In the 1980s, there were essentially three elements to corporate reporting: an income statement, which focused on profitability, a balance sheet that focused on solvency, and a cash flow statement that concentrated on movements in cash and essentially working capital. The associated disclosure, too, was relatively narrow. Notes to the balance sheet provided reconciliations to…
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…
Looking at how this year has started off, with the second wave of COVID-19 combined with restrictions imposed by government, small businesses will continue to suffer. It will thus come as no surprise if this upward trend in new business registration continues to rise in 2021. Parallel to this, here is another important statistic −…
‘We don’t accomplish anything in this world alone; whatever happens is a result of the whole tapestry of one’s life and all the weavings of individual threads from one to another that creates something’ − Sandra Day O’Connor Over the past few years, I have seen quite a few of my ideas come to…
These changes can be summarised as follows: Changes to the SAICA Code to align with the amendments made to Section 321: Second Opinions of the IRBA Code The changes include: The incorporation of practical and relevant guidance from Circular 01/2006, Giving Second Opinions (the Circular), issued by the IRBA’s Committee for Auditing Standards in November…
Evolving stakeholder needs The world is grappling with complex challenges such as climate change, the depletion of natural resources, technology disruptions and the impact of global pandemics like COVID-19. Traditionally, corporate reporting has been mainly centred on the financial performance of an entity. This is now evolving as stakeholders are interested in not only the…