A SUREPREP CUSTOMER SUCCESS STORY

Cottrill Arbutina & Associates, PC

HOW SUREPREP HELPED ONE FIRM

MOVE CONFIDENTLY INTO THE PAPERLESS AGE

The Cottrill, Arbutina & Associates Team

Share Their Firm’s Story

Interviewed: Joe Bevevino, CPA, Vice President & Shareholder, Cottrill, Arbutina & Associates PC

Stats at a Glance

Core business: Full-service tax and

accounting firm

Services: Tax, Audit, Business Valuations,

Litigation Support, and Small Business

Advisory Services (including QuickBooks

Consulting, General Business Consulting,

and Outsourced Bookkeeping)

Home base: Beaver, PA

Business launch: 1984

Employees: 35 F/T; 10 P/T

Technology of Choice: SurePrep

1040SCAN ORGANIZE and 1040SCAN

PRO, Thomson Reuters Suite

Website: www.cottrillarbutina.com

The Background

While Joe Bevevino, CPA, Vice President &

Shareholder, was quick to assert that the

firm would never go back to a manual,

paper-heavy tax process, he also shared

that the journey down the paperless trail

was not without its bumps.

“The first year was challenging. We worked

hard at ‘process conformity.’ We knew

that everyone needed to follow a uniform

workflow, but you always experience

some resistance. We did make some

personnel changes and dug our heels in on

standardizing the paperless tax process,”

stated Bevevino.

Within the first year, the team had ironed

out workflow wrinkles and succeeded at

accomplishing firm-wide conformity. The

biggest hurdle was getting complete buy-in

from dual offices.

“In 2008, we merged two practices, which

meant we had to meld two separate tax

departments with distinctly different

cultures,” recalled Bevevino. “That was an

experience because each department was

used to doing things their own way. Getting

staff to move away from traditional, familiar

processes and agree on a uniform procedure

created somewhat of a clash. 1040SCAN

sureprep.com | 800.805.8582

“It [1040SCAN] made

a world of difference

in elevating efficiency.”

- Joe Bevevino

was a key factor in solidifying the process

between the two tax departments—and

ultimately reducing tensions.”

In time, with the right automated tax

workflow technology in place, both

departments soon realized the value of a

streamlined, digital workflow. Today, the

firm’s unified tax division runs like a well-

oiled machine, adhering to an end-to-end

paperless tax workflow and progressively

thinning its paper files. To date, the only

paper document in the client’s file is a

processing sheet, which houses all reviewer

signatures.

Sound Planning is Key

Implementation of a new tax process and

technology doesn’t happen overnight, and

it certainly doesn’t happen without the

“It [1040SCAN]

has made a world

of difference in

elevating efficiency since our days of

manual bookmarking

and organizing.”

- Joe Bevevino

proper planning.

“We had a sound plan in place for our

transition to the SurePrep solutions

[1040SCAN ORGANIZE and 1040SCAN

PRO],” said Bevevino. “The first step was to

mandate adoption across the board.”

Before launch, firm leaders communicated

that all staff would adhere to the same

process—from partners to administrative

staff. Mandating adoption is key in ensuring

firm-wide consistency; otherwise, there will

always be those that fall back on old ways

of doing business.

Training was another core element of the

firm’s transition plan, according to Bevevino.

“We set up training for our entire staff prior

to launching 1040SCAN. Everyone attended

basic training and preparers attended

a second advanced training, which was

exceptional. SurePrep offered an advanced

module, complete with sample returns.

This really helped our preparers grasp the

system quickly,” said Bevevino.

Ensuring that staff was confident and

comfortable using the system and adhering

to the new workflow, the firm launched their

paperless system in 2010 (for 2009 returns).

“We experienced a few issues along the way,

sureprep.com | 800.805.8582

but overall, working electronically was far

more productive than manual processes,”

Bevevino stated.

Moving forward, the firm continues to tweak

its paperless tax process to ensure the

highest level of efficiency. “We continually

evaluate the process and implement

enhancements when needed. There is

always room for improvement,” Bevevino

stated.

A True Team Effort

Bevevino is quick to note that the success

of the firm’s transition to a paperless

tax workflow was a team effort. “There

were many factors that contributed to an

sureprep.com | 800.805.8582

Contact Us Today

SurePrep is the leader in 1040 productivity

for CPA firms. We deliver seamless

integration with your existing tax software

to automate and streamline the entire 1040

process for both the taxpayer and CPA. Our

solutions are used by more than 19,000 tax

professionals ranging from Big 4 firms to

sole practitioners to reduce administrative

costs, automate workpaper preparation,

maximize review efficiency and improve

client service.

For more information visit www.sureprep.

com or call (800) 805-8582

effective launch, but at the top of the list

was our team. We have an exceptional staff,

and everyone worked hard to make the

transition successful.”

Bevevino also stated that other core factors

included an unyielding dedication to the

process and choosing the right technology.

“1040SCAN is a powerful and easy-to-use

scan, organize, and populate solution. It

[1040SCAN] has made a world of difference

in elevating efficiency since our days of

manual bookmarking and organizing.”

“1040SCAN was the

right choice for

our firm.”

- Joe Bevevino

Overall, the team at Cottrill, Arbutina &

Associates is delighted with SurePrep and

their choice to move into the paperless

age. “Before launch, I interviewed another

firm about their paperless tax system. I

asked if they would ever go back to manual

processes and received a firm NO,” recalled

Bevevino. “That’s the same answer I give

when other professionals ask me this

question.”

The firm has been using 1040SCAN since

2010, and reports that each season the tax

process gets more efficient.

“1040SCAN was the right choice for our firm,

and was integral in a successful transition

to paperless,” said Bevevino. “Every year our

staff is more productive. In fact, our 2012 tax

season was our best in history.”