October 2005 Circle Update
September was another great month for the Boomer Technology Circles™. Circle #4 met in midmonth and as always there was stimulating discussion among the technology leaders of these very large firms.
After beginning, as most meetings do, with Gary Boomer´s vision of the accounting profession in days ahead, and a Mad Lab of interesting little facts, updates and product information, the agenda moved into topics of specific interest to the group. There was a group discussion of Client Portals, focusing on how firms define these tools, how they use them, and strategies for gaining client acceptance of online collaboration.
Next followed another round-table discussion of document management, email management and record retention. Although these issues are of critical interest to all firms, these very large firms face special challenges and have adopted a variety of approaches to solving them. Once again, the difference between keeping backup tapes (or other media) for disaster recovery purposes compared to information archiving was a key point.
The second day of the meeting began with member presentations on system and mobile security. This was an interesting mix of theory and practice, and was rated by the members as one of the highlights of the meeting. Once again, the unique challenges of size and dispersal faced by these firms made for very interesting discussions. The day wrapped up with a discussion of the important variables which lead to success in a Client Relationship Management (CRM) implementation project. Many firms have struggled with CRM, and the presentation focused on high level priorities to concentrate on.
In between sessions, there was a continual flow of discussion and sharing among peers. Whether during breaks, at lunch, at the social hour or at dinner there were ample opportunities to network, and these members really did so.
We will spend the next few weeks getting ready for the next round of Circle meetings which begin in October. If your firm is not yet a member of this elite group of good firms getting better, this would be the perfect time of year to try it out. Call Eric Hunt at 888-266-6375 (erich@boomer.com) and take the first step towards Circle membership.