Emerging technologies are creating new opportunities for auditors to reimagine how they perform the audit - what they look at, when they look at it and how they look at it - to drive audit quality and inform greater insights and value to clients. How can firms successfully advance from where they are today to a truly transformative approach to the audit?

Join this session for an overview of the path to audit transformation, as we discuss key dimensions for firms proactively seeking to drive these important changes.

Client experience is your clients’ perception of every interaction they have with your firm… whether it’s seeing an ad, the experience of inputting their financial data, meeting with their advisor, reviewing reports, and the list goes on. Leverage this seamless framework to ensure your client experience is buttoned up for the entire advisor-client journey - from prospecting to billing to everything in between.

No one wants to hear that she isn't doing a good job. Thus no one wants to tell her. Telling your boss you're frustrated or aren't hitting your targets is even more difficult, and thus many of us don't. Worse, is that most feedback, positive or negative, is useless because it's vague. Get a simple formula to make even the most difficult conversation easier. Conversations will be short, specific and on point. They won't be personal. They will be actionable. You'll be able to say what you want to say, when you want to say it, in a way that the other person can hear you and take action.

Security is consistently listed as one of the AICPA's Top Technology concerns, but few accounting firms take it seriously until they have been impacted by a breach. Roman will walk through the necessary components of accounting firm's security, including the latest information breach statistics and the specifics of how to minimize your firm's greatest exposure: YOUR PERSONNEL. He will also provide participants with the necessary resources to review their IT Policy/Governance infrastructure and to conduct their own firm security training.

In this session, the group of panelists will share perspectives on technology challenges from around the globe. Attendees will gain an understanding of how technology today is the "global language" and the challenges experienced in North America are similar to those experienced in every corner of the globe. The panelists represent audit, tax and advisory, with experience ranging from very small to Big 4 firms within various continents. The attendees will realize quickly that "they are not alone" when it comes to dealing with technology issues, as well as how technology is the driving force behind growth and revