An evolution that could lead to a revolution in the resourcing of accountancy practices: welcome to Podsourcing® by Advancetrack.

An evolution that could lead to a revolution in the resourcing of accountancy practices: welcome to Podsourcing® by Advancetrack.

With 20 years of experience, Advancetrack has continued to develop the models that underpin its outsourcing and offshoring offerings to accountancy practices.

As such, Advancetrack is now ready to offer Podsourcing® services to the market.

What is Podsourcing®?

Podsourcing® acts as a hybrid of our outsourcing and accounting offshoring solutions, with named experts brought together by a multi-skill and multi-service team, offering you a more cost-effective and scalable solution for your outsourcing needs. This dedicated team of Advancetrack specialists will work with ONE accountancy practice client.

How is Podsourcing® different to offshoring and outsourcing?

There are similarities and differences between both. Outsourcing offers a variety of specialists to work with an accountancy practice client, and can be scaled, but without a dedicated connection to that practice.

Offshoring offers dedicated specialists that work for one practice, but they can often be isolated and difficult to replace.

Podsourcing® provides both specialists that are dedicated team members for the accountancy practice client, but the pod’s depth of members and collective know-how is much more resilient than with individual offshored staff.

What are the benefits of Podsourcing®?

Podsourcing® offers a host of benefits to both firms and clients alike, unlocking new opportunities for further growth.

This includes:

• ‍Improved scalability: it’s easier to add on new services or enhance existing skillsets to better service customers.

• ‍Mitigates service disruption: with our team-based solution, service delivery is maintained as Podsourcing® removes an overreliance on individuals.

• ‍More time for strategic thinking: more experienced team members can focus their efforts on more creative, strategic approaches, keeping customers happy and allowing them to focus on where the growth lies.

• ‍Team skills development: through our Podsourcing® structure, junior team members have the opportunity to learn from senior, experienced accountants, learning on the job and staying motivated.

• ‍More efficient and cost-effective: work is completed by qualified and highly trained individuals at the right level, meaning it is completed to a higher standard in optimal timeframes.

For firms with more complex needs, and who will benefit from the strategic thinking of a seasoned accountant, combined with the enthusiasm of a support team, Podsourcing® provides an appealing solution.

A team of talented individuals will bring their varying levels of expertise to better serve clients in the most time and cost-effective manner possible. When your accountancy firm decides to outsource accounting, finance, tax, audit or payroll services, it means your in-house team can focus on the specialist delivery of even more value and benefit for your clients.

Working as a multi-service team, our pods are a team of trained and qualified accountants based overseas with a focus on providing high-quality accountancy-related services, advice, support and insight.

Above all, Podsourcing® allows firms to keep clients more satisfied with the support they are getting, thanks to the flexibility and scalability of the team.

Who can access Podsourcing®? Is it being used?

In reality, we have offered iterations of this service to our largest accountancy practice clients for many years. However, we are building this model out more widely, enabling it to be offered to more firms. And, alongside some of our larger practices, we have other existing clients moving to this model right now.

“Podsourcing® offers the benefits of both outsourcing and offshoring,” explains Advancetrack founder and MD Vipul Sheth.

“Certainly, for accountancy practices looking to scale and grow, then we think Podsourcing® is the answer to what is a huge resourcing issue in the market.”

Podsourcing® and Advancetrack® are registered trademarks of E-Accounting Solutions Limited.  Unauthorised use is prohibited.

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In profile: Rishi Ruparelia

We chat to experienced tech sales chief Rishi Ruparelia about sharing a supportive mindset with accountants.

What is your current role and responsibilities?

I’m the sales account executive for Advancetrack. That means I look after existing customers from a sales perspective – i.e. do they have the right hours and people to get work undertaken; and then I actively engage with other firms about using Advancetrack.

What is your background?

I’d say that I’ve been in the professional services sales environment for ever! I initially sold legal software and then was headhunted by Xero back in 2014 to look after their London area. I ‘fell in love’ with accountants during this time.

I think I fit in well with accountants: they genuinely want to help clients and have a variety of skills and experience to use when supporting them. My instinct is to help the businesses I work with and sell to, whether it’s being more efficient from a process or financial perspective.

How did you get the role? How have the first few weeks gone?

I had offers floating around but because Vipul is seen as a ‘white knight’ in the industry I wanted to align with that. Ultimately, Advancetrack is viewed as a company that ‘does things the right way’, helping its people and that of partner practices develop.

Outsourcers and offshorers often provide ‘bodies’ to undertake work, whereas it differs at Advancetrack; not only are the staff well-rounded, but there is great support from the managers behind the scenes – there is a team in the background providing support and making sure things get done properly. The practitioners I’ve spoken to have flagged up this positive aspect of their working relationship with Advancetrack’s people.

What does success in your role, and for Advancetrack®, look like?

It would be helping accounting practice leaders manage their productivity and resource needs, supporting them to achieve their firm’s ambitions. Practices have to get a grip on efficiencies (and having quality and timely data at hand) to both free up resources and then provide a more valuable service.