We explore some of the reasons for the lack of adoption of emerging technologies in the assurance space. The Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) and its associated technologies are creating a vast number of opportunities and millions of new jobs. Yet, accountants and auditors (collectively, assurance professionals) are not embracing these technologies at the same pace…
In the race to do more, faster, take a moment to stop and think about what it is we do, how we do it, and why we do it. And question whether there is a better, more optimised, more future-enabling way to get results. And then ask how technology can help us. While the conversation…
Many businesses are automating their finance functions in the time of digital transformation. There is certainly a case to be made for this. The time saving alone can save millions for any one business as repetitive tasks are streamlined and analyses processed, which of course all moves to support better strategic decision-making. It is then…
Seneca said: ‘People are frugal in guarding their personal property; but as soon as comes to squandering time, they are true most wasteful of the one thing in which it is right to be stingy’. The world has changed. We are suffering fatigue and frustration as we continue our journeys of untangling our work and…
In my previous article, I posed the following scenario. An individual finds himself in a body of water with no means to stay afloat and unable to swim ashore. Flanking the shore are several individuals, each positioned at a vantage point that offers a clear view of the person slowly sinking. However, rather than aiding…
Zahid and Zahida Fakey are both CAs(SA) and far from the typical couple. They have taken a unique journey to find their ultimate purpose in life and today we read about their extraordinary story. Last year, in Level 5 of lockdown, the opportunity to make a difference blatantly presented itself and they courageously launched #weFEEDsa…
The next normal A little bit more than a year ago our lives changes forever when our country went into a full lock-down. People were talking about the “new normal”, while everyone were unsure what exactly that would entail. Fast forward to today and there is still uncertainty about what exactly is in store for…
After attending a conference in Amsterdam, Kalene Smalberger had a lightbulb moment when she realised how great the need was for entrepreneurs to understand the basics of finance. She landed back in South Africa and has since launched various financial courses that are making an incredible difference, right from kids to entrepreneurs, on how to…
Auditors today are working in an exceptionally complex and ever-evolving industry. In an environment where there is pressure to add more value with fewer people and less time, auditors are challenged to discover more risks, audit more areas, and uncover fraud for their clients. Yesterday − ineffective audit planning methods Historically, audits have often been…
The digital transformation of the finance function has continued relentlessly throughout 2020. We’re already starting to see the paybacks from making small, incremental changes to financial workflows by adopting emerging technologies. The pandemic is accelerating the speed of change and catalysing more investment in end-to-end automation and remote working. Where will the digital transformation of…