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Senta 2017 product snapshot

Senta 2017 product snapshot

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24th Mar 2017
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Senta has the look and feel of a modern, user-friendly cloud software application - but still manages to pack in most of the features a small accounting or bookkeeping practice would need for running the firm.

Workflow scheduling is the foundation around which Senta has added lightweight, but functional CRM and marketing tools to match the requirements of small firms. The workflows can be configured to the standard sequences and milestones that operate within the practice, or users can quickly set up ad hoc tasks when needed.

The developer didn’t set out to match the functionality of specialist marketing products such as Salesforce or MailChimp, but instead integrates with the practice’s existing email service, such as Gmail or Microsoft Office.  Senta also shows messages sent to and from clients by all colleagues in the practice in one combined view – a useful feature when staff are away or in meetings.

This integration philosophy extends to cloud bookkeeping platforms such as FreeAgent, QuickBooks and Xero, other data management tools such as Zapier and agencies such as The Pensions Regulator and Companies House.

Strengths

  • Senta comes with a nice looking homepage dashboard. The default design is simple, easy to use and set up for a “normal” practice, but can be easily customised to individual requirements.
  • The main Client list can be adjusted with new columns for different characteristics. The default options include a “State” field, that can be used to separate prospects from clients, or to segment contacts in other ways. Different client views can be saved in the Client menu to cater for the practice’s preferences or individual users within the firm.
  • Senta is initially set up with standard workflows for different service types such as tax returns, VAT, payroll, accounts production management accounts and so on, all of which can be tweaked as needed. Senta monitors the deadlines set within these workflows and prompts the user with a flashing globe icon when there is work to do for a particular client: normally green, but red if work is overdue. It also maintains a full audit trail of what was done, when and by whom.
  • The application comes with a readymade process for onboarding new clients. The sequence starts by calling up the client’s details, changing their “state” to from prospect to client and adding the name of their account manager within the firm. The program will trigger requests for identity documents and anti-money laundering checks and prompt the account manager to fill in details of the services required and fees agreed.
  • Senta includes a Practice Outbox that sits alongside the firm’s email service (Google, Microsoft etc) to track what’s going in and out.
  • Standard emails can be sent as part of the underlying workflows, or users can do a quick search on specific client characteristics and dispatch a quick email to them.
  • The Job view gives managers a filterable overview of all the jobs in the practice. They can zoom in on particular departments or individuals, forwards or backwards in time, or review tasks according to their status  - such as red alert jobs that need attention immediately. The status alerts also appear in the client list, which can be filtered to review the outstanding work for each. see past jobs, or look forward. They’re treated as equivalents.
  • Senta includes a Practice Outbox that sits alongside the firm’s email service (Google, Microsoft etc) to track what’s going in and out. “It’s handy to keep an eye on what Senta is sending or when juniors start with the firm,” explained Senta founder James Kilford.
  • Standard emails can be sent as part of the underlying workflows, or users can do a quick search on specific client characteristics and dispatch a quick email to them.
  • Notes:  This menu tab lets users pin notes to client records and set importance levels. It can also be used to trigger ad hoc alerts when a particular task or deadline needs to be checked.
  • Senta includes a Practice Outbox that sits alongside the firm’s email service (Google, Microsoft etc) to track what’s going in and out. “It’s handy to keep an eye on what Senta is sending or when juniors start with the firm,” explained Senta founder James Kilford.
  • Standard emails can be sent as part of the underlying workflows, or users can do a quick search on specific client characteristics and dispatch a quick email to them. “If you can get your client data into a spreadsheet we can import it,” says the developer. “If you want a new set of workflows we can build them for you.”
  • Integrations: Senta links to different degrees with cloud bookkeeping platforms such as Free Agent, QuickBooks and Xero, as well as other data management tools such as Zapier. Links to the Slack messaging service mean it is possible to trigger practice tasks and receive alerts via text. Where the interfaces exist, it will also pull in data from agencies such The Pensions Regulator and Companies House.

Weak spots

  • One element currently missing from the standard Senta workflows is a process to convert quotes and proposals into letters of engagement. Work is in hand to tackle this during the summer of 2017 so that Senta will construct a PDF letter from the services quoted and upload it to the client’s online portal. 
  • The Senta portal is a work in progress. For authentication, it gives the client an account that they can access using credentials from social media sites such as Google Plus or Facebook. This is a novel approach for a professional environment, but saves clients the hassle of having to remember a separate password for interacting with their accountant’s system. Senta is also looking at options for linking to signature systems.
  • Senta’s competitive pricing is potentially a limiting factor on functionality as the application grows. Integrating with external services for things like esignatures, AML checks and text messaging all come at a cost. “Our primary driver is to provide a fixed fee service, so we do not want to add charges for extras,” said Kilford in response. “Each month, the licence fee becomes better value.”
  • Senta does not integrate with any of HMRC’s APIs yet. These links are another item on the developer’s “to do” list, but will become increasingly important for tracking filing dates and work completed when Making Tax Digital goes live.
  • Time recording and esignatures are also in the pipeline. The full development roadmap can be viewed online on www.senta.co

Pricing

Senta is available for a flat rate of £29/user per month.

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For a detailed comparison of best practice management software for accountants and trusted software user reviews, visit AccountingWEB’s Practice Management Software category page in Software Reviews.

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Replies (1)

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Neophyte
By Neophyte
29th Mar 2017 12:52

Good summary but the article needs some minor editing - the Practice Outbox functionality is mentioned three times and could be combined into one.

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