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Future of Accounting and Finance: Reports and resources
For those looking at accounting and finance futures, we have compiled some of the more interesting and useful recent free, no registration reports available on the future of accounting and finance.
| Report Name | Organisation | Pub Date | Geography | Pages | Overview |
| My Firm. My Future. Report 2019 | CPA Australia | 2019 | Australia | 64 | The report is based on insights from more than 500 public practitioners, and shows the profession is evolving from traditional accounting services, such as bookkeeping and taxation, as these services become more automated and the needs of clients change. |
| Charting The Future of Accountancy with AI | CPA Australia | 2019 | Global | 74 | The book seeks to answer several important questions: What is AI and what are emerging trends in this area? How can AI be implemented in the accounting and finance sector to solve problems? What are some practical steps that accountants can take to capitalise on AI? |
| Getting Ready for the Digital Age of Accounting, Reporting and Auditing: a Guide for Professional Accountants | Charles Hoffman, CPA | February 2018 | Global | 15 | This report discusses three primary enabling technological innovations that are driving significant change to the current accounting practices, processes, and methods: XBRL-based structured digital financial reports; knowledge-based systems and other application of artificial intelligence; and blockchain-based or hashgraph-based3 distributed ledgers. |
| Future ready: accountancy careers in the 2020s | ACCA | January 2020 | Global | 72 | Drawing on ACCA’s collective research over the last three years, the report examines 20 trends that are changing careers in accountancy and presents 5 future career opportunities. |
| Big Data and Artificial Intelligence – The Future of Accounting and Finance | CPA Canada | January 2019 | Global | 21 | This paper is intended for CPAs in accounting and finance to help them understand the implications of AI technologies, including: convergence of Big Data and AI and what it means for CPAs, new AI technologies and how they will transform the roled of the CPA, and future skills needed to succeed in an AI and data-driven world. |
| Changing technology and finance | Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA) | June 2018 | Global | 16 | This research explores the key theme of changing technology and finance. It examines finance function disruption, finance core modernisation tools, finance exponential tool, the impact of technology on the finance function, and technology adoption. |
| The Future of Audit: A framework for debate | PwC | February 2019 | UK | 20 | This document aims to stimulate debate on the many important and complex issues surrounding the future of audit. It offers a framework for discussion among a wide range of stakeholders by posing a series of open questions. |
| Re-inventing finance for a digital world | Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA) | January 2019 | Global | 44 | This white paper tells the story of the research underpinning views on how new competencies are emerging in a digital world. It describes their implications for finance professionals, employers, academics and tuition providers, and regulators and policymakers. |
| Blockchain Technology and Its Potential Impact on the Audit and Assurance Profession | CPA Canada, American Institute of CPAs (AICPA), UWCISA | 2017 | Global | 28 | The focus of this paper is to explain blockchain technology and how it could potentially impact the financial statement audit, introduce possible new assurance services and new roles for the CPA auditor in the blockchain ecosystem. |
| Future-Fit Accountants | International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) | 2019 | Global | 16 | IFAC identifies the finance and accounting roles needed to remain integral to organizations in the coming decade. These future-fit roles are based on the experiences of business and finance function leaders represented on IFAC’s Professional Accountants Business Committee, as well as interactions with the customers of finance: CEOs, board directors, and other stakeholders. |
| Accounting’s Future: Topline Report | ACCA Global | October 2018 | Global | 13 | ACCA conducted ground-breaking research into accounting’s future based on professional insights from over 200,000 members of ACCA network. The research identifies four key drivers of change and seven technical, ethical and interpersonal competencies or ‘quotients’ that future finance professionals will need. |
| Digitalisation in finance and accounting | PwC | July 2018 | Global | 52 | A survey on status quo and further digital development that answers questions on the current state of finance and accounting, digital future of finance and accounting, current state and development of digitalisation in financial statement audits, and what digitalisation means for cooperation between external auditors and clients. |
| Future Ready Accountants in Business | International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) | May 2019 | Global | 14 | The report provides a vision for finance function transformation and contains articles on data science and analytics, professional ethics, effective risk manangement and internal control, and more. |
| Finance: a journey to the future? | ACCA, PwC | June 2019 | Global | 48 | TThe report sets out, through six hypotheses, a vision of what the future finance funcation may look like and lay the foundations for those who intend to embark and be successful in their journey towards change. |
| Artificial intelligence and the future of accountancy | Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) | 2018 | Global | 16 | This report outlines a framework for embracing the opportunities created by increasingly intelligent systems, based on three questions: What is the long-term vision for AI and accountancy? How do artificial and human intelligence work together? How are accountants using AI capabilities? |
| Report Name |
| My Firm. My Future. Report 2019 |
| Organisation |
| CPA Australia |
| Pub Date |
| 2019 |
| Geography |
| Australia |
| Pages |
| 64 |
| Overview |
| The report is based on insights from more than 500 public practitioners, and shows the profession is evolving from traditional accounting services, such as bookkeeping and taxation, as these services become more automated and the needs of clients change. |
| Report Name |
| Charting The Future of Accountancy with AI |
| Organisation |
| CPA Australia |
| Pub Date |
| 2019 |
| Geography |
| Global |
| Pages |
| 74 |
| Overview |
| The book seeks to answer several important questions: What is AI and what are emerging trends in this area? How can AI be implemented in the accounting and finance sector to solve problems? What are some practical steps that accountants can take to capitalise on AI? |
| Report Name |
| Getting Ready for the Digital Age of Accounting, Reporting and Auditing: a Guide for Professional Accountants |
| Organisation |
| Charles Hoffman, CPA |
| Pub Date |
| February 2018 |
| Geography |
| Global |
| Pages |
| 15 |
| Overview |
| This report discusses three primary enabling technological innovations that are driving significant change to the current accounting practices, processes, and methods: XBRL-based structured digital financial reports; knowledge-based systems and other application of artificial intelligence; and blockchain-based or hashgraph-based3 distributed ledgers. |
| Report Name |
| Future ready: accountancy careers in the 2020s |
| Organisation |
| ACCA |
| Pub Date |
| January 2020 |
| Geography |
| Global |
| Pages |
| 72 |
| Overview |
| Drawing on ACCA’s collective research over the last three years, the report examines 20 trends that are changing careers in accountancy and presents 5 future career opportunities. |
| Report Name |
| Big Data and Artificial Intelligence – The Future of Accounting and Finance |
| Organisation |
| CPA Canada |
| Pub Date |
| January 2019 |
| Geography |
| Global |
| Pages |
| 21 |
| Overview |
| This paper is intended for CPAs in accounting and finance to help them understand the implications of AI technologies, including: convergence of Big Data and AI and what it means for CPAs, new AI technologies and how they will transform the roled of the CPA, and future skills needed to succeed in an AI and data-driven world. |
| Report Name |
| Changing technology and finance |
| Organisation |
| Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA) |
| Pub Date |
| June 2018 |
| Geography |
| Global |
| Pages |
| 16 |
| Overview |
| This research explores the key theme of changing technology and finance. It examines finance function disruption, finance core modernisation tools, finance exponential tool, the impact of technology on the finance function, and technology adoption. |
| Report Name |
| The Future of Audit: A framework for debate |
| Organisation |
| PwC |
| Pub Date |
| February 2019 |
| Geography |
| UK |
| Pages |
| 20 |
| Overview |
| This document aims to stimulate debate on the many important and complex issues surrounding the future of audit. It offers a framework for discussion among a wide range of stakeholders by posing a series of open questions. |
| Report Name |
| Re-inventing finance for a digital world |
| Organisation |
| Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA) |
| Pub Date |
| January 2019 |
| Geography |
| Global |
| Pages |
| 44 |
| Overview |
| This white paper tells the story of the research underpinning views on how new competencies are emerging in a digital world. It describes their implications for finance professionals, employers, academics and tuition providers, and regulators and policymakers. |
| Report Name |
| Blockchain Technology and Its Potential Impact on the Audit and Assurance Profession |
| Organisation |
| CPA Canada, American Institute of CPAs (AICPA), UWCISA |
| Pub Date |
| 2017 |
| Geography |
| Global |
| Pages |
| 28 |
| Overview |
| The focus of this paper is to explain blockchain technology and how it could potentially impact the financial statement audit, introduce possible new assurance services and new roles for the CPA auditor in the blockchain ecosystem. |
| Report Name |
| Future-Fit Accountants |
| Organisation |
| International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) |
| Pub Date |
| 2019 |
| Geography |
| Global |
| Pages |
| 16 |
| Overview |
| IFAC identifies the finance and accounting roles needed to remain integral to organizations in the coming decade. These future-fit roles are based on the experiences of business and finance function leaders represented on IFAC’s Professional Accountants Business Committee, as well as interactions with the customers of finance: CEOs, board directors, and other stakeholders. |
| Report Name |
| Accounting’s Future: Topline Report |
| Organisation |
| ACCA Global |
| Pub Date |
| October 2018 |
| Geography |
| Global |
| Pages |
| 13 |
| Overview |
| ACCA conducted ground-breaking research into accounting’s future based on professional insights from over 200,000 members of ACCA network. The research identifies four key drivers of change and seven technical, ethical and interpersonal competencies or ‘quotients’ that future finance professionals will need. |
| Report Name |
| Digitalisation in finance and accounting |
| Organisation |
| PwC |
| Pub Date |
| July 2018 |
| Geography |
| Global |
| Pages |
| 52 |
| Overview |
| A survey on status quo and further digital development that answers questions on the current state of finance and accounting, digital future of finance and accounting, current state and development of digitalisation in financial statement audits, and what digitalisation means for cooperation between external auditors and clients. |
| Report Name |
| Future Ready Accountants in Business |
| Organisation |
| International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) |
| Pub Date |
| May 2019 |
| Geography |
| Global |
| Pages |
| 14 |
| Overview |
| The report provides a vision for finance function transformation and contains articles on data science and analytics, professional ethics, effective risk manangement and internal control, and more. |
| Report Name |
| Finance: a journey to the future? |
| Organisation |
| ACCA, PwC |
| Pub Date |
| June 2019 |
| Geography |
| Global |
| Pages |
| 48 |
| Overview |
| The report sets out, through six hypotheses, a vision of what the future finance funcation may look like and lay the foundations for those who intend to embark and be successful in their journey towards change. |
| Report Name |
| Artificial intelligence and the future of accountancy |
| Organisation |
| Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) |
| Pub Date |
| 2018 |
| Geography |
| Global |
| Pages |
| 16 |
| Overview |
| This report outlines a framework for embracing the opportunities created by increasingly intelligent systems, based on three questions: What is the long-term vision for AI and accountancy? How do artificial and human intelligence work together? How are accountants using AI capabilities? |
