Cohen and Co | Retain Cloud | Accounting, Audit and Tax | Mid-Enterprise

Background and Challenges

As Assurance Deployment Senior Manager at Cohen & Co, Lauren leads the firm's resource management for over 400 users. Before implementing Retain, the teams faced growing challenges with their existing scheduling tools and processes.

Scheduling and resource planning was time consuming and difficult to maintain. The system required multiple steps to update or edit records, with no built-in analytics or an easy way to gain visibility on open needs or staff availability. Because of this, data quickly became outdated, and many teams reverted to using Excel to fill the gaps.

Without a single source of truth, planning and forecasting across the firm was inconsistent. It was difficult to aggregate data, see real time availability, or plan proactively. This was especially challenging during busy seasons when accurate insights were critical for meeting client deadlines and optimising team utilisation.

Selecting a Solution

Cohen & Co’s leadership team identified key criteria for a new solution:

• A user friendly interface to encourage adoption
• Robust reporting and data analytics capabilities
• Ability to integrate with existing business systems

After considering options such as continuing with their existing system or building a bespoke tool, the firm chose Retain. Retain provided a proven solution that could be implemented quickly and offered flexibility to support the firm’s evolving needs.

The decision making process included IT, Assurance leadership, Product Managers, and input from end users to ensure the selected solution would deliver value across the business.

Implementation and Adoption

The implementation of Retain was smooth and aligned well with the firm's project timelines. Teams were able to get up and running quickly.

As with any change programme, some users initially continued to rely on Excel tools during the transition. Through ongoing onboarding and training, the Assurance teams are now fully using Retain, and Advisory teams are also in the process of adopting the platform.

Different parts of the business required tailored security configurations, which Retain was able to accommodate, supporting a consistent user experience across the organisation.

Integration and Customisation

Retain integrates well with Cohen & Co’s existing systems. The platform pulls data from the firm's established sources of truth, with processes in place to ensure updates flow smoothly across systems.

Retain’s out of the box functionality met most of Cohen & Co’s requirements with minimal customisation. The team continues to enhance certain aspects of reporting and is actively developing integrations with other internal tools to further improve visibility and insight.

Business Impact

Since adopting Retain, Cohen & Co has seen clear improvements in resource management and planning.

• Faster, more insightful reporting: During busy seasons, the ability to leverage Retain’s reporting tools and integrate with Power BI has provided valuable insights. The team can now easily visualise key metrics, identify bottlenecks, and proactively manage resource planning.
• Improved forecasting: Enhanced visibility allows managers to forecast and reforecast quickly, helping to optimise team utilisation and support more accurate budgeting.
• Better collaboration: Retain’s filtering and visibility features have improved collaboration across teams. Managers can now identify availability and fill resource needs more efficiently, with less reliance on manual communication.
• Positive user experience: The platform’s intuitive design has been well received by users. Ongoing reminders and training are helping to embed best practices and ensure continued adoption across the business.