Patrick RussellFounding Partner

Principals:Patrick Russell and Brian Kennedy, FoundersCombined 50+ Years Software Experience

Some types of projects we do:Business Process Improvement, Automation and Workflow for Small, Mid-size, and Large companiesFinancial (CPAs, Investment Companies, Banks, Financial Planning, Venture Capital, 1031 Exchange, Credit Card Companies, Artificial Intelligence for Tax Analysis, Stock and Securities Trading Systems)Enterprise ProjectsManufacturing & Industrial AutomationComputer Simulation, Virtual RealitySoftware Planning and Design, Project Management, Development and Deployment

Some Well Known Clients3ComASCAPAvon ProductsBariston Partners Bay NetworksBenchmarking Partners BiogenBrown University Cahners Publishing Charles River Ventures ChaseChemical BankChevy Chase BankCitizens Bank City of BostonCMGI / iCast Colgate-PalmoliveComedy Central Context MediaCSL International Eprise Epsilon Evergreen Solar Fleet National BankFidelity Investments

General DynamicsGilletteGTECH / UWin! Hartford Steam Boiler Harvard Pilgrim Health CareHasbro Health Care Finance AdministrationHewlett Packard IBM / Lotus Development Jafra CosmeticsLee Munder Capital Group MasterCard Advisors NetspokeNovartisOpen Source Foundation OSRAM Sylvania Oxford Bioscience Partners PfizerReed Elsevier Reed Exhibitions Scudder, Stevens, and ClarkGeneral Dynamics GilletteGTECH / UWin! Hartford Steam Boiler

Harvard Pilgrim Health CareHasbro Hewlett Packard IBM / Lotus Development Jafra CosmeticsLee Munder Capital Group MasterCard Advisors NetspokeNovartisOpen Source Foundation Osram / Sylvania Oxford Bioscience Partners PfizerReed Elsevier Reed Exhibitions Rockwell Automation / Allen BradleySandoz PharmaceuticalScudder, Stevens, and ClarkSummit Partners Tally Systems Corp / NovellThomson Financial ServicesUnitilVisa Volpe Center (US Dept. of Transportation)

Not every small change or new version requires a full printout.If you like to work with paper, the printout can be tailored to provide the information you need.There is a reliable, track-able, consistent electronic version of your documents, that can be trusted as a reference, stamped for any moment in time or any point in the process.“Electronic trail” as reliable as the “paper trail”Improve your document input, creation, processing, and filing.Benefits:

Less PaperDocument and data storage, availability, and retrievalProcess more track-able and manageable.Speed, accuracy, assuranceLabor- and time-saving automation.

A Microsoft Network Server product.Collaborative services:

Document (File) Sharing and ManagementInformation SharingTask Tracking and ManagementWorkflow.

Browser based User Interface.Core feature: a Document LibraryAccessible anywhere you can connect to your network in a browser over the internet.

Low CostIncluded in Windows Small Business Server 2003.Key features and capabilities can be configured “out of the box.”

ReliabilityRock solid reliability, years of established performance.

Can Do!Demo Disappointment is minimized.Many ways to adapt and customize.Many templates, add-ons, and adapters that are free or low-cost.

A very large communityMany experienced providers of service, configuration, and design.A huge number of features and capabilities.

Built-in Document Check-In / Check-Out and Version Control

Proof of record-keeping for legal, compliance, and IRS audits.Document lock-down prevents loss or tampering by mistake.

Built-in security and role features.Access to documents (no access, read-only, read-write) and other features are set administratively for individuals and groups.Windows security-based. (No need to set up users twice.)

Seamless integration with Microsoft Office.Version control built into Office Documents.Microsoft Outlook integration for alerts and notifications.

Your World

Not

Their World

Metadata is a “wrapper” around each file in the SharePoint Document Library.Fields of information about the document/file

Identifying information.Workflow and status information.

