While any accountant can appreciate the value of practice management, this part of the firm's business becomes mission-critical in times of economic downturn. When new clients are harder to come by, and existing clients have greater needs but less to spend, the ability to track time, bill it effectively, and management receivables, all become crucial to the survival of the firm and its growth in the post-recession period.

Some firms, particularly small to mid-sized practices, have their greatest need in the ability to management the time spent by each staff member. Larger firms must fit this need within a larger context, and be able to integrate it seamlessly with other applications for document management, customer relationship management, and project management.