Businessmen and women must be aware of the technological advances in every field, including accounting. Bots are increasingly getting used, and their office love affair with bookkeepers was inevitable. These are not actual robots; they are apps and lines of code with unique skills to interpret information and inform you. The coding allows the bots to process data rapidly, which is not humanly possible. The critical aspect is to find common ground between the human element and technology to attain maximum efficiency.
The way bookkeepers perform their functions is likely to change with the emergence of new technologies. AI (Artificial Intelligence) and machine learning have already enabled accountants and bookkeepers to interact with bots just as they would with their associates. Tools that can record entire transactions independently without the need for a lengthy trial and records have already surfaced and been entrusted by more and more businesses.
What’s with the Awkward Office Love Affair?
Bookkeepers are pivotal for many organizations as they keep a record and track the flow of transactions. With bots handling and monitoring this information, most commonly allocated tasks to accountants become redundant, leading to the need to define a new JD for them. Future accountants must be able to look beyond the obvious and think of ways to integrate and use technology to improve operational strategies and make sense of the given information.
Companies must train critical people for this specific purpose and should encourage them to consider AI their friend rather than an adversary. This embrace of technology is the right approach to turn the awkward office love affair of bots and bookkeepers into something productive. However, the question remains: Do we have the people with the right mindset and skills to take on such an accounting role?
Business analytics professionals are one obvious candidate. They have the expertise to make sense of big data on which large companies hugely rely. Finding and holding these skilled professionals will be the key for businesses to succeed in this competitive marketplace. Here are some ways to do precisely that.
Know Yourself – Find Skilled Bookkeepers
Identifying strengths and weaknesses should be the priority of any business. However, it is important to assess yourself without any bias. Research shows that a lack of skilled labor is responsible for sluggish growth in about 40% of the cases. That’s a huge percentage, which has made way for the need to use bots for tasks that are hindering growth. With everyone else adapting to AI, you can indulge your business in this office love affair to stay competitive and for your benefit.
Identify the most vital skills in your organization and recruit the right people for the task. Hire bookkeepers based on their understanding of the shifting trends and ability to deal with them effectively. Don’t hire someone because a friend recommended them. Eventually, that person can be a burden for your business if they aren’t the right fit.
Go Beyond the Usual Stuff
Your preference should be to look beyond the candidate’s ability to save you from a tax burden or record-keeping skills. Instead, ask them about the latest AI developments in the accounting industry and how the office love affair can develop into a competitive source advantage for your business. Cloud accounting and the impact of other technologies on the accounting front are the areas to understand if someone desires to work for your organization. It is not to diminish the importance of different traits for hiring, reaffirming the need to adapt and change your strategies to compete in the coming times.
Develop the Bookkeepers and Customize
Bots are surely going to bring about a change in your traditional workspace. However, there are always people in your company that are valuable and have proven to be so. You must develop these people for their new roles to avoid any awkward office love affair between bots and accountants. Advanced training is conducted in multinational organizations to support their employees to handle AI better to achieve success for the business. It’s significant to invest in the employees to reap the benefits. It also serves as an excellent opportunity for bookkeepers to learn and grow their skill set, motivating them to indulge enthusiastically.
Though bots can process data faster and facilitate your accounting operations, they cannot do everything. Professionals will always be required to critically analyze the data and make decisions after considering all the other variables. Also, every business has some special requirements, which you need to think creatively and customize the processes according to your ease. Striking the right balance will determine if your business can make a mark in the future.
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