Rob Brown of the Accounting Influencers Podcast interviews Ian Thompson of Iris Star on what is working for accountants with practice management software - Accounting Influencers Podcast

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Published on:

30th Oct 2021

Accounting Firm Practice Management Insights with Ian Thompson (Uncut)

On today's deep dive special edition episode, Rob Brown of the Accounting Influencers Podcast interviews Ian Thompson of Iris Star on what is working for accountants with practice management software.

Ian Thompson is a Senior Manager at Iris Star Practice Management. Providing solutions to accountancy firms since 1984, Ian joined Star in 1996. In 2019 Star joined IRIS Software Group. Primarily focussed on developing new client relationships and maintaining an existing client portfolio, he also has involvement in marketing, development and managing key vendor relationships, such as payments portal provider Apxium.

Ian’s experience with Practice Management covers all sizes of firm in the UK and overseas and has helped many firms to operate more efficiently and profitably. When not working, Ian is a keen cyclist, swimmer and skier. He is also looking forward to being a regular cinema and theatre goer again.

Key shownotes from the whole interview include:

➨ Whether 25 years in a tech/software business is a long time or not

➨ What Iris Global actually means and stands for

➨ How the acquisition by Iris changed what was happening in Star with more resources and assets

➨ The kind of accounting firms Iris Star Practice Management is perfect for

➨ What makes Practice Management so hard to define in the accounting world

➨ The big trends in Practice Management across the accounting profession globally

➨ The two essential outputs of a good Practice Management system

➨ How Iris Star Practice Management stacks up against the competition

➨ How the market narrows for more demanding Practice Management systems in accounting

➨ The two kinds of Practice Management challenges faced by accounting firms internationally

➨ Analysing the cloud vz desktop options for accounting firm Practice Management

➨ The big reason North America accounting firms lead the world in Practice Management

➨ Why it's so complicated for accountancy firms to get something simple like a timesheet right

➨ What makes many accounting firms inefficient in the way they bill and use legacy systems

➨ The responsibility of software vendors in helping accounting firmsmake better tech choices

➨ Why Practice Management for accountants has not innovated and evolved as much as it could have

➨ How technology is changing Practice Management for accounting practices globally

➨ What the great accountancy firms do that the rest don't when it comes to Practice Management

➨ How hybrid working models, mobile apps, AI, bots and data security are affecting accountancy Practice Management

➨ What has changed in the way accounting leaders run their firms over the last 30 years

➨ The battle between progressive accountancy leaders who want to drive change, and others who are reluctant to change

➨ What a push versus pull attitude to change has stifled innovation and imagination in many accounting practices

➨ The critical role of culture in driving change and adopting tech in accounting firms

➨ The % of revenue growing accountancy firms should be investing in technology

➨ The challenge of talent recruitment, especially with accounting firms being unwilling to jettison unprofitable clients

➨ The pain points or alarm bells an accounting firm might experience to prompt a fresh Practice Management conversation

➨ Whether Covid will change how accounting leaders run their firms

➨ Why there will be a lot more consolidation in the accounting market over coming years

➨ What gives us all hope for the future of the accounting profession

Star Iris Website: www.irisglobal.com/star

Ian on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ian-p-thompson-b2bb2b5

NOTE TO LISTENERS:

This is a full-length interview (usually 20-30 mins long) from which the highlights show earlier in the week was taken. You can listen to this on a previous episode.

Martin and Rob love to hear from the show's 6000+ listeners in 140 countries around the world. If you have any questions, suggestions, comments or success stories, just type sayhi.chat/aip into your browser and leave us a quick and easy voice message. We may just feature you on the show!

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About the Podcast

Accounting Influencers Podcast
Host Rob Brown shows accounting professionals and leaders how to be more influential, grow their personal brand and be more authoritative, relevant and high profile in their roles..
The Accounting Influencers Podcast, hosted by Rob Brown, is a must-listen for accounting professionals looking to strengthen their leadership presence, stay informed on disruptive forces in accounting and build credibility within their firms. Geared toward firm leaders, managers, partners and influencers, the show covers key topics like career development, influence, personal branding and interpreting the evolving trends impacting the accounting world. Rob brings his expertise to each episode, offering insights and guidance on how to grow your personal brand and stay strategically important in a rapidly changing profession. Whether you're aiming to influence within your firm or expand your reputation outside of it, this international podcast offers practical advice and forward-thinking insights that will keep you informed and prepared for the future.
Accounting leadership
Executive presence for accountants
Building influence in accounting
Accounting industry trends
Personal branding for accountants
Accounting firm strategy
Accounting business models
Leadership in accounting firms
Talent management in accounting
Authority in accounting profession
Career development for accountants
Accounting firm growth strategies
Influencers in accounting
Accounting firm management
Disruptive forces in accounting
Accounting leadership strategies
Accounting career success
Accounting firm decision-makers
Accounting business trends
Building credibility in accounting

About your host

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Rob Brown

Rob Brown hosts the multiple accounting podcast and chair conferences, panels and events globally for the accounting and fintech profession. He is co-founder of Accounting Influencers Roundtable (AIR) which helps vendors, experts and influencers serve the accounting and finance world. He is a dynamic speaker and accomplished expert on trust, reputation, employer brand, talent, career development, succession, gen z/generations, employee advocacy and executive presence. Rob is author of the bestselling book Build Your Reputation (Wiley) and his TEDx talk ‘The Personal Brand of You’ has been viewed 400,000 times on YouTube. He is a stroke survivor, has epilepsy, is a committed Christian and has a black belt in kickboxing. He is based in Nottingham UK, home of Robin Hood, plays chess and backgammon, loves orange chocolate and is allergic to grapefruit.