Before You Start

This guide assumes you have an active Keeper.app subscription and have basic knowledge of your clients’ chart of accounts and reporting needs.

Overview

35 min
Setup Time
Intermediate
Difficulty
Monthly
Maintenance

What You’ll Learn

  • Setting up your firm’s close templates in Keeper
  • Automating client communication for missing items
  • Leveraging the client portal for secure document exchange
  • Delivering custom management reports efficiently

1. Getting Started with Keeper

Before diving in, make sure you have the following ready:

Required Items

  • Active Keeper.app subscription
  • Client profiles created in Keeper
  • Standardized chart of accounts for your clients

Recommended Items

  • Client-specific month-end checklists
  • Templates for management reports
  • List of recurring transactions for each client

2. Key Features for Efficiency

Keeper offers several powerful features to streamline your firm’s operations.

Feature A: Month-End Close Checklists

Utilize Keeper’s robust checklist system to standardize your close process.

Pros:
  • Standardized tasks.
  • Automated reminders.
  • Progress tracking.
Cons:
  • Initial setup time.
  • Requires team adoption.
  • Over-customization can be complex.

Feature B: Client Portal & Communication

Centralize all client interactions, from questions to document requests and report delivery.

Expert Tip: The integrated client portal in Keeper drastically reduces email clutter and centralizes client communication, making audit trails clear and accessible for both your firm and your clients.

3. Implementing Your Workflow

Here’s a high-level overview of an efficient month-end close workflow using Keeper:

Here is a sample code block to show how an API call might look.

{
  "client_id": "CLIENT-001",
  "month_end_date": "2025-09-30",
  "status": "In Progress",
  "tasks_completed": 15,
  "pending_client_questions": 3
}

4. Setting Up Keeper Components

  1. 1

    Create Client Workspaces

    Set up individual workspaces for each client, importing their QuickBooks or Xero data.

  2. 2

    Design Close Checklists

    Build templated month-end checklists or customize them for each client’s unique needs.

  3. 3

    Integrate Reporting

    Link your reporting templates and populate them with real-time data from integrated accounting software.

Common Error: Inconsistent Chart of Accounts

Ensure your clients’ chart of accounts are standardized or properly mapped within Keeper to enable accurate reporting and efficient task assignment across clients.

5. Testing & Refinement

Test Implementation Checklist

  • Process a full month-end close for a test client
  • Send and resolve client questions through the portal
  • Generate a management report for review
  • Confirm all tasks are trackable and assignable

Need Help?

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Having trouble implementing Keeper or optimizing your workflows? Our team offers specialized consulting to get you up and running.

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