News

19 September 2018

Digital Day – What was it all about? Event highlights

Digitalisation is happening. But how it will impact the accountancy profession?

Our Digital Day 2018 provided the audience with insight on how to make opportunities out of technology. We believe the technological revolution can help you deliver more value to businesses and society. So, are you up for the challenge?

Who was there?

153 people from all over the world gathered in Brussels for this event: EU policy makers, business leaders, academics and regulators joined the profession to debate the impact of technology.

But how do professional accountancy institutes deal with digitalisation?

 of our members see technology as an opportunity to improve the profession’s services. Our Technology Barometer shows that they have a clear positive outlook for the future.

Technology Barometer Olivier Boutellis Taft

Olivier Boutellis-Taft, Accountancy Europe CEO   

 

Technology & Trust – are we there yet?

 Our keynote speaker Philippe Arraou kicked off the day by encouraging accountants to adapt to the ‘Revolution on Planet Accountancy’

 

 

main takeaways:
  1. Business information systems will form the core of the accountancy profession.
  2. Clients are changing their business model and adding value to their services. Accountants will have to follow.
  3. Ethics is the foundation of trust. The difference between an accountant and a consultant is the ethics.

Follow this link to watch Philippe’s full intervention.

TechnoEthics – the ethical challenges arising from using technology

Trust and transparency are paramount for our digital society

 

 

Watch the full recording of the panel here


What was Twitter’s response to the speakers’ discussion?

 

What are the the latest innovations in tax, accounting and reporting?

After the lunch break, 3 sessions allowed participants to dive deeper into these areas

1. Audit & Innovation

 

Digital Day Audit Session Digital Day audit cartoon
  • Moderator: Myles Thompson, Accountancy Europe, Audit and Assurance Policy Group, Chair
  • Julia Walsh, FRC, IT Audit Inspector Audit and Actuarial Regulation Division
  • Olaf Riedel, EY, Partner for Digital, Analytics and Cyber Security

Find the summary of this session here

 

2. Tax:  harnessing the potential of technology

 

Digital Day Tax session Digital Day Tax cartoon
  • Moderator: Eelco van der Enden, Accountancy Europe, Tax Policy Group, Chair
  • Benjamin Alarie, University of Toronto, Osler Chair in Business Law
  • Martin Scheid, German Research Centre for Artificial Intelligence, Researcher
  • Alan James, Avalara, Strategic Alliance Manager

Find the summary of this session here

 

3. Accounting: Reporting from input to output

 

Digital Day reporting session Digital Day reporting cartoon
  • Moderator: Arjan Brouwer, PwC, Partner
  • Jarno van Hurne, Exact Software Nederland B.V., Solutions Marketing Director
  • Martin Naraschewski, SAP SE, Finance and Risk Solutions, Solutions Manager
  • Thomas Toomse-Smith, FRC Financial Reporting Lab, Project Director

Find the summary of this session here

 

What did participants think of the sessions?

 

 Regtech – ‘learning the beat’

Our one-hour discussion highlighted how technological developments support regulatory compliance. We heard concrete examples of how AI, machine learning, robotics can offer solutions. 

Kevin How, Alvarez & Marsal, Senior Director advises financial institutions on addressing a huge volume of complex regulations via technology. He derived the following advice from his experience:

 

  • Compliance is complex and costly. We cannot rely on quick fixes which are not sustainable in the long term. RegTech helps fix the compliance process and is cost effective in the long run. 
  • We need to understand what problem we are trying to solve before we jump for the solution.
  • Adopt an experimenting mindset. IT solutions are not perfect from ‘out of the box’. Implementing an innovative IT solution is a journey, it takes working with them and openly sharing challenges.
  • Align the colleagues from different departments on this issue as we will need their perspectives, not silo’s.  

Kasper W. Rost is the CEO & Founder at Calcabis, a Danish RegTech company focusing on using AI to optimise compliance and risk processes:

Digital Day Kasper Rost Regtech

This builds on the basis of how accountants can benefit from RegTech as seen in our blog RegTech the next big thing? . It makes regulatory compliance easier, it can help detect real-time market or operational risks. It can also set up ‘know your customer’ procedures to aid due diligence and combat financial crime.

 

How did our speakers wrap up the day?

Olivier Boutellis-Taft, Accountancy Europe CEO

Jyoti Banerjee, IIRC Programme Lead

 

See you at our next events!

Related content

InterviewDigitalisation: auditing more than financial data

16 April 2019

InterviewBecoming multi-skilled professionals to address an avalanche of new data

25 March 2019

InterviewAuditors, bitcoin and the need for mutual trust

25 February 2019

InterviewDigitalisation: reporting is an art, not a science

22 January 2019

InterviewDigitalisation – Caretaker & developer: the new accountant

14 December 2018

InterviewDigitalisation: let empathy and trust rule

26 November 2018

InterviewDigitalisation: don’t fight the change

26 October 2018

BlogReality check – Technology is changing us

19 September 2018

InterviewStop the busy work and go digital

19 September 2018

InterviewDigital companies need better and faster financial advice

19 September 2018

NewsDigital Day 2018: reporting session summary

5 September 2018

NewsDigital Day 2018: audit session summary

5 September 2018

NewsDigital Day 2018: tax session summary

5 September 2018

In the mediaThe Accountant – Accountancy Europe: embracing global technology trends

4 August 2018

NewsDigital Day 2018: the cartoon recap

5 July 2018

EventDigital Day 2018 – Opportunities in innovation

19 June 2018

EventTowards digital corporate reporting with CSRD

16 May 2023

Consultation responseIAASB’s consultation on proposed International Standard on Auditing 500 (revised): audit evidence

24 April 2023

PublicationIndependent assurance on ESEF – the block tagging requirement

15 December 2022

PublicationSME risk management – cyber risks & resilience checklist

10 November 2022

Stories from practiceInsights from SME accountants: how to keep bringing value to small businesses

6 July 2022

EventESEF in practice 3: sustainability

30 May 2022

Consultation responseEC’s consultation on VAT in the digital age

30 March 2022

NewsWar in Ukraine – responses from the accountancy profession

9 March 2022

Consultation responseIASB’s Exposure Draft on Disclosure Requirements: A Pilot Approach and EFRAG’s draft comment letter thereon

17 December 2021

EventESEF in Practice – 2

15 November 2021

PublicationSMEs’ digital future

13 September 2021

Consultation responseIASB’s third agenda consultation, EFRAG’s draft comment letter and own proactive research agenda consultation

13 July 2021

EventESEF in Practice

7 July 2021

Consultation responseEC’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive proposal – feedback statement

1 July 2021

EventRoad to digital: How to support SMEs

16 June 2021

Stories from PracticeDigitalising the accountancy profession: what role for young professionals?

31 May 2021

PublicationAccountants – REACT now and help SMEs adapt to new VAT e-commerce rules

6 May 2021

In the mediaAccountancy Europe: Future-proofing tax to make it green, digital and fair

26 April 2021

NewsNew directive takes EU corporate sustainability reporting to the next level

21 April 2021

EventFuture-proofing tax: make it green, digital, fair

15 April 2021

Sign up for our newsletter

* indicates required
Would you like to subscribe to our newsletter?
On which topics would you like to receive news?