GCOL Limited embraces CCH iFirm integrated cloud platform

Fully in the cloud

“I think we were one of the earliest firms to take up the software, and Covid-19 forced us to move fully to the cloud quite quickly. The CCH iFirm team were excellent in supporting our transition, training us in new ways of working and helping to solve problems that were unique to our firm. We were lucky it was so easy to do with the way the CCH iFirm team managed it with us,” said Gina Gambitsis, Practice Administrator, GCOL Limited.

Most recently, GCOL Limited has added CCH iFirm Document Vault to their technology stack, which supports the hybrid working arrangements for staff in the firm.

“Part of the team works from home some days, so this has enabled all documents to be located and available in one area. You can pretty much find anything you want very quickly in the software as there’s a range of ways to search even if you didn’t file or label your documents perfectly,” Gina said.

A product that ‘just works’

As a long-term user of CCH iFirm software, GCOL Limited has considered other options over the years, but have chosen to remain with CCH iFirm for its rich features and functionality that support the needs of their firm.

“We explored using Xero practice management and compliance software, but we found that while it looks good, it doesn’t have the functionality we need. CCH iFirm has the functionality we need, and you can count on it to get the job done.”

Having a personalised dashboard, and integrated tools are also key features valued by Gina and the team.

CCH Entities and CCH iFirm Workpapers are also essential tools for the GCOL Limited team.

“We use CCH Entities (Company Manager) as we don’t do Trust Administrations and we’ve been using Workpapers for a really long time. Again, the integration is a time-saver; being able to attach documents; the practice director can review very easily – it makes everything much simpler. You’ll see the accounting desks are all clear of paper. And of course, we know that the NZICA requirements are satisfied, they are compliant and contain all the stuff we need.”

Knowledgeable & experienced support team

The other important factor for GCOL Limited is being able to rely on the CCH iFirm support team and having the peace of mind of knowing they are just a phone call away.

“We’ve been calling the team for years and speaking to the same team members when we call, they reference previous issues we’ve had, they know our history and we get a solution.

“It’s not a faceless team, sitting in a country far away, having to talk to a new person every time (who sounds like they’re 12) and don’t really know how to help you.

“It’s the knowledge, experience and ‘unflappability’ – I know I’m not the only person calling them, but they have the patience to get to the problem when you may not speak ‘techie-speak.’ The team is just amazing!”

“I always champion CCH iFirm software to my peers because it does exactly what you need it to. It’s stable and it’s backed by an experienced (onshore) support team you can rely on,” Gina said.

Learn more about how our CCH iFirm and CCH Entities solutions can better support your firm.