Standard data field types: e.g., text, number, date, multiple choice, BooleanMetadata is transparent to other programs that open and edit documents.

Metadata fields enhance:SearchesWays of organizing and grouping the documents.

Users decide on what metadata they want.Metadata can be created and edited using a Form, or can be created and modified automatically and dynamically.

Client ID: IAJ112233Entity Type: Individual; Sole Proprietorship; Partnership; C-Corp; S-Corp; LLC; …Last Name: Jolie; PittFull Name: Jolie, Angelina; My Happy Company, Inc.Social Security Number / Tax ID: 123-45-6789; 35-9999999Document Type: Tax Return; Tax Paper; Routing Sheet; Lease; Will; Loan; Budget; ….Sub-Type: Complete Return; Draft; Preliminary; ….Document Finalized: True; FalseTax Year: 2009; 2008; ….Fiscal Year: 2010; 2009; ….Quarter: 1; 2; 3; 4Permanent: Permanent File; Archive; Current; Tax YearStatus: Draft; Final Pending Review; Final; Final With Package; ….

A View is a way to show documents in the Library, listed in a familiar row-and-column list format.

Rows are the Documents (or Document Folders)Columns are file information or metadata.Similar to familiar list in an email program (e.g., Outlook)

Views organized:Windows Explorer style Folder HierarchyFiltered, grouped, and sub-grouped by metadata.

Unlike Windows Explorer, the folder hierarchy is not the only way in which documents can be organized. This gives a lot of additional power.

Views can display who is assigned, status, or completion, etc.Views can show groupings – that can be counted, subtotaled, or totaled.Views can be filtered by metadata. Example: show only client X, tax-related documents, tax year 2009.Views can optionally use a spreadsheet style format.Other View formats: calendar, Gantt chartViews are easy to create and modify, and can be Shared or Personal (set up by a user for personal use).

Set up a SharePoint view – filtered, sorted, and grouped to isolate the documents for your current clients and projects in a well organized way.Make a Desktop or Start Menu browser icon that will bring you to that view in one click!

One click opens SharePoint. The specific files you are working on displayed in an organized format.

Larger firms may wish to automate portions of their workflow.Preparation, Review, and Finalization for Tax Returns, Reports, etc.Steps in handling communications and audits.Communications between offices.Web Portal for secure client access to documents at various stages.Etc.

The SharePoint platform is ideal for creating workflows.Built-in Workflow capabilities.

Workflow can have a huge ROI.Tailor it precisely to an existing process, or a desired process.Light burden on staff (easy and simple to use).Big benefits in productivity, and task timeliness and reliability.Software cost, degree of difficulty, and time generally small.

If custom work is required, it is done with rapid development tools.

A document library typically has files, folders, and subfolders, just like Windows Explorer.A document created in a Windows folder can be dragged and dropped, or cut/copied and pasted into a SharePoint Document Library folder.You can map a drive letter to a Document Library, and see the Document Library in Windows Explorer.

When you copy or drag a document into the Library, its status is “checked out” to the current user and metadata has yet to be created.Windows Explorer does not open a back door to violate SharePoint security or version control.

The author can edit/modify a document copied into the Shared Documents Library by directly accessing it in Windows Explorer (if desired). No special access required.However, the security rules are set up to prevent others from tampering, until the author has checked the file in to the Shared Document Library.

1) Drag your files to the properPlace using Windows Explorer

3) SharePoint indexes them for searching and keeps track of the versions automatically

Two Approaches

First Approach: Use Existing Scanning Station(s) at the CPA firm.Second Approach: Scanning Station program that integrates directly into SharePoint.

Both Approaches:User is prompted to enter metadata.Files are automatically moved to the appropriate folder in SharePoint.Files are checked in.

1) Scan your documents

2) Your computer prompts you to fill out the required meta-data.

3) Your document is added to the SharePoint library, in the appropriate folder.

