Why Oct. 15 is Your Firm’s Wake-Up Call
Rethink your process before you slap more tech on top of chaos
You’re so close to being done with the tax returns that you put off until the last possible minute because they were just too annoying to deal with back in May.
I know you’re probably thinking that makes this month the perfect time to kick back, devour a whole Costco bag of Halloween candy, and watch mindless TV ‘til it all starts again next year.
Wrong!
It’s time to investigate! Figure out what went wrong while everything’s still fresh, so that you can find the AI tools that will help you solve those challenges next year.
What did you put off until October 15? And why?
What’s left at the end of tax season is usually the junk that no one wants to touch. The stragglers, the “we’ll deal with it later” returns, the clients who ghosted you for six months and then emailed you a Dropbox link at midnight. All the crap that doesn’t fit into your workflow because it was never designed to handle it.
You’re probably thinking this is the part where I tell you how AI can solve all your problems.
Maybe it can, but how can you implement AI tools if you don’t even know what problems you want them to solve?
Everyone wants to slap some AI on top of their mess and hope it’ll clean things up, but that’s just a waste of time. What you actually have to do is figure out what was so hard about all the projects you had to save ‘til the end.
AI-first doesn’t actually mean, “First, AI!” AI-first means, “First, find a problem! Second, find an AI tool to help you fix it.”
I know, it’s not really as catchy. But you can’t pick a tool to solve your firm’s issues if you don’t know what your firm’s issues are. Duh!
That’s why you’re so stressed out by all the options. You have no idea what you need AI to help with! Figure out your firm’s pain points first, and the AI tools will literally pick themselves.
All pain points trace back to your process (or the fact you don’t even really have one)
You can’t throw AI on top of chaos and expect it to make things better. AI doesn’t fix disorganization. It scales whatever you already have.
So, if your process is broken, guess what? AI will just break it faster.
You’ve thought about which returns you procrastinated finishing ‘til this month. So, ask yourself these questions to figure out the patterns connecting them all.
Is your team following the same steps every time?
Are those steps written down anywhere?
Can every team member describe the workflow?
Do different team members do things in different ways?
Is the process paper-based? Digital? Automated? Confusing?
Where do things consistently get stuck?
What are the “we’ll fix it next year” moments you’ve been repeating for five years?
If the answer to any of those questions is “ummmmmm….” Congrats! You’ve found your problem.
Now you’re ready to pick a tool!
Once you know what’s actually breaking in your process, finding the right AI solution becomes way less overwhelming and way more strategic.
Instead of asking, “What’s the best AI tool out there?” You’re asking, “Which tool solves this specific problem in my actual workflow?”
Talk to your peers. Ask what they’re using and what problems it’s solving for them and see if those match your firm’s needs.
Search smart. Use keywords tied to your pain points, not just “best AI for accountants.”
Watch demos on YouTube. Look for tools that solve the exact thing you’re struggling with.
Ask ChatGPT. The robots can help you narrow things down. It can help you understand features, compare options or even suggest questions to ask vendors.
Test small. Don’t overhaul your entire system overnight. Pick one tool, one process, one pain point and see if the tech makes it better.
AI can absolutely help your firm, but only if you know what you’re asking it to fix. So take time now to reflect, reset and get strategic. Next tax season doesn’t have to feel like this one, but it will if you keep duct-taping tools to chaos.