At RJW Associates, accounting is a family affair. Owner Joseph Choueifaty has been with the business since its inception in 1967, and his son John joined in 2012. The practice, which John describes as a “one-stop shop” for accounting, bookkeeping, tax and audits, focuses on small, family-owned businesses and non-profits.
Tax and Audit Manager John explains that they’ve been with MYOB for a long time.
“We’ve been using MYOB pretty much since it started,” he says. “As soon as it was a thing, we were on board.”
Most recently, growth in the business and the need for remote connectivity triggered a move from the desktop-based MYOB Accountant’s Office (AO) to cloud-based MYOB Practice Compliance, including Client Accounting and Tax.
COVID challenges and cloud flexibility
COVID was a tipping point for many, helping businesses see the value in remote access and shifting the culture around working from home. RJW Associates was no different. As John explains, the limitations of a desktop platform became obvious during extended lockdowns.
“We were porting in remotely to the physical PCs in the office, and working off them,” he says. “And it wasn’t practical.”
While it didn’t last forever, the experience helped John realise that the practice needed a cloud platform. After seeing an update about MYOB bringing workpapers and financial statements to the cloud, he quickly jumped on board by signing up for the Early Access Program and beta testing in 2024.
A seamless transition
Switching data and processes to a new platform can be a complicated process but RJW Associates had a pretty stress-free experience. Because they were already an MYOB customer, there was no need for a large-scale data migration. Instead, they could pull client data directly from the desktop platform as needed and use it in the cloud.
While participating in the early access program, the team switched between the MYOB Accountant’s Office (AO) software and the new MYOB Practice Compliance platform, gradually moving more clients to the cloud as new workpapers and features rolled out.
Support from the MYOB team helped as well.
“They have been very hands-on,” John explains. “We had three to four 1.5-hour training sessions, and since then, we have been doing fortnightly catch-ups. Even outside of that, if you ask a question or need support, they’re always there to assist.”
As part of the beta testing group, RJW was able to offer feedback on features and functionality as well.
“They’re constantly fixing and taking everyone’s feedback on board,” says John.
Faster outcomes and flexible options with Client Accounting
After almost a year in the cloud, what’s changed for RJW Associates? Remote access was a key driver, and the new platform has solved that. Employees can now work from anywhere, with access to the same information. This means the team can work flexible hours and from home as needed.
Another key benefit is automation. John explains that client data now flows straight into workpapers and financial statements, cutting down on manual entry. Because the system standardises data across different ledgers, it keeps everything consistent from the start. That foundation makes automation possible and means the end-to-end client accounting workflow happens with far less toggling and rekeying along the way.
“Now with the click of a button, all the information is there,” says John. “The AI mapping is really good as well. It maps all of the accounts from your software through to client accounting. You still have to check it, but that takes a minute or two.”
He estimates that this saves the team at least an hour and a half for each client brought over to the cloud platform. That time adds up quickly, and goes straight to clients, with the team now able to deliver more in-depth advisory and consulting work.
Giving clients flexibility
One feature that sets Client Accounting apart is its ability to work with any client ledger or any client file, not just MYOB products.
Not only is this time-saving, but it means that RJW can let clients use their preferred platforms.
I like giving clients the choice. I don’t want to be a firm that pushes their clients into using a specific platform.
— John Choueifaty, Tax and Audit Manager.
With the old software, transferring client information from an external system was a time-consuming task. Now, Client Accounting connects with any client ledger and populates the data directly into RJW's workflow, reducing the manual work.
Preparing for the future of accounting
For RJW Associates, the shift to Client Accounting has been a step in the right direction. It’s helping the practice build efficiency, offer employees more flexible work options, and do more for clients. It’s all part of making the practice future-ready, in a market that’s more competitive than ever.
I think we will see a lot more of AI and automation in accounting. Then we’ll be able to put more focus into advisory, building client relationships, and assisting in other aspects of their businesses.
— John Choueifaty, Tax and Audit Manager.
With file-agnostic workflows, standardised data that compounds efficiency across every job, and a system you can use anywhere, Client Accounting in MYOB Practice Compliance gives RJW Associates the tools it needs to thrive and grow, even as the sector evolves.
Click here to learn more about Client Accounting.
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