Benefits:Seamless integration with SharePoint.Cost can be significantly less than dedicated systems.Metadata capture can be critical for scanning documents, because otherwise they are just a picture and a filename (unless OCR is enabled).

The metadata allows scanned documents to be filed in the appropriate folders, to be found easily by a search at a later time, and to appear in a specific view in SharePoint – sorted, grouped, and filtered.

The best approach depends on a number of factors.

Example: Lacerte TaxSoftware analyzes a document in order to:

Automatically add correct metadataMove the file into the appropriate folderTo check it in on behalf of the author.

The user need only save the document into a known folder that is monitored by this software.

1) Save your document from any application

2) Save it into a specially monitored “New Documents”

folder, set as the default.

3) A custom process will automatically sense the new file.

4) … and populate the meta-data based

on the file contents.

5) The document will be moved to the correct folder in the library.

Indexed Search: one of SharePoint’s powerful features.Key differences from Search in Windows Explorer:

Metadata fields are searched for matches.Especially useful for images or scanned-in documents which do not have textual content.

Text is searched in Office documents and in PDF files. (Explorer does not look into PDFs.)

Custom Software to enhance SharePoint.Richer user interface.

Can require specific values in specific metadata fields.(Similar to Advanced Find in Outlook.)

Enhanced Search provides a more precise way of finding documents, and eliminates undesired matches.

If the firm has adopted a specific folder structure hierarchy as well as file naming conventions …

Copy in the entire folder hierarchy.Conversion software will process all documents, and based on their names and/or positions in the file hierarchy will embed metadata into them.Other file properties and file content, if necessary, can be used for the processing.

Alternative: A datasheet grid view in SharePoint can be used to quickly sort and copy in blocks of metadata.

Firms may store existing data (information about clients, prospects, affiliated professionals, and staff) in a number of formats.

Relational databasesContact ManagersSpreadsheets

It may be necessary to migrate some of that data into SharePoint (a one-time event), or integrate SharePoint with that data (for ongoing synchronization).

Site Admin TemplatesBoard of DirectorsBusiness Performance ReportingCase Management for Government AgenciesClassroom ManagementClinical Trial Initiation and ManagementCompetitive Analysis SiteDiscussion DatabaseDisputed Invoice ManagementEmployee Activities SiteEmployee Self-Service BenefitsEmployee Training Scheduling and MaterialsEquity ResearchIntegrated Marketing Campaign TrackingManufacturing Process ManagementNew Store OpeningProduct and Marketing Requirements PlanningRequest for ProposalSports LeagueTeam Work SiteTimecard Management

Server Admin TemplatesAbsence Request and Vacation Schedule ManagementBudgeting and Tracking Multiple ProjectsBug DatabaseCall CenterChange Request ManagementCompliance Process Support SiteContacts ManagementDocument Library and ReviewEvent PlanningExpense Reimbursement and ApprovalHelp DeskInventory TrackingIT Team WorkspaceJob Requisition and Interview ManagementKnowledge BaseLending LibraryPhysical Asset Tracking and ManagementProject Tracking WorkspaceRoom and Equipment ReservationsSales Lead Pipeline

Attractive, full featured application templates which can quickly be configured for a individual firm.Web Parts are used

to provide additional visual and functional components.

SharePoint deployment and customization is a matter of days and weeks, rather than weeks and months.

You can also start with the simple, and do more at a later time.

Basic installation brings check-in/-out and version control, a folder structure that matches an existing file hierarchy, search, alerts, and many other.

Transparent folder mapping means little or no change in established workflows.

There is still plenty of time to get started and have a solid foundation in place before Tax Season 2009 starting February 1, 2010.

Russell Kennedy PartnersFallbrook, California USAwww.RussellKennedyPartners.com

Patrick RussellPhone: +1 775 219 9189Fax: +1 775 201 9775E-mail: PRussell@RussellKennedyPartners.com

Copyright © 2008, 2009 Russell Kennedy Partners. All Rights Reserved