Powering a flexible, efficient, and client-friendly practice through FYI
Kelly Accountants is a modern Irish accountancy firm rooted in family values and forward-thinking technology. Originally founded by Aoife Kelly’s father, the firm has grown under her leadership to support clients with a tight-knit team of experts. Known for its efficient operations and client-first approach, the practice has always embraced tools that allow it to stay one step ahead.
FYI has quickly become central to this mission.
From good intentions to great execution
Before adopting FYI, the firm was using a similar system and while it had some useful features, most notably email filing by client, Aoife felt it wasn’t meeting the firm’s full potential.
“I could see the benefit of a practice management system, but only if you actually used it properly,” says Aoife.
Working from anywhere – and thriving
One of the biggest benefits Aoife noticed was the flexibility FYI gave her team. “My staff can work from anywhere now, and that’s made a huge difference to morale. If they want to work from home, they can. It’s simple.”
Having everything in one place is key: “All the emails, files and job statuses are under the client.
“You can open an Excel file, make changes, and it saves automatically. And I love the version history. Being able to go back to yesterday’s version has saved us so many times.”
From manual admin to smart automation
Kelly Accountants now uses FYI to automate a wide range of recurring tasks and client communications.
“Our VAT jobs automatically create on the first of the month. Then clients get reminders on the first, eighth, fifteenth and twenty-second – but only if their job is still in the planned stage. The moment they move forward, the emails stop. It’s brilliant.”
They also send out reminders for income tax returns, timed to match quieter periods. “I know that June gets a little quiet, so I send a nudge about tax returns, and suddenly another twenty come in. It just keeps things moving, instead of piling up last minute.”
With regular newsletters and updates to client segments, FYI’s automation also makes staying in touch easy.
Onboarding with ease and looking ahead with FYI Elite
The firm is now rolling out FYI Elite to take advantage of its advanced workflow and planning tools.
“I’m really looking forward to the workflow planning. I’ll be able to spot weeks in advance if someone’s going to hit a slump or has spare capacity.”
Aoife also sees it supporting long-term planning. She said: “We’re always overstaffed on purpose, but now I’ll be able to pinpoint how much capacity we have and how many more clients we can take on before needing a new team member.”
The team at Kelly Accountants is exploring further onboarding automations.
Aoife explained: “We’re building workflows where as soon as a new client signs up, the right emails go out, GoCardless is triggered, and the onboarding moves forward without us having to chase anything.”
A better experience for clients, too
Aoife believes FYI is not only improving internal processes, but also creating a better experience for clients, even if they don’t realise it.
“They’re getting more regular, relevant communication. They probably don’t know we switched systems, but they feel more supported,” she said.
Clients also benefit from the firm’s use of FYI Collaborate as “signed documents go straight into the Collaborate portal. Clients know where to find things, and it stops those ‘can I get a copy of my tax return?’ calls that slow us down.”
Continual improvement, but room to grow
For Aoife, one of FYI’s biggest strengths is that it’s never standing still. “I love that they’re constantly improving the platform. You can’t work with a provider who doesn’t want to improve.”
A true advocate
Having discovered FYI through a peer recommendation, Aoife has now become one of its most vocal champions.
“I’ve probably sold it to more accountants in Ireland than anyone,” she jokes. “But genuinely, it’s a no-brainer. It makes your practice better, for your team and your clients.”
As a firm focused on offering clients peace of mind, it’s clear that FYI has helped Kelly Accountants deliver on that promise more consistently and efficiently than ever before.