Accounting, like all professions, is constantly evolving, and it’s not just about keeping up with legislative and financial changes. These innovative trends are changing how business does accounting.
The remote working trend is here to stay.Almost all major corporations have made concessions for hybrid and remote working since the pandemic, regardless of whether bosses like it or not.This means accountants must master the art of working in distributed teams. Remote work adds to the bottom line, rather than subtracts from it.It is imperative to protect data. IT geeks used to worry about data security, but now it’s an integral part of working with online systems. Accountants should pay as much attention to security as quality when working with online systems.It’s time for automation. A computer or robot can handle repetitive tasks instead of paying someone to do them (because nobody enjoys them).It was only a few years ago that automation was the sole province of major multinational corporations. Now every business can benefit from it, including your accountancy firm.Your back will be covered by artificial intelligence (eventually).It’s not just art that’s being transformed by artificial intelligence; it’s also accounting.As the financial environment becomes more complex, AI will soon provide checks and balances for human analysis, as well as perform and predict some of the more complex mathematics needed to deal with it.You are changing the way you charge.Accounting is a service industry, which means it’s prime for moving from hourly rates to value-based pricing, if you haven’t already.Working on fixed or project-based fees so that clients are not left with a large bill at the end of the project. Accounting professionals will benefit from this because it forces them to focus on their own efficiency, which will boost their profitability in the long run.The blockchain will keep track of everything.While we don’t know where crypto currencies are headed, we know the blockchain won’t disappear.This provides much greater financial certainty for potential suppliers, creditors, and customers by providing an auditable, permanent record.In addition, third-party intermediaries will be reduced.There is a place for big data.People with skills in analyzing large amounts of data will be sought after by all the best accounting firms. The more data you have, the better you can analyze, and the better you will be able to compete. AI combined with this facility may be the ultimate force for business success.It provides interesting challenges for accountants and promises more efficient, higher-value accounting services for those who pay for them.We’ve listed the big changes above, but there are always other things coming over the mountain that keep accounting interesting.