OK ..it's not exactly an interview with Keith Richards, but it may contain a couple of nuggets.. then again it probably won't..
Here's the intro & link to the full interview
Interview: Kevin Robert, CCH
Consultant practice editor Mark Lee meets Kevin Robert, CEO of Wolters Kluwer’s tax and accounting division to discuss trends affecting accountants in practice, as seen by CCH, Wolters Kluwer’s global accountancy information provider.
When asked about issues currently affecting UK accountants in practice, Robert indicates three main trends:
An ever increasing drive for improved productivity
Accountants now work longer and later in their lives than ever before
A desire to attract and retain good talent (to succeed in the ‘war for talent’)
Improving productivity with technology
The world is changing, and the distinction as between software and research is blurring. “Users expect technology to deliver answers to pertinent questions relative to specific industries and situations”, he explains. Other key productivity related issues include:
Scan and fill – reducing the need for physical data entry, especially in tax return software, by using scanning technology to auto-populate tax returns. Such a development would reduce the need for many time consuming manual processes
Software as a service (SAAS) – the facility to access and use multiple software programs on the web where they are regularly updated without any effort on the part of the user. This is even more beneficial for firms with multi site offices. It makes it much easier to drive a consistent approach to service across the firm.
The paperless audit – this involves new approaches to document management and capturing knowledge informally. The moves in this direction are being driven by increasing interest in the ‘paperless office’. Robert sees this as code for two things: digitising everything possible and leveraging knowledge and information previously held in the head of retiring partners. ‘Paper-less’ means just that – not ‘paper-free’. Like other observers, he notes that a consequence of this change is a move to accountants having two, three or even four monitors on their desks.
