Technology, Hardware, and Software
James Otis Tax Associates is a sizable tax advisory company in the SME category. The corporate has grown exponentially both in stature and capacity, making it necessary to hire new professionals who can propel its agenda. Recently, the company has advertised vacancies for a qualified public accountant, a tax specialist, and a data entry specialist. But Otis’s Tax Company must install a robust computer technology system in advance to accommodate the professionals and ease their work. As an information technology specialist, I was contracted to help the company build a computer network system for new employees. Herein, I have discussed in detail all statutory IT requirements that each employee needs; hardware integration, essential software, and security systems. The report aims at providing IT solutions that are congruent with human-computer interaction (HCI).
1. Certified Public Accountant (CPA)
The CPA will play a senior role in the tax advisory firm. He or she will not only file returns for corporate customers but also handle confidential customer data. The expert will also oversee the other two employees. As a result, the company should prepare adequately, technically before handing over the sensitive role to the new expert; this will include setting up a reliable computing system, robust network, reliable hardware/software, and security measures.
The CPA will need a laptop. A laptop is picked over a desktop for this role because it is portable and suits the demands of work. Fieldwork is part of a CPA’s job, and Excel is one of the most used utilities for most accountants. Accountants visit clients occasionally for presentations and sometimes have long meetings. Taking a phone or a tablet to the field will only limit one from executing some functionalities. The laptop should be light, have a minimum of a 14-inch screen and a battery that can last five to six hours. It should have at least 4 gigabytes of RAM, a storage capacity of at least 500 GB and processor speed of 2.4 GHz. Ample space is vital to store large files, and a powerful processor will handle critical accounting software.
Hardware peripherals should follow suit. Vital devices include; a printer, a scanner, and a fax machine. The accountant will regularly need to print some information, scan hard copies, and fax information to clients. Additionally, the user needs a landline for indoor and outdoor communications; landline is cheaper, prompts immediate responses, and prevents unnecessary movements. The CPA expert also needs an external hard drive to back up some essential files. The laptop will run on an Enterprise (E3) Windows 10 module because of the enhanced privacy and security features. E3 is very user friendly, and it was developed for corporates that need upgraded security for confidential data and smooth management functionalities for regulated enterprises (Digitalmarketplace, 2020).
QuickBooks and Lacerta are commendable accounting software for a CPA. Lacerta is ideal for tax advisory firms that handle business and individual customers; the software helps accountants to file multiple tax returns in a short period; hence they finish up faster. Lacerta also helps professionals to share data seamlessly across workflows. QuickBooks, on the other hand, is an SME accounting program that helps accountants to track daily transactions, manage expenses, and manage sales (Maki, 2020). One can also use it to issue invoices, pay expenses, fill taxes, and generate reports for more natural planning. QuickBooks is versatile and serves long-term; it works with small and medium scale businesses. The user also needs conferencing software like Skype for calling and holding virtual meetings.
Security plays a vital role when handling sensitive data. As stated earlier, the CPA handles crucial tax information of customers and businesses. He files tax returns, and he is responsible for the returns filed by the other two employees. Therefore, there is a need for a high-grade security system to maintain data security and user privacy. I recommend the encryption of information, multiple firewalls, an internet security system, and an anti-virus. Data encryption is safer and harder to crack. A firewall is also vital because there will be data sharing between the three employees. Therefore the system needs a programmed security check to monitor, control, and safeguard the network that is incoming or outgoing.
2. The Tax Expert
A Tax specialist holds a vital role in the company. He is an accounting advocate who helps businesses and individuals to fill and file tax returns. The specialist also needs a laptop because of convenience and portability. The laptop should have at least 128 GB storage, 14-inch screen, 2.2 GHz processor speed, and 4 GB ram. Additionally, the employee will require a network connection to access the printer, fax machine, and a scanner. Crucial documents will be uploaded to the cloud for backup; therefore, the internet should be fast enough. All three employees need an Ethernet connection; it is more reliable with sensitive software, but it should be augmented with Wi-Fi connectivity. A 128 GB flash disk is also ideal for backup when the internet is unreliable. The Tax expert also needs a landline for communication purposes.
The specialist will need Lacerta. The software has automated computations that can solve accounting problems; amortization, depreciation, bad debts, among many other calculations to boost efficiency and accuracy. The software will operate on Enterprise 3, a Windows 10 system software. The operating system has inbuilt security and privacy features suitable for such work. The tax specialist will be handling multiple projects; therefore, open project software is vital for managing projects. Accountants need to communicate via email, both with other employees and clients. Microsoft Outlook is commendable for email because it is standard across corporate businesses and has extra security features and user-friendliness (Microsoft, 2020).
System security and user privacy should be an integral part of the job. The tax specialist handles sensitive tax information that should not be taken lightly. The system should use extra security features, including encrypting data, installing anti-viruses, building firewalls, and multilevel internet security. I recommend Microsoft’s BitLocker software for data encryption and Last-Pass for password management (Microsoft, 2020). Both software has intuitive interfaces that are simple to use. They also have extensions for many web browsers, including Microsoft Edge and Google Chrome. Network firewalls will act as an extra virtual barrier to safeguard the system from malicious attacks.
3. Data Entry Expert
Data entry professionals translate raw data and hard copy documents into digital formats (Hughes, 2020). The documents might include anything that deals with bills, unpaid checks, reports, and invoices. In this context, the data expert will work with confidential client data. However, he or she will not have the privilege of accessing the tax returns of clients once the tax expert reviews them. A desktop computer with windows 10 is ideal for the job; this is because the OS has a computing interface that is easy to use, even for users with basic knowledge of computers. The utility software offers amazing dialogue interactions, blue screen messages that are less cryptic, and an inbuilt windows defender to detect malware. Besides, one can search for documents quickly making the user experience more enjoyable.
The user needs a network link to vital accessories like the printer, scanner, and fax machine. Microsoft office has many helpful tools; excel, access, word, and many more that will make data entry faster and easier. A database is also needed to handle and bifurcate the massive amounts of data in the system. Desktops work well with the Structured Query Language (SQL) database (Guru99, 2020). The program is user friendly; it synchronizes data as per user preferences and allows users to retrieve information from the database. SQL will be crucial for the Data specialist. The desktop will need an interruptible power supply that can keep it on for at least 15 minutes without direct power; this allows the user to save his or her work when power is interrupted.
Excellent communication is a driving force of any functional business. Otis’s tax advisory firm needs to make Microsoft outlook a standard email platform for all employees. It has a beautiful interface, business-oriented attributes, and a detailed security framework. The employee also needs Skype installed for virtual meetings when necessary. A high definition camera should augment the software to make the process smoother. For security, the data entry specialist needs data encryption, passwords, and multilayered firewalls in his or her desktop. A video camera is also vital for streaming virtual meetings.
References
Digitalmarketplace. (2020, July 30). Windows 10 Enterprise E3 Suite. Retrieved from Digital Market Place: https://www.digitalmarketplace.service.gov.uk/g-cloud/services/
Guru99. (2020, July 30). What is Database? What is SQL? Retrieved from Guru99.com: https://www.guru99.com/introduction-to-database-sql.html
Hughes, J. (2020, July 30). What Does a Data Entry Specialist Do and How Much Do They Make? Retrieved from The Job Network: https://www.thejobnetwork.com/
Maki, E. (2020, February 25). What Is QuickBooks & How Do Businesses Use It? Retrieved from Fit Small Business: https://fitsmallbusiness.com/what-is-quickbooks/
Microsoft. (2020, July 30). Business outlook. Retrieved from Microsoft: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/outlook/outlook-for-business