be replaced by computers and robots at their work place. Accountants were particularly acutely aware of this possibility. A particular school of thought was that with development of ICT, the Accountant would eventually become irrelevant as there would be no sales and purchases day books and cash books for him to write up. The argument was that everyone and anyone would be able to keep their own books and get all sorts of reports at a click of a button.
Today however, one might be inclined to think, that these fears were unfounded since the Accountant is as relevant as he has ever been if not more so.
Personally, I attribute the accountant's survival partly to the fact that, on a professional level, he has made conscious efforts to keep himself relevant.
This he has done by keeping abreast with ICT developments. By being pro-active has transformed himself from merely writing–up books to becoming a consultant on financial and other information systems. A quick look around will vouch for me. The accountant has succeeded in turning ICT to his advantage. It has become his tool and works for him. Contrary to earlier fears it actually keeps him on the payroll!
On an individual level, you, the accountant, must do your bit to ensure your survival. In the information age, for a finance person to be of use to his employer or clients, he needs to thoroughly understand the Information Systems in place that will enable him to glean any morsel of information that might be of use. In addition, he must use said information appropriately including presenting it to other decision makers in the best way possible. He needs also to know what other good ICT tools are out there in the market for his own use, and for his employer or clients.
Therefore, the present day successful accountant must have the relevant ICT skills at his finger tips for broadly two reasons:
- To give advice on and participate in putting in place good ICT systems for his employer/clients for their own use
- To be able to use such systems to his best advantage in order to churn out relevant information for his own consumption and for other decision makers to make informed and timely decisions
Right? :-)
2 comments:
Excellent post, Julius!
You stated the following:
"A particular school of thought was that with development of ICT, the Accountant would eventually become irrelevant as there would be no sales and purchases day books and cash books for him to write up."
You are correct. However, I find that a lot of accountants today are not well-versed in ICT and, hence, are an impediment to the success of their respective employers. Some also see ICT as a threat instead of embracing it with open arms and enthusiam. We shall see how this pans out in Africa. :-)
Hey Julius,
I think you should blog more often. The article is superb and very clear on the role IT plays in simplifying and, at the same time, coordinating different functions from different departments so that the flow of information/costs etc. is collected without the repetition that went with it some years back.
Is this true or should I stick to my language skills, hehe...
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