Paolo ZapierExperience the Power of Technology and User-Focused Design in Driving Business Impact
In the minds of many accounting professionals and Certified Public Accountant (CPA) firms, digital tools are not usually their first resort. Often, a certain level of skepticism towards information technology and digitalization leads the average accounting professional to view robotic solutions as esoteric and possibly complicated to use.
 This mindset, coupled with extreme workloads, very low to low digital proficiency, long working hours, and an erratic lifestyle, provides a perfect scenario to demonstrate the effectiveness of digital accounting robots equipped with superior UX design.
Such skepticism sometimes leads some CPA firms to overlook the benefits of accounting robots, which we have previously discussed. To clarify these benefits, consider how they can impact various strategic operational areas within the firm.
As explained in other articles, an accounting robot can essentially introduce a scalability element to a CPA firm’s business, similar to companies selling products. Thanks to real-time data, the robot can elevate the perception of quality from the client’s perspective, thereby increasing client retention.
Robots, by their nature, are designed to record everything they do, making them a valuable resource for monitoring internal processes. This feature is especially relevant in an era where the accounting profession is attracting fewer and fewer young people, and firms are struggling to find qualified and motivated staff.
While designing these accounting robots, we have utilized studies and knowledge developed in Silicon Valley on a wide range of user types, including those with low digital literacy.
Given the low digital literacy of the average accountant, coupled with the sophistication and learning curve of a new tool, pressure from deadlines, and time constraints, we decided to structure the user experience around the concept of segmented and stratified notifications. This decision takes into account the diverse roles in the office: partners, accounting professionals, support staff, etc.
The interaction between the accounting robots and the CPA firm’s staff relies heavily on the use of notifications. This system has a significant positive impact on personnel with a low digitalization quotient or those less inclined to fully utilize the functionalities of the firm’s software.
What is the secret to help user with low digital quotient, very mundane tasks and an extremey busy agenda?
Well-designed notifications can help users who are either not digitally proficient or extremely busy to maximize their usage of the software. This is particularly true in the following areas:
- Understandability: Notifications are formulated in clear, simple language, with instructions that are understandable even for less experienced users.
- Notification Management: The notification system is designed to prevent information overload, a fundamental aspect for users with low digital literacy who might feel overwhelmed by an excess of notifications.
- Stratified System: Notifications are organized based on importance or relevance, allowing users to understand which ones require immediate attention and which ones can be handled at a later time.
- Learning Support: The software provides effective initial training, as well as continuous learning opportunities, including tutorials or tips explaining how notifications work and how to customize settings.
- Customization: Users can customize their notification settings, a feature particularly useful for users with low digital competence.
- Confidence Boost: Well-designed notifications can increase users’ confidence in using the software. If a user receives notifications they understand and can manage, they will feel more comfortable using the robot.
- Guided Interaction: Notifications from the robot can guide user interaction with the software. For less digitally proficient users, notifications can serve as prompts for next steps, facilitating software usage.
Empower efficiency, prioritize with precision, and monitor with ease through intelligent notifications designed for busy managers and employees.
The benefits for busy managers and employees include efficiency, as notifications can quickly highlight issues requiring immediate attention, saving time that would otherwise be spent searching for information in various software tools. Stratified notifications allow managers to focus on the most urgent or important issues, maximizing the use of their time. Thanks to notifications, managers can easily monitor company performance, project progress, or personnel-related issues.
To support these benefits, we can refer to research in the field of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI). For instance, research by Gloria Mark, Professor of Informatics at the University of California, Irvine, and a leading expert in HCI, has shown that frequent interruptions can negatively affect productivity.
Well-designed and stratified notifications, such as those utilized in our software, can help minimize these interruptions.
Furthermore, a report by the Nielsen Norman Group, a leader in the field of usability and user experience, emphasizes the importance of customizable notifications in increasing efficiency and user satisfaction. This is a key feature of our notifications, allowing users to adapt notifications to their specific needs.
In this way, our software meets the needs of various types of users, improving efficiency and usability for all, regardless of their digital proficiency or time availability.
In conclusion, Mentally.ai builds intelligent digital robots specifically tailored to suit your business case. This results in a tangible business impact, such as increased profitability and scalability, enhanced access to process monitoring and analytics, improved employee satisfaction and morale, and stimulated attraction of quality personnel. It also drastically improves the immediacy of services, which typically results in increased customer retention.
To further explore how our intelligent automation can revolutionize your accounting processes and address your unique challenges, we cordially invite you to book a free 30-minute consultation with Mentally.ai’s Dr. Paolo Messina. Dr. Messina, an expert in the field, is ready to discuss your process challenges and identify opportunities for intelligent automation within your firm. Leverage this opportunity to discover how bespoke digital robots can create tangible business benefits for you and your buiness.
