It’s a reality for Client Accounting Services (CAS) Managers: much of the environment is dictated by factors outside their direct purview.
It is true that you may not:
- Choose every client the firm accepts.
- Have the final say on every new hire that lands on your team.
- Implement client onboarding
- Determine the client fee
However, the core truth is that CAS Managers are the indispensable drivers of operational success, team morale, and profitability.
The highest-impact areas of the practice are fully within your sphere of influence. By focusing energy here, you move from reacting to firm mandates to actively shaping a thriving practice.
Let’s focus on the key areas CAS Managers can and should exert control.
1. Mastering CAS Team Development: The Power to Train and Upskill
You may not select the individuals on your team, but you absolutely control the trajectory of their competence and career growth. Your team’s performance is a direct reflection of your commitment to their development.
- Tech Stack Mastery: Design and implement a continuous training program focused on your current technology ecosystem. How often are you running workshops on new features in your general ledger software, workflow tools, or integration platforms? Consistent technical training is non-negotiable.
- CAS Upskilling through Exposure: Actively include your team in advisory discussions with clients. Exposing staff to these higher-level conversations is the most effective way for them to develop the strategic skills required to become trusted advisors.
- Proactive Skill Development: Identify “next-level” competencies (e.g., advanced reporting, financial modeling, industry-specific tech) and create clear pathways for team members to acquire them. Are you upskilling them to be advisors, not just processors?
2. Defending the Boundary: Eliminating Scope Creep
Scope creep—the subtle, unbilled expansion of work—is the silent killer of profitability. While the initial price may be set by others, you control the mechanisms used to protect the scope of work and the team’s time.
- Create a “Scope Alert” Process: Implement a clear, simple protocol for team members to spot and flag any request that falls outside the agreed-upon services. This system removes the burden of subjective judgment from the individual staff member.
- Incentivize Reporting: Build incentives (e.g., a small reward or public recognition) for team members who proactively bring potential scope creep to your attention before the work is done. Make them the guardians of the engagement.
3. Spotting Gold: The Upselling Advantage
As a CAS Manager, you have the closest daily view of the client’s financial operations. You are perfectly positioned to identify needs that the firm can meet through additional, higher-value services.
- The “Problem/Opportunity” Mindset: Train your team to shift their focus from merely solving transactional problems to identifying strategic opportunities. For example, a client struggling with inventory tracking isn’t simply a problem—it is an opportunity for a profitable inventory management system implementation service.
- Incentivize the Spotter: Establish a clear incentive structure for team members who identify a viable upsell opportunity that is ultimately closed by the firm. This mechanism encourages your entire team to act as a valuable revenue-generating asset, not just a cost center.
4. Culture and Boundaries: Protecting Your Team
While CAS Managers cannot control a client’s personality, you absolutely control the environment and boundaries created to protect your team from demanding or difficult client behavior. This is fundamentally crucial for staff retention and morale.
- Define and Communicate “The Standard”: Create clear, non-negotiable boundaries around response times, communication channels, and acceptable professional behavior. Example: All urgent requests must be channeled through the CAS Manager; no direct weekend client texts to staff.
- Intervene Immediately: If a client violates a boundary or treats a team member disrespectfully, you must intervene swiftly and decisively. Your control here is demonstrating to your team that you will protect them. This fosters priceless loyalty and trust.
Embrace Your True Sphere of Influence
While firm leaders handle the macro strategic decisions, the CAS Manager controls the daily execution, profitability, and overall team experience of the services delivered.
By focusing your energy and intention on training, scope defense, upsell strategy, and team protection, you move from feeling like a **** in the firm’s chess game to becoming the highly effective, indispensable leader who truly drives the success of the CAS practice.
Your control is not defined by what you manage, but by how you manage the people and processes within your sphere of influence.
Want to learn more about how to train your CAS team? Check out our monthly CAS Calendar that has weekly training.
