Your accounting-firm clients might already be paying for tools that could save their teams time. The question is whether they know how to use them.
Accounting firms don’t always need another software subscription to improve productivity. Sometimes, they need to get more from the tools they already have.
In the Is Tech Driving the Future Firm? MasterClass, Jason Croston, Managing Partner at SRJ Walker Wayland, makes a point that many technology providers should consider: firms use only a fraction of Microsoft’s capabilities, often because they don’t know what else is available.
For managed service providers, this creates an opportunity to identify useful features, demonstrate their value and help employees put them into practice.
The Productivity Opportunity Hiding in Microsoft 365
Accounting firms invest in technology to support their people and deliver services. But having access to a tool doesn’t mean a firm uses it to its full potential.
Jason explains that his firm already pays for Microsoft’s products, yet there are capabilities within the suite that he doesn’t know about. He expects his technology partner to identify features that could save time, including tools such as Teams and Loop.
Microsoft 365 productivity is not only about the software a firm owns. It’s about how effectively its people use it.
A firm might use familiar applications for everyday tasks while overlooking features that could improve collaboration, reduce manual work or help employees coordinate projects. The opportunity is not necessarily to add more technology. It is to make existing technology work harder.
For MSPs, that means looking beyond whether Microsoft 365 is installed and functioning. The more useful question is whether the firm is getting practical value from the capabilities available to it.
Why Accounting Firms Don’t Use the Tools They Already Have
Underused software does not always mean a firm has chosen the wrong technology. Employees might simply be unfamiliar with features outside their usual workflows.
Teams and Loop, for example, offer different ways to support collaboration and organise work. But introducing a tool or feature won’t improve productivity if employees don’t understand when or how to use it.
This is where Microsoft 365 for accountants becomes a question of adoption, not just access. Accounting firms need to connect available features to the work their teams do.
A useful starting point is to identify where employees experience friction. Are teams spending unnecessary time coordinating work? Do employees rely on manual processes because they don’t know an alternative exists? Are people using the same tools in different ways, creating avoidable inconsistency?
These are examples of areas an MSP could explore with a client. The right opportunities will depend on the firm’s workflows, existing setup and the needs of its employees.
Not every available feature needs to be introduced. The focus should be on identifying the few that can make a meaningful difference.
The MSP’s Role: Identify Opportunities, Then Help Teams Use Them
Jason describes a clear expectation for his technology partner: act as the person who understands Microsoft’s capabilities and can identify opportunities the firm might otherwise miss.
That goes beyond responding when something breaks. It requires the MSP to understand enough about the client’s working environment to recommend relevant improvements.
For accounting firms, this also means understanding what they expect from their technology partner beyond day-to-day support.
For example, an MSP might identify a Microsoft 365 feature that could simplify a recurring task, demonstrate how it works and help the firm decide whether it fits the way employees operate.
Training is part of that process. Jason specifically points to the value of showing employees what tools can do and training them to use those tools to save time.
Without that support, a recommendation can stop at implementation. Employees would continue with familiar habits, leaving the intended productivity gains unrealised.
MSPs can create more value by helping clients move through three stages:
- Identify: Find underused capabilities that address a real workflow problem
- Demonstrate: Show how the feature applies to the firm’s day-to-day work
- Enable: Provide appropriate training and follow-up so employees can put it into practice
This approach gives the client a tangible reason to engage with its MSP beyond routine technical support.
A Better Microsoft 365 Adoption Strategy Starts with the Work
A useful Microsoft 365 adoption strategy should not begin with a list of features to roll out. It should begin with the work the firm wants to improve.
An MSP could start by discussing recurring tasks, collaboration challenges and employee frustrations with the people who perform the work. From there, it can identify relevant Microsoft 365 capabilities and determine whether they address the problem.
The next step is to test the proposed approach in the firm’s actual working environment. A feature that looks useful in a demonstration may not suit every workflow or team.
Training should also match the intended use. Employees need practical guidance on how a tool fits into their responsibilities, rather than a tour of features they may never need.
Finally, the firm and MSP should review whether the change has helped. Has it reduced unnecessary steps? Made collaboration easier? Saved employees time on a recurring task?
These outcomes give both parties a clearer view of whether the recommendation delivered value.
And if the existing tools cannot solve the problem, the firm can explore other options with a better understanding of what it needs. Don’t avoid new software at all costs. Make sure the firm has explored the value of what it already owns.
This approach helps accounting firms make smarter technology decisions by ensuring they understand the problem and explore their existing capabilities before investing in another solution.
Turn Existing Tools into Measurable Value
Getting more from Microsoft 365 is not about using every feature available. It’s about finding capabilities that solve real problems and helping employees use them effectively.
Better use of existing technology can also free up time and capacity for higher-value client work, creating opportunities to rethink the services accounting firms offer.
Jason’s perspective highlights an opportunity for MSPs: accounting firms want technology partners who can bring useful ideas to the table, identify possibilities they may have overlooked and help their teams realise the benefits.
That means understanding the tools, the work they need to support and the people who use them. It also means looking beyond implementation to the adoption and training that make a difference in practice.
How well do you understand the technology your accounting-firm clients already have?
In the Is Tech Driving the Future Firm? MasterClass, Jason Croston shares what he expects from a technology partner and why making better use of existing capabilities matters.
Request access to the recording to hear Jason’s perspective and discover what accounting firms need from their technology partners.