Customer Story
3 min read

RSM

RSM gains competitive advantage with security and proficiency

March 31, 2023

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Swedish accounting firm RSM Göteborg is a member of the global RSM network. Competing with the “Big Four,” it combines deep, local knowledge with international reach. The firm was formed by merging three smaller practices and plans to grow to five locations across Sweden within five years.

 

The merger resulted in RSM operating three different IT systems for its staff, all of whom used desktop or laptop PCs. The firm had no VPN and staff working remotely could not access files on the office system. As IT Manager Fredrik Högström explains:

 

“It was a mess! Auditors spend a lot of time at clients’ sites and, for every visit, they would copy the necessary files from server to laptop and then back again. But, office staff would work on the server version when it was checked out, so we would have to reconcile different versions of the same file.”

 

RSM had to patch and update critical accounting and audit applications on each individual PC almost monthly. This was not only an inefficient way of working for IT, but it compromised the security of sensitive data and often resulted in delays and inconvenience for the customer.

 

With the firm growing to over 50 staff, Högström partnered with Gold Solution Advisor Xenit to replace the three old systems with Workspace Suite and give staff access to their apps, desktops, and data from anywhere.

 

“Our clients in the security sector are really impressed.”

 

RSM’s auditors and accountants can now access their virtual desktop from wherever they are. On site with clients, they use laptops or access RSM’s systems directly from a client’s PC (with Receiver installed). They can also use a personal device when at home or traveling. Access is secured using two-factor authentication with one-time access codes.

 

With quick and secure access to information held in RSM’s data center, people no longer waste time copying files or resolving version conflicts.

 

“We are 90 percent digital,” Högström says, “and we have no customer materials or data on any end-point devices. Many of our clients are IT companies, and even those in the security sector are really impressed by the security of our system.”

 

RSM uses ShareFile® to exchange large files with clients.

 

“ShareFile was the obvious choice,” explains Högström. “It has helped us become paperless. We no longer carry bulging folders of paper, and we don’t rely on email and USB sticks to share information. Many customers simply haven’t thought about how insecure those methods are for exchanging confidential files. I think that will change as GDPR [the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation] comes into force.”

 

Presenting a professional image to the customer

 

At client meetings, RSM staff now have all the required information available instantly without lengthy logon procedures, forgotten files, or data conflicts.

 

The firm uses Skype for Business through to hold video conferences with clients. When customers visit RSM offices, accountants can access all client files instantly from the meeting room.

 

“Ninety-five percent of our new customers come from recommendations,” Högström says. “Audit and accountancy work is based on trust and confidence. Presenting such an efficient and professional image gives us a competitive edge over other firms.”

 

Efficient IT management, too

 

“Our firm has doubled in size, but thanks to, my workload has actually decreased,” Högström says.

 

Today, IT can update a single desktop image in the data center, rather than updating each individual PC. “Managing IT across three sites would have been impossible without Workspace,” says Högström. “The biggest benefit for me is that RSM staff can work anywhere on any device, and I don’t need to care about individual configurations. I manage everything from the data center.”

 

 

ShareFile was the obvious choice … It means we don’t have large binders of paper and don’t rely on insecure methods like email and USB sticks to share files.

 

Fredrik Högström
IT Manager
RSM