RUVERWOODS, Ill. - CCH is offering productivity consulting for ProSystem fx Suite and research products that is designed to assess how firms can use their CCH products more effectively. A five-day service that includes three days on site by a two-person CCH team, the service is available at a discounted price of $10,000 for engagements that are contracted by the end of the year and performed by the middle of 2010. Consulting is designed for firms that have at least three CCH products.As accounting firms have added CCH products, routine product training cannot teach them how to fit the applications into their practices workflow for best results. The service grew out of CCH's observation that it thinks customers need assistance in getting the most out of what they have, says Rhett Molitor, senior manager, training and consulting, for CCH. Under the Productivity Consulting program, the CCH team meets with those who work with the products, including product champions with the goal of determining best practices along with ascertaining "how do firms think the staff is using applications and how are they actually using them," says Molitor.
The team assigns values on a one-to-five-scale that is designed to measure performance and enable executives to develop immediate gains and a set of recommendations for long-term improvement. "They get the immediate benefit of quick hits whether the firm is good with the software or not good," says Molitor. "Most times we can rattle off three things they are not doing efficiently."
CCH offers on-site and Web-based training in all areas of firm practice. The study products a “Performance Report” that ranks firms critical success factors technical expertise; communication; strategic thinking; adaptive organizational structure; training and best practices. CCH assesses each area in a product-by-product report, as well as proving an accumulated score.
The regular price of the services is $12,500, which Molitor said could go up in a multi-office firm. Services also cover consulting on all technology in the firms, not just CCH products Molitor says firms might have the ProSystem suite, but might also use CaseWare. "We don't want to limit it to our products or nothing," he says. CCH has tried out the service at two firms, with more showing interest. After it has more experience in providing consulting services, only one person will be on site. But during the introductory period, two staffers will be used to train the CCH staff. However, Molitor says the company will charge for travel expenses for only one person.
