I spent five years working inside CPA firms, and I've been consulting for firms like them since 2017. I build most of the integrations, automations, and dashboards myself, and I run every discovery call.
You can't have a family you don't spend time with.
I worked inside CPA firms from 2013 to 2017, and watched good people miss dinner after dinner every tax season. A missed dinner is not just a meal. It's time with the people who matter, and it doesn't come back.
The cause was rarely the accounting. It was licensed staff keying the same client into three systems, partners deciding from last month's numbers, and software that promised to save time but added one more step to everyone's day.
“These weren't just inefficiencies. They were hours stolen from people's lives.”
In 2017 the last firm I worked for became my first consulting client. Silver Sea grew from there: connect the systems a firm already owns, automate the re-keying, and put the numbers partners need in one view. Every hour a system takes over is an hour someone gets back.
The tools have changed since (APIs, RPA, Power BI, and now AI agents). The measure hasn't: who makes it home for dinner.
The first conversation is about the firm's strategic plan, not a tool: which services and industries it wants to grow, and what the partners need to see to run it. Then we walk through how the work gets done today, who does it, in which system, and where it breaks, and build to fit. Technology follows strategy, not the other way around.
A short written update every week: what shipped, what's next, what we need from you. Clients mention this more than the software.
When a project has unknowns, we start with a small fixed-fee discovery: study the systems, run the experiments, and measure the complexity. You get a realistic timeline and an honest answer on whether we should take it on, before you commit to the build.
Between 30 and 50 percent of our time goes to research and building, so what we suggest has been run against real firm data.
And one from the mentor who trained me.
Joshua LowePartner, West & Company, LLCSteven has been an excellent resource for our firm over the past year, and we plan to continue working with him for the foreseeable future. We have utilized his Company to assist us with strategic implementation of automation tools and procedures for both CCH Axcess Tax and Practice involving API and DAU add-on solutions offered by CCH. His expertise with the CCH suite has allowed us to become more efficient and better utilize available data, and we look forward to finding additional opportunities for improvement. He seems to fully understand the pain points in the public accounting profession, and is very responsive to our firm's requests to ensure success.
D. ColeDirector, Cathedral CPAs & AdvisorsWe have been thoroughly impressed with the exceptional service provided by Steven Duc Tran. He is incredibly responsive and always has our best interests at heart. Steven's extensive system knowledge of CCH Axcess has been invaluable in supporting us with our software migration due to our recent merger transaction. He ensures a smooth and efficient transition. We highly recommend Steven and his company, Silver Sea, for his professionalism and expertise.
Mathew SalutoffDirector of IT, Thomas St. JohnSteven and Silver Sea has been an essential architect for CCH DAU add-on solutions. His expertise with CCH, including not only DAU but also extensive API knowledge, has allowed us to have amazing control of our data. Steven's deep understanding of accounting and software development allows him to look for additional opportunities for improvement proactively. He always has our best interest at heart and is dedicated to the success of every project.
Fran DaughenbaughProject and Analytics Manager, Meriwether, Wilson and Company, PLLCSteven and his team have been developing some Power BI Dashboards for us utilizing the data housed in our CCH software, as well as some custom reporting that elevates the canned reporting options from that software. Steven keeps in touch with weekly updates and follow-ups, as well as responds promptly to all our questions. We are very impressed with his knowledge, responsiveness, and the level of support!
Sid NuenoChief Operating Officer, TPS HayerWorking with Steven and the team at Silver Sea has been transformative for our business. They developed an automation solution that generates our weekly and monthly reports, seamlessly transforming the data into an insightful dashboard. Saving our team a few hours each week and given us almost real-time insights that were previously hard to get. Even without the DAU, we now have a BI dashboard that allows us to analyze our operations in ways we never could before. We couldn't be happier with the results!
Reid GavinCOO, Machen McChesneySteven and Silver Sea have been transformative for our firm! They helped us get the CCH DAU up and running and also supported us with other vendors requiring connection with our CCH system. Steven is very responsive and understands the needs of a growing CPA firm. I recommend Silver Sea to any firms looking to improve data utilization/visualization.
Donny Shimamoto, CPA, CITP, CGMAManaging Director, Intraprise TechKnowlogies LLCI first worked with Duc (Steven) when he was first learning to deliver technology solutions back in Houston, and I have been a mentor to him since. He's always been a quick study when I direct him to learn a technology or a particular development approach. Once he started his own firm, we have been referring accounting firms and nonprofit clients to him for great quick-win solutions.
Laura SkinnerTransformation & Strategy Leader | GRC | Operational ExcellenceI had the opportunity to work with Steven on a project that required in-depth expertise with CCH API, Data Axcess Utility, and Automation. Steven was always readily available and took the time to thoroughly understand our business needs while ensuring solutions were designed to accommodate future changes in our processes. His deep technical knowledge was crucial to the success of one of our system rollouts, and he consistently delivered on time and with great professionalism. I would not hesitate to recommend Steven and his team for any projects involving these technologies.
Steven Duc Tran, a CPA and Certified Internal Auditor. He worked inside CPA firms from 2013 to 2017 and has consulted on accounting-firm technology since 2017. Silver Sea has served 50+ firms. It is based in the US and also takes on firms in the UK, Europe, and Australia.
Both, and strategy comes first. We start from the firm's growth strategy, classify every system as preferred, tolerated, or consolidate, locate the systems of record, and write a roadmap back from where the firm wants to be in three years to what to build first. Many firms engage us for the roadmap before any integration.
With a discovery call. When a project has unknowns, the next step is a small fixed-fee discovery phase. We study the systems, run the experiments, and measure the complexity. You get a realistic timeline and an honest answer on whether we should take it on, before you commit to the build.
Every engagement is confidential. A case study necessarily describes a firm's operational weak spots or its technology advantage, so we describe the firm and the numbers without naming it. Named testimonials appear only where the client has chosen to give one.
A specific problem, a rough idea, or a migration already in motion. One call is enough to tell you whether we can help and where we'd start.