New Look, New Capabilities Are Highlights of CCH’s ProSystem fx Practice 6.0

(RIVERWOODS, ILL., February 5, 2004) – Firms can now save time, better manage projects and be more productive with CCH INCORPORATED’s ProSystem fx Practice 6.0. This latest version of CCH’s award-winning practice management software features improved navigation, enhanced project management, better management of client information and a host of other enhancements.

"These enhancements are all about saving users time and letting them work in a more intuitive manner," said Practice product manager Kate Foss. "They add on to the great functionality that has already won Practice a spot on the coveted Accounting Today Top 100 Software Products list."

New Interface

The improvements begin with a new user interface, designed to improve productivity. A new navigation bar styled after Microsoft Outlook^® slides out on the left side of the screen to enable users to move from one Practice module to another quickly and easily.

The navigation bar also holds many configuration options for each module. In addition, the Practice menus and toolbars have been reorganized to make the most commonly used commands more easily accessible. The new menus and toolbars are fully customizable for each user.

"It all adds up to a quicker, more intuitive style of working that gets new users up to speed faster and makes experienced users more productive," Foss said.

Project Management Enhanced For Forms, Due Dates

Project Tracking in Practice 6.0 has been enhanced to the point that it has been renamed Project Management. Key new functionality revolves around tax forms and due dates. Forms can be assigned to projects and linked to tasks, while statutory and extended filing dates can be automatically calculated. Forms and dates available in ProSystem fx Tax are directly available, while users can assign additional forms – sales and use or excise, for example – and have the system calculate due dates based on a template and the client’s fiscal year.

"Given the key position of due dates in projects, these new automated Project Management features in the latest Practice release will save users hours of extra time and dozens of potential mistakes," Foss observed.

In addition, the Product Management module in Practice 6.0 adopts a more flexible project and task template architecture, implements enhanced staff assignment capability, and adds data fields for Complexity, Priority, Promised Date and Received Date.

Client Management, Other Enhancements

In the enhanced Client Management module, redesigned screens present information in a clearer, more organized fashion. In addition, sensitive information is now located on the Administrative and Billing tabs, and each staff member can be assigned explicit permissions for each tab.

"This allows firms the option of permitting every staff member to update general client information, such as names and addresses, while restricting access to more sensitive information," Foss noted.

Other enhancements to 6.0 range from enhanced database performance and Linux compatibility to full text searching during report preview.

"Practice 6.0 has been tweaked and enhanced in dozens of ways to produce fast, flexible and effective workflows," Foss said.

Integrated with The ProSystem fx Office

ProSystem fx Practice 6.0 is fully integrated with ProSystem fx Tax, the industry’s premier tax compliance system, used by more than 20,000 firms nationwide. Through this integration, ProSystem fx Office users are able to share client data, streamlining workflow and helping achieve a higher level of efficiency.

In addition to ProSystem fx Practice and ProSystem fx Tax, The ProSystem fx Office provides a comprehensive suite of integrated software products for accountants, including solutions for trial balance, tax planning, office productivity and fixed assets.

Additional Information

For pricing and additional information on ProSystem fx Practice 6.0, call 1-800-PFX-9998. Detailed enhancement information and registration for Virtual Product Showcases – CCH’s online product demos – are also available at tax.cchgroup.com.

About CCH INCORPORATED

CCH INCORPORATED, headquartered in Riverwoods, Ill., was founded in 1913 and has served more than four generations of business professionals and their clients. The company produces more than 700 electronic and print products for the tax, accounting, legal, securities and small business markets. CCH is a Wolters Kluwer company. The CCH Federal and State Tax group, CCH Tax Compliance and Aspen Publishers Tax and Accounting group comprise the new Tax and Accounting unit. The unit’s web site can be accessed at tax.cchgroup.com.

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