IMPROVE YOUR PROCESS

Study after study highlights that one of the biggest opportunities for gaining efficiencies within a tax department revolves around improving processes. Streamlining workflows, clarifying assignments, tracking task progress and implementing appropriate technology are all options to increasing efficiency and freeing time for more value-added activities.

Thomson Reuters has developed solutions for a variety of tax departments, both large and small. We have professionals with various backgrounds in data and process management as well as tax technology. They will interview you and your staff to understand your current process and where your challenges and obstacles lie and then propose solutions that meet your specific needs and goals.

It's not always clear where to start when looking to increase efficiency. At first glance it can appear that all of the activities and tasks that you and your staff are doing are necessary and can't be done any more quickly.

Our professional services team at Thomson Reuters brings an objective perspective that is often difficult to find internally. We take the time to truly understand what happens in your tax department, in detail, to know who does what, and why, and how.

We talk with you and your staff to understand your goals and what you want to accomplish - including what you are getting done today and what you wish you could do. Then our team presents you with our assessment and offers your department a variety of options to re-engineer and improve your processes, increase your efficiency and effectiveness and that meet both your current and future goals. 

PROCESS IMPROVEMENT SERVICES FROM THOMSON REUTERS

We know that every tax department is unique.

We've been privileged to have an in-depth view into countless tax departments over the years. And through those interactions, feedback from customers and our own tax technology expertise, we've developed a methodical approach to understanding, documenting, analyzing and recommending process improvement recommendations that have created significant benefit for tax departments all across the country.

1. Interview staff. The first step in determining where there are opportunities for process improvement is by getting a thorough understanding of your current process, systems, interactions, technologies, stakeholders, organizational structure, etc.
   Our team will walk through an extensive, but enlightening, process that will provide us with the background information we need to make recommendations. This meeting is a face-to-face discussion.
2. Evaluate options. Our team will meet to discuss what was learned in the interview phase. We will discuss, debate and evaluate all of the options we believe have potential to address the specific concerns and challenges that were discovered during the interview.
   Although we will concentrate on the issues that were brought up directly by your staff, our team will also incorporate recommendations they believe will provide additional value to your organization.  These may be based on experiences with other tax departments or their own expertise in the area of income tax compliance.
3. Present recommendations. Within a short time after the interview, the team will return for the recommendations meeting. In this meeting, we will present our findings from the interview and confirm our observations and conclusions.
   We will then present our recommendations to best meet the objectives and tackle the challenges that were discussed in the interview meeting. The team will answer all of your questions, provide any clarity or additional detail on the recommendations and leave copies of the report for you to study and share with your colleagues.
4. Develop a plan. The recommendations in your plan may be extensive, however, a prioritization will be included. This will help guide you and your team on what process improvements should be dealt with first and how the entire plan can be phased in over time.
   Our team will spend time with you discussing the best course of action to take, the timing and other considerations in order to create a roadmap that provides your department with the greatest value with the least amount of disruption.
5. Implement. Once you have selected the solutions to improve your tax department, the next step is to begin implementation of those solutions. This may involve developing a new workflow, loading and setting up software, training for you and your staff, creation of documentation and workpapers or even loan staffing.
   We are there with you, step by step, throughout the entire process to get you and your staff on board fully and efficiently. We recognize that the adoption of a new process can create disruptions, but we'll work with you to minimize any impact on your department to help maximize your effectiveness.
6. Fully Support. Implementation of a new process and software is not the end. It's just the beginning. Our commitment to your success goes far beyond our work to get you up and running.
   We're available to assist and support the future needs of your staff as you adapt to your new workflow and process. We are available to provide support for any technical questions you may have and advise on the ways to use the solutions for maximum benefit. We want you to be as successful as you can be.

For questions about our process or for a no obligation consultation on your process improvement needs, Contact Us today.