13.4 Technology and Trends for the Modern Accountant
You have seen how sustainability reporting standards vary by organization, jurisdiction, industry, and political environment. While much of the reporting is voluntary in the U.S., it is hard to predict where and how requirements will change. These trends in compliance monitoring will continue to reshape conventional business reporting roles and responsibilities. In the spirit of adaptability, let’s recap the most relevant upskilling opportunities for finance and accounting professionals.
Applying AI
QuickBooks, Sage Intacct, and SAP S/4HANA Finance now have AI-powered features available. Plain text queries are among the latest AI assistant features launches, using everyday language to help users find the data they need. As programs become more refined to understand and process natural language, there will be plenty of trial and error. Learning and understanding the nuances of different AI tools will lead to increasingly productive results.
Troubleshooting Automations
AI also powers many AIS automation features. However, depending on the feature, they may not work right out of the box without adjustment. Simply exploring system settings can accomplish a lot of problem-solving and hands-on training in a short time. As a cumulative benefit, knowing how to set up and troubleshoot process automations in one system can reduce the learning curve in other systems.
Recognizing Patterns or Irregularities in Data
One way to get ahead of issues is to maintain an awareness of your environment, whether it is report data or system user activity. While AI and automations can reduce manual errors and detect suspicious activity, they are not foolproof. Staying familiar with performance baselines, user permissions, and other metrics can uncover trends and failures that cannot be directly detected by software. Even if automated reports are generated smoothly, human expertise is required to explore or question data points further.
Managing Collaboration and Process Efficiency
When teams work together, they know there is more than one way to approach a problem or task. AIS training, problem-solving, and information sharing can become more challenging with remote workers, where face-to-face communication is not an option. Leveraging modern collaboration tools can improve the AIS user experience and team efficiency. In addition to Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, and Slack, tools like Miro whiteboard, Loom screen recorder, and Scribe documentation software provide easy-to-use, time-saving options for collaboration and training.