The new Opti.Tax Release 21.1 has been released. The development team at hsp has once again managed to incorporate a host of essential and useful features. For example, there are new features in the Opti.Tax Cloud that further improve workflows. Previously, Paul discussed the new training courses in „hsp live at 11“ hsp Academy said. Paul also looked ahead to the future: to the next software developments.
The first topic: In the hsp studio, Bernd Winkel has recorded 10 episodes on social media as a communication tool for law firms. The focus was on LinkedIn. The first snippet is due to go on air next week. Hendrik Siemes was also there the day before the latest livestream. The expert on digital signatures has recorded several episodes on the topic of digital signatures in law firms. These are not about selling products, but rather address questions such as: What options are available? What can be achieved with digital signatures in law firms?
Paul is delighted to receive positive feedback on Wolfgang’s courses, topic Money laundering, as well as to the Digitalisation consultancy. We would like to take this opportunity to highlight the „Digiberater Diary“ programme, which is streamed every Tuesday from 12 noon on the hsp channels. In the programme, two new law firm staff members are trained to become digitalisation consultants – live and unscripted.
Upcoming courses at the hsp Academy
Further courses are in the pipeline at the hsp Academy. Ute Schröder will be launching a course at the hsp Studio on the topic of business processes (accounts payable and accounts receivable, annual accounts). After that, tax adviser Martin Weidemann will be popping in to launch his course on procedural law. This module will be useful, for example, for preparing for the FAIT exam. After Martin, it will be the turn of Gregor Danielmeyer, who works as a tax inspector for the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. In a personal capacity, he will be running a course in which he will share his experiences from the numerous audit situations he has encountered over the years. Participants can expect valuable tips on how to prepare for tax audits.
Another familiar face who was in the hsp studio recently for some filming is Viktor Rebant. He only just recorded his course on point-of-sale systems. As the Point-of-Sale Security Regulation has been updated, Viktor will need to pop round again soon to bring the course content up to date. This is one of the great advantages of the hsp Academy: the courses are constantly updated to ensure that the latest knowledge is always imparted. Updates cost nothing extra; they are already included in the course price. Next week, Holger Becker from Creditreform will be our guest. He will shortly be recording a course on credit ratings and balance sheet analysis. The course will explain, for example, how a balance sheet rating acts as a counterbalance to the bank, for instance during loan negotiations.
Opti.Tax Release 21.1 is coming
Next topic: the new Opti.Tax Release 21.1, which will go live in the coming days. The update finally enables all users to use and work within the Opti.Tax Cloud to work. Next, we’ll take a look at the trailer introducing the Opti.Tax Cloud – be sure to watch it. Afterwards, Paul will demonstrate the latest release on screen. In Opti.Tax, various users can be set up, such as the client’s staff or external staff, e.g. an external IT service provider. These users can now be integrated into the work with Opti.Tax with restricted access rights. Individual tasks can be assigned directly to users. This significantly speeds up projects, such as documentation.
In addition, there are new sample projects. Next, we’ll look at a useful feature that comes into play at the start of a project. It is very important to gather the necessary information before the actual project begins. For example, before creating process documentation, questions should be put to the client such as: Who is the IT service provider? Who are the suppliers? All this information is entered into Opti.Tax before the documentation is even started. This is where the popular interview mode comes in. However, many users are unaware that they can also create their own interviews to gather information from clients. This allows these interviews to be tailored to the specific company and the information required.
Opti.Tax Cloud is revolutionising collaboration with clients
Another new feature is the „Conversations“ tab. Via the Opti.Tax Cloud, advisers can communicate directly with clients via short messages – a sort of chat function. These messages can then be tracked under the relevant tab, where you can reply directly to the client’s messages. Incidentally, the Cloud’s interface can be fully branded to match the firm’s corporate identity – with a logo, custom colours, etc. Furthermore, hsp is working to ensure that the interface and menu language adapts to the computer’s system language. This means that even if the firm uses the software and the Opti.Tax Cloud in German, an English-speaking user on the client side can use the Cloud in English. In addition to English, further languages are already in the pipeline.
Another useful feature is the ability to embed documents. When a document is uploaded in response to an interview question, it is stored in the cloud once and then linked to the question. If the document is also relevant to another interview question, it can be linked again without having to be uploaded a second time. This prevents duplicate documents from being created and streamlines workflows in a simple way. Speaking of streamlining, for practically every table and every task, a separate interview can be created in Opti.Tax, which can then be assigned to the person responsible for filling in those fields – with just a few clicks.
Other topics in the pipeline
In September, Paul is expecting the release of Opti.Tax version 21.2, which will include the new taxonomy for anti-money laundering, featuring two new features. Work is also underway on integrating digital signatures. Clients will be able to sign documents directly via Opti.Tax, such as BAFA applications or documentation. This will further facilitate collaboration with clients and, once again, eliminate several media breaks.
Another highlight will be the process documentation in the Opti.Tax Cloud: the client will be able to see which processes have been documented. The documentation can be made available to staff to demonstrate how the firm operates. When a client makes an enquiry, the client’s staff will simply be able to consult the documentation to see how the engagement is being handled. With this feature, firms provide their clients with enormous added value – thereby strengthening their collaboration.
As mentioned, next Tuesday hsp will be streaming the next episode of „Digiberater Diary“. And next Friday, Holger Becker from Creditreform Rating AG will be discussing the question: Can a balance sheet rating save clients from bankruptcy? It’s all very exciting.
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