Where We Started
Simply put: RLB Digital originates from the IT team at a top-performing Canadian CPA firm.
Until about 4 years ago, RLB’s IT team was regarded much the same as any other IT team would be.
If it was broken, call IT.
If you didn’t understand what the pop-up was asking you to do, call IT. If you accidentally submerged your laptop in water, call IT …and apologize profusely.
What Changed
In 2018 the IT Team collectively worked to take a more proactive approach to supporting our Firm. What if, instead of being stuck in the never-ending loop of break, fix, break, fix, break again, we made a plan to improve the way we work as a whole. Sure, there would still be calls about printers malfunctioning, or glitter lodged in a computer (yes, that happened) but beyond that, we could build a strategy that would allow our team to work more efficiently, with greater collaboration and fewer obstacles.
We developed our first ever “IT Strategic Vision” and shared it with the firm. That year we included plans to increase our investment in technology as well as solicit more feedback from all users. One of the questions we ask our firm each year is “How do you feel about technology at RLB?” A very broad question meant to gauge the general feeling out of 10. In 3 short years we went from a 7.4 to a 9.2. In fact, our strategy ensured that our distributed teams were connected so that when the lockdown was implemented in March of 2020, we had successfully flipped to a fully remote operation within 24 hours. (Our team spent more time handing out monitors than almost anything else in those first few days)
As the IT department grew and our organization found more and more trust in our team we began to discuss the possibility of expanding our expertise beyond these four walls… and 5 locations. We welcomed Irfan aboard as a systems developer and began ramping up the custom automations we could offer to make the lives of our team and our clients easier.
As a client of RLB, one of the exciting automations that you may be familiar with would be the customized personal tax submission form that automatically flows your documents to the right accountant and team. We have expanded this now to our US Tax and Estate clients.
Enter the Dragons
In 2021 we set our sights on the next milestone for our team. An email popped into my inbox announcing the first-ever RLB Dragon’s Den. This was an opportunity to share the next great breakthrough idea with the leaders of our firm. Now, I need you to know something important about me. I hate public speaking. I’m talking, sweaty, anxiety, on the verge of passing out kind of hate. So, I think it speaks volumes about the passion I have for what we do when I tell you that I was the first person to sign up for the opportunity.
In October 2021 I pitched my idea to share the resources of our continuously evolving IT team with our valued clients. We could take the principles behind developing integrations and automations and apply them to the unique and often intricate needs of the businesses our clients have built. If our firm finds value in what we have done, there is no telling who we might be able to help and what ideas we may be able to bring to life.
The “Dragons” loved the idea. They themselves had seen the evolution take place before their eyes and knew that the foundation of what we offer could be translated across a variety of industries. We immediately got to work behind the scenes. With the support of Irfan Maulana, Haosen Cheng, Kyle Stahlbaum and a few other key team members, we built the groundwork for RLB Digital. We are excited to show you how we can help your business run smoother, more efficiently and help you find a better way.
We Want to Help
To say this journey is a passion project for the team feels like a massive understatement. Each person who is involved with RLB Digital has spent their careers building their specific skill set in order to get us to this point. Finding better ways of doing business is what motivates each person to get out of bed in the morning. That, and caffeine of course. Our team combined experiences have set us up for success, which in turn sets our clients up for success.
We can’t wait to meet with you one on one and to get started finding a better way today.
