month.
This setup acts as your reminder. The task will reappear on your homepage when it’s due.
If the task doesn’t need to recur, you can always create a one-time task for specific dates as well. This flexibility helps you stay on top of important deadlines, whether they’re recurring or one-off events.
Share Tasks
Let’s say you've prepared the SaaS Tax document and are now ready to make it visible to the client. Here’s how you can do it:
- Click on the Actions button in the task and select Share with the Client.
- This will trigger an email notification to Z Software, saying, "LedgerWise Accounting shared a task with you."
- The Z Software representative will need to create a client portal account by following the link in the email. The process only takes about 2 minutes—very quick and easy!
However, at this stage, they still can't see the task content. To make the document visible, you'll need to set the post under the task to be visible to the client.
Once you’ve done this, Z Software will be able to view the document, review it, and, after making the payment, respond to you directly from their client portal.
When all transactions are completed, you can enjoy the satisfaction of finishing the task and the peace of mind that everything related to the SaaS Tax is wrapped up until next month’s task arrives.
This process also eliminates any potential misunderstandings, such as claims like “You didn’t call me,” “I didn’t receive a notification,” or “You delayed it.” Everything is documented, transparent, and traceable—ensuring a smoother client experience.
Client Portal
You might be wondering, "What exactly is the client portal and what can my client see?" Let me clarify:
Through the client portal, your client will have access to the following:
- Notifications about tasks and updates
- Support requests they’ve submitted
- Tasks shared with them, including the latest updates
- Files shared by you and files they’ve shared with you
- Bookkeeping records related to their projects or financials
If you're still unsure, you can get a more detailed overview by visiting the Client Portal page.
Additionally, feel free to check out this video on YouTube that explains how it works.
Collect Support Requests
As mentioned earlier, clients have the ability to open a support request. Let's say Z Software needs assistance and reaches out to LedgerWise Accounting with a question about an employee's annual leave rights and allowances. In this case, you can easily create a support request within Cubicl. This request will automatically be assigned to the client manager you designated for Z Software. From there, you and your team can work on the task, providing the necessary support, and then follow up with Z Software once the issue has been resolved.
You don't have to limit support requests to just your existing clients. Cubicl makes it easy to gather inquiries from potential clients as well. On the client portal settings page, you'll find a special link that you can add to your website.
For instance, let's say Strong Construction, a company that's not yet a client, reaches out to request a quote. With Cubicl, you can collect this request as a task, allowing you to present your offer efficiently. The key is to create separate support topics for different types of requests, ensuring that each inquiry is handled appropriately and professionally.
Document Management
Now, let's return to the page where you created the client record. Navigate to the client's page, where you'll find not only their contact information but also a comprehensive overview of their activity records, files, bookkeeping records, and more.
If you'd like, you can manage files directly with the client by uploading them to this page.
Alternatively, you can choose to add the files to the files page of the specific project you've created for the client, keeping all relevant information organized and easily accessible.
Functionality of Cubicl Software Solution Depends on You
A quick disclaimer: What we've outlined here is just a suggestion. If this workflow doesn't fit your needs or complicates your processes, you’re not required to follow it. Cubicl is designed to be flexible, allowing you to tailor it to your unique way of working.
Take advantage of the 14-day free trial to explore all the features with your team. Review the user guide, test different functionalities, and see what works best for you. If you have any questions or need assistance, feel free to reach out at support@cubicl.io.
Affordable Accounting Software Alternative
Cubicl Project Management Software is an affordable solution for practice management software for accounting or cloud-based accounting solutions. You can choose between a monthly or annual subscription for Cubicl, with a 20% discount available for annual purchases. The subscription fee is per user, and as the number of users increases to 25 or more, the discounts on annual purchases gradually increase to over 20%. You can start your subscription after enjoying a 14-day free trial, allowing you to experience all the features before committing.
FAQ About Cubicl
Can I download Cubicl to my computer?
No, Cubicl is a cloud-based application and does not require a download. You can access Cubicl through any web browser (Chrome, Firefox, Opera, etc.) on your computer via the internet. Additionally, Cubicl offers a mobile app, which you can download on your phone or tablet for on-the-go task management.
Can I create an invoice with Cubicl?
Cubicl is primarily designed for task management and does not include invoicing module. However, you can easily integrate with dedicated invoicing tools like Zoho Invoices or QuickBooks to generate invoices. For more information on integrating these tools with Cubicl or to explore other possibilities, please visit Monkedo, our no-code automation platform that enhances integration capabilities and automates workflows.
Which plan should I choose for the client portal feature?
To access the client portal feature, you’ll need to choose either the Professional or Enterprise plan.
Do I pay for the clients I invite to the client portal?
No, Cubicl charges only for the users invited to Cubicl. There are no additional fees for your clients who access and use the portal.
Can I offer the client portal to my clients as a mobile application?
Yes, you can. We can develop a custom mobile application for your company and publish it in app stores. An annual fee applies for the software development and marketplace publication. To explore an example, download the Penguen Agency app on your iOS or Android phone. If you'd like a personalized quote, feel free to reach out to us at support@cubicl.io.
One Platform for Accountants
With Cubicl, accounting and financial consultancy firms can streamline workflow management, improve financial management, and enhance client collaboration. By automating tasks, centralizing communication, tracking work progress, and ensuring secure data sharing, your firm can operate more efficiently and provide better service. Start your free demo today and experience the difference!