IT support for an accountancy firm should cover the whole route from opening a client file to completing the work, not just whether a laptop switches on. Before a busy filing period, ask your provider to rehearse that route with a member of staff. Check access, recovery and the support arrangements for the hours your practice will actually work.
Start early enough to fix what the rehearsal finds. Choose one representative task, such as updating a working paper and accessing the accounting platform, and follow it through on the equipment you would use if the usual workstation failed. The aim is to identify weak points before a deadline makes every interruption urgent.
Walk through one real piece of work
Write down the systems needed for that task, including email, shared documents, accounting software and any client portal. Identify which supplier supports each part. Ask your IT provider where its responsibility ends and how it coordinates with the software vendor when an application problem needs specialist investigation.
Run the rehearsal with a normal staff account, using test material or an approved non-sensitive example. An administrator successfully opening an application does not prove that the colleague doing the work has the right permissions. Include remote access if staff plan to finish work from home, and record anything that requires an undocumented workaround.
Check access before the team gets busier
Review who needs access during the deadline period, including temporary staff and colleagues covering leave. Ask the practice manager to approve permissions rather than copying another person’s access without checking it. Give each person their own approved account and test the sign-in process before their first busy shift.
Agree how staff report a lost phone, failed authentication prompt or locked account. Confirm how the helpdesk verifies identity and who can authorise an access change. Keep the support contact available somewhere staff can reach without opening the very mailbox or shared folder they are trying to recover.
Recover a file, not just a backup report
Choose a sample working paper and ask the provider to demonstrate recovery into a safe test location. Have someone from the practice open it and check that it contains the expected work. Record where the restored file came from, which point in time it represents and who approves using it.
For documents held in SharePoint, Microsoft’s guidance says you can restore an earlier version when the library tracks versions.[4] Ask your provider to check the actual library settings. Test document recovery separately from the recovery arrangements for your accounting application; do not assume that restoring a spreadsheet proves you can recover everything needed to finish a client’s work.
Try the spare workstation properly
Ask a colleague to complete the sample task on an approved spare laptop or alternative workstation. Check the required applications, screen setup, printing and access to shared records. Include the docking connection and other equipment they normally use. A spare that still needs configuration is unfinished preparation, so assign someone to resolve the gaps.
If the fallback is working elsewhere, rehearse it from that location with the approved connection. Ask the provider to explain what staff should do if broadband fails and what they should avoid. Keep client documents within the agreed systems rather than improvising with personal email or an unapproved storage account when pressure builds.
Agree escalation for the hours you need
Tell the provider when the practice expects to work, then ask what support is available during those hours. Separate ticket acknowledgement from technical investigation and any on-site attendance. Confirm whether evening or weekend cover needs booking, what it costs and who approves additional work. Do not infer extended cover from the phrase “managed support”.
Work through a specific incident: the team cannot access its accounting platform near a deadline. Establish who logs the incident, who contacts the vendor and who updates the practice manager. Agree how business impact affects priority, and nominate a deputy so the escalation process does not depend on one person being available.
Turn the rehearsal into a short action plan
Keep a brief record of the test, unresolved issues, named owners and the date each fix will be checked. Discuss planned maintenance around the busy period, while retaining a process for urgent security fixes. Repeat the failed parts of the rehearsal after changes; an assurance that something has been fixed is less useful than a successful retest.
Bring that record to your next support review. BMT’s IT support for accountants page explains the service areas we can discuss. Send us your systems and working-hour requirements if you want help agreeing a practical preparation plan before your next filing deadline.
Sources
[4] Microsoft Support: restoring a previous SharePoint file version