No Hype, Just Help: Five Tech Moves That Paid Off This YearFinish Strong by being prepared: Holiday-Ready IT for the Pacific Northwest (Part 2 of 4)

The noise was loud. The wins were quiet. This year, five practical moves actually helped owners sleep better: invoice reminders, AI for admin, MFA, cloud docs that work on the go, and chat channels that beat reply-all. One firm cut average payment time from 45 to 28 days just by turning on reminders. Here’s what to keep and how to set it up without drama.

What You’ll Get In Part 2 of the November Series

  • The five wins to keep for 2026
  • Guardrails (especially for AI)
  • A professional-services vignette from Portland/Albany
  • Quick steps if you want help

The Five Keepers

  1. Automatic Invoice Reminders (QuickBooks, Xero, Professional Services Automation (PSA)Turn on scheduled reminder emails so the system nudges clients for you … politely and on time.
  • Why It Works: Consistency beats memory. Automated, pre-approved language removes awkward follow-ups and shortens days-sales-outstanding without extra staff time.
  • Who Benefits: Accounting firms (Certified Public Accountant (CPA) practices, tax, bookkeeping, fractional CFOs), legal boutiques, independent Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) firms, and nonprofit admin teams handling sponsorships or dues.
  1. Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Administrative Work (Microsoft Copilot, ChatGPT, Grammarly)Use AI to summarize long threads, draft meeting notes, and produce first-pass proposals or job posts AND of course … humans still edit and approve.
  • Why It Works: AI clears the busywork so decision-makers focus on judgment, not retyping. You get faster turnarounds on routine documents without lowering quality.
  • Who Benefits: Owners/Partners, Office/Admin Managers, IT Managers/Directors, Executive Directors (EDs) at nonprofits, and COOs who juggle high volumes of written communication.
  1. Multifactor Authentication (MFA) + Password Managers (1Password, Bitwarden, Dashlane)Add a second factor to logins and replace sticky notes with a secure vault and shared credentials where appropriate.
  • Why It Works: Most breaches start with stolen or reused passwords. Multifactor authentication (MFA) blocks the majority of unauthorized access, and password managers eliminate weak/duplicate logins and reset chaos.
  • Who Benefits: Credit unions, professional services, and nonprofit admin offices, especially finance, HR/compliance, and anyone with elevated privileges.
  1. Cloud Documents That Actually Sync (Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive/SharePoint, Dropbox)Standardize folders and permissions so staff can open proposals, POs, and exhibits from a phone or tablet—whether they’re in Seattle, Boise, Cheyenne, Phoenix, or Northern California.
  • Why It Works: Single source of truth + offline access = less “I’ll send it later” and more work done between meetings. Clear structure reduces version conflicts and lost attachments.
  • Who Benefits: Consultants, attorneys, CPAs, RIAs, and nonprofit program/admin teams that travel or collaborate across Corvallis, Albany, Portland, Salem, Eugene, and Bend.
  1. Channels Over Reply-All (Slack, Microsoft Teams)Move quick questions and updates into channels with threads instead of burying them in email chains.
  • Why It Works: Threads keep context intact and searchable. Urgent items get visibility without turning into everyone’s fire drill, and decisions are easier to find later.
  • Who Benefits Cross-office teams, project leads, operations, and help desk staff who need fast answers without inbox overload.

Rollout without chaos: Managed IT Services can tune your stack, policies, and permissions: https://www.10dtech.com/services/managed-it-services

Security lift with less fuss? Managed Cybersecurity: https://www.10dtech.com/services/managed-cybersecurity

Still half-in the cloud, half on a server? Cloud Solutions & Migrations can finish the move: https://www.10dtech.com/services/cloud-solutions-migrations

Need templates and tips? IT Help Desk & Remote Support: https://www.10dtech.com/services/it-help-desk-support

Sam’s “Keep the Good, Drop the Noise” 

Sam runs Clear As Mud Services, a 42-person firm in Portland with an Albany office. In October, the team flipped on invoice reminders, enabled MFA for everyone, and moved “quick questions” into Teams. Payments arrived 12–15 days faster, password-reset tickets fell, and project notes stopped getting lost. When a client meeting popped up in Boise, the team opened contract drafts on a tablet, no laptop scramble.

FAQs You’ll Use

  • Q1: What 30-day IT wins should we do first?
    • Turn on Multifactor Authentication (MFA), enable automatic invoice reminders, and publish a two-page file map. If you want this set up without disrupting work, our Managed IT Services team can handle it. (https://www.10dtech.com/services/managed-it-services)
  • Q2: Is Artificial Intelligence (AI) safe for client work?
    • Yes …. But … keep data inside your tenant, control access, and require human review before sending. We can configure guardrails via Managed Cybersecurity and quick training through IT Help Desk & Remote Support. (https://www.10dtech.com/services/managed-cybersecurity
  • Q3: We’re half on a server and half in the cloud—what’s next?
  • Q4: Should we choose Slack or Microsoft Teams?
  • Q5: How do we cut reply-all chaos but keep leaders in the loop?

Ready To Act?

Keep the wins that matter and ditch the rest. We’ll help you land MFA, clean file access, smart reminders, and a short playbook … fast.

Book a Free IT Checkup

Because your 2026 tech plan shouldn’t be about chasing trends. It should be about making your business easier to run.

10D Tech is your Oregon-based IT & cybersecurity partner (offices in Corvallis and Portland), serving Oregon & SW Washington.

Corvallis/Albany/Eugene/Bend (541) 243-4103 • Portland/Salem (503) 971-9103