Problem
Airtable Workflows Lacked Scalability
Before SmartSuite, this boutique CPA firm relied heavily on Airtable and a patchwork of disconnected tools like Carbon, Ignition, and Typeform. The system required constant manual upkeep, and the lack of true relational linking made process management unwieldy.
Client records were scattered. Dashboards lacked clarity. Each tax season triggered a scramble to cross-reference spreadsheets and emails. The founder explained, “I want my team to have clarity—who their clients are, what services we provide, and when it needs to happen.”
But the current setup couldn’t keep up with the firm’s rapid growth or its evolving service model. And visualizing data across clients, services, or internal teams was nearly impossible. Their Airtable workspace looked more like a cluttered spreadsheet than a scalable CRM.
Q1
Solution
Unified CRM and Role-Based Dashboards
SmartSuite helped the firm reimagine its data architecture from the ground up. Starting with CRM and account management, the team built a centralized system to store client details, service levels, bank integrations, and assigned bookkeepers.
The Founder worked directly with a SmartSuite consultant to "de-Airtable" their setup—creating linked records for banks, payroll providers, and team members, instead of relying on static fields. Dashboards were crafted for different team roles, such as bookkeepers and staff accountants, displaying only the relevant businesses, tasks, and metrics.
Opportunities, onboarding flows, and client services were all mapped to their lifecycle, enabling data-driven views for reporting, prioritization, and planning. Automations are now underway to replace email follow-ups and manual handoffs.
Q2
Result
Visibility, Flexibility, and True Data Control
With SmartSuite, the firm now operates from a single source of truth. Instead of fragmented views across Airtable and Carbon, the entire team can visualize what clients they serve, what services are active, and where attention is needed.
Dashboards display real-time stats—like A-rated clients, monthly revenue, and service coverage—tailored to each user. Linked records keep bankers, bookkeepers, and service providers tied to the right accounts, enabling faster analysis and decision-making.
“We want everything in SmartSuite, and then have our other systems feed off of it,” said the Founder. “That’s the goal—and we’re finally on track to make that happen.”
Q3