From Clunky to Streamlined with REB CPA

The 2025 Canopy Unclunk Award Winner

The Unclunk Award is Canopy’s version of “Firm of the Year”—a celebration of accounting firms that have taken messy, disconnected processes and transformed them into streamlined, modern workflows. It recognizes firms that go beyond growth and revenue to prioritize efficiency, client experience, and team well-being.

REB CPA stood out as a clear winner.

From the moment they adopted Canopy, REB CPA made it their mission to use the platform with purpose. Every year, they review what worked and what didn’t, evolving their systems to be faster, clearer, and more client-friendly. 

They’ve streamlined client communication, centralized requests and file tracking, and empowered their team with full visibility across every project and invoice—all within Canopy.

But it’s not just the tech; it’s the way they use it to build relationships. The team prides itself on combining high-tech with high-touch service.

For their commitment to smarter systems, human connection, and continuous improvement, REB CPA earned this year’s Unclunk Award, and we couldn’t think of a more deserving firm.

Profile

REB CPA is a tech-forward accounting and tax firm based in Arizona with a 15-person team and a legacy spanning multiple decades. Led by founder Rich, the firm combines high-touch client service with high-efficiency systems, leveraging Canopy to support remote work, streamline operations, and scale through six successful acquisitions. 

With a strong focus on continuous improvement and client experience, REB CPA has become a model of how modern firms can grow without the chaos.

From Clunky to Streamlined 

For years, Rich, founder of REB CPA, was stuck searching for a better practice management solution. Like many firm owners, he cycled through clunky desktop systems and rigid enterprise software, trying to cobble together an efficient workflow.

He started with spreadsheets, evolved to OfficeTools, and then tried Thomson Reuters’ cloud platform—but none of it stuck.

“I used Thomson Reuters... it was terrible. I couldn’t get away from it fast enough,” Rich recalls. “Before that was Office Tools. It was a desktop application, not web-based. It worked fine, but I was a growing practice and it just was not flexible enough.” - Richard Bingaman, Founder

As a self-described “tech guy”, Rich knew exactly what he was looking for: a cloud-based, fully integrated platform that could support his growing team and eliminate the need for multiple disconnected tools.

He found it in Canopy.

Unlike other vendors, Canopy let him test-drive the platform before committing—something that stood out immediately.

Three years later, REB CPA is still going strong with Canopy at the core of its practice operations. What was once a clunky and disconnected process is now streamlined, scalable, and efficient.

“You guys hit the nail on the head with your technology, and that pleases me to no end.” - Richard Bingaman, Founder

A Cradle-to-Gave Solution That Clients Love

When Rich set out to modernize REB CPA, his vision was clear: give clients one place to interact with the firm—from onboarding to final deliverables. No juggling portals. No manual workarounds. Just one streamlined experience.

“I wanted a cradle-to-grave solution for my clients, Canopy solved that problem.” - Richard Bingaman, Founder

With Canopy, REB CPA found the end-to-end client experience it had been missing. Clients can upload documents, sign engagement letters, communicate with the team, and access final deliverables—all within a single, secure portal.

“It really helps us elevate our client experience, it’s user-friendly, and they can interact with us start to finish in Canopy.” - Richard Bingaman, Founder

That ease of use has been a game-changer. Whether clients are tech-savvy or not, they’ve embraced the platform.

“What I’ve learned... is that while clients may be using a professional-looking portal, if it’s not organized, they can’t find what they need. So we don’t just throw files in. We make it easy for them to do business with us.” - Richard Bingaman, Founder

By consolidating client communication, document sharing, eSignatures, and preferences tracking in one system, Rich has created a modern, convenient client experience, something he sees as non-negotiable.

Scaling Smart: 6 Acquisitions and Counting

As the accounting profession faces a wave of retirements, Rich saw an opportunity to not just to grow REB CPA, but to offer clients of older, clunkier firms a better experience. With Canopy in place as the operational backbone, REB CPA has now successfully acquired and integrated six practices.

Each acquisition brings hundreds of new clients and plenty of operational baggage like outdated systems, incomplete client records, and scattered data. Canopy makes it possible to absorb those challenges without derailing the team’s workflow.

“This most recent acquisition, I had to upload 800 contacts into Canopy. And it was a snap. It really was that easy.” - Richard Bingaman, Founder

He’s experienced firsthand how painful disorganized practices can be. In one case, the prior owner provided a client list full of outdated contacts, clients who hadn’t been active in years.

But with Canopy, once that cleanup is done, onboarding clients into a structured, streamlined system becomes simple. And Rich knows the long-term payoff is worth it—not just for his team, but for the clients being brought into a modern experience.

“We’ve built what we feel is a pretty special firm at REB CPA. And we have an opportunity to plug more clients into our structured approach to how we take care of people.” - Richard Bingaman, Founder

Custom Fields, Smarter Team

At REB CPA, delivering consistent, high-quality client service depends on more than just having the right technology. It’s about using that technology intentionally.

For Rich, one of the unsung heroes in Canopy is the ability to create and manage custom fields. His team uses them to track everything from communication preferences to signature methods, ensuring that every team member knows exactly how to serve each client.

“We track in the CRM aspect of the database how clients like to communicate—telephone, email, portal. How do they like to sign documents? E-sign, in person, on paper? All those preferences are logged.” - Richard Bingaman, Founder

With team members spread across multiple states, Rich can’t rely on hallway conversations to share this kind of detail. Instead, Canopy ensures the information is right where it needs to be: attached to the client record and accessible to anyone who needs it.

“Because we have a large team, each team member needs to know how to interact with the client,” he said. “So we use custom fields in order to track those preferences. That way, any team member can jump in and know exactly how to work with that client.” - Richard Bingaman, Founder

By combining custom fields with a structured workflow, Rich has created an environment where remote collaboration doesn’t sacrifice client service—and new team members can ramp up faster.

“It’s about leveraging the functionality and flexibility of the Canopy database to improve the client experience. And that’s just one example.” - Richard Bingaman, Founder

Built for Accountants, Proven by REB CPA

REB CPA’s story isn’t just about switching software. It’s about building a smarter, more scalable firm with people and processes at the center. By using Canopy with intention, they’ve streamlined operations, improved client relationships, and empowered their team to do better work without the chaos.

They didn’t just plug in a tool and hope for the best. They made it part of their strategy, reviewing, refining, and improving year after year. From managing acquisitions to personalizing client service with custom fields, every decision ties back to one goal: making it easier for both clients and staff to succeed.

That’s why REB CPA earned this year’s Unclunk Award. They’ve proven that when you pair the right mindset with the right tools, you don’t just grow. You build something that lasts.