Self assessment - monitoring progress

Agree with the principle but not the method. Our tax software has a reporting tool built in. There is a User Definable "To Do" list so we can put anything we like on the list. As the tax return progresses through the various stages the relevant point is electronically signed off. An up to the minute report is always available, takes seconds to run and doesn't need to be stored or even printed. The backup happens at the same time the software is backed up. There is also no wasted time removing ex clients from a separate list or having to add new ones to it.
Edit;- I'd like to add that the software we use is Pertax from MYOB (I don't have any connections to MYOB)

I've tried all sorts of software that claims to track what work is needed but I always find a problem with it that makes it unworkable.

My solution is a large Excel spreadsheet. I don't try to track every stage of a process but make do with a To Do list which has columns for clients (name and sort name), service (tax return, annual accounts, statutory accounts, etc.), period end, deadline, when can start date, next task notes.

With this spreadsheet I can sort it to review and update by client, service, start date, deadline, etc. I also have a priority column and if I can start tasks now I give them a priority of 1 to 9 - in practice I just use 1, 2, 3 and 9.

The only improvement on Excel would be using Access - maybe I will get round to it when I have less than 300 tasks I can do now!

I entirely agree with you Helen - if anyone runs software that has this facility built in - and many have, then use it.

But not everyone does have such software.

And not everyone wants to use the facility either. Some software I have seen that claims to do this job is, for example, not that user friendly if you don't want to do things in quite the way the software company thinks you should.

Our problem (with 650 clients) is a wood and trees one. 90% of our clients are musicians and actors who will do nothing unless prodded and so by mid-October we hope to hit 40% of returns out to clients and this is the best we've ever managed.

Once numbers get down to 150 to go, it becomes possible to see things on an individual basis, but whilst there are so many still to do, all the charts, spreadsheets and databases in the world can't do anything. We simply knuckle down, send out enough reminders, hurdles and deadlines to keep work flowing and then look at Christmas in the hope that numbers have reached a level where we can see where we're going.

If anyone knows a way around this I'd love to hear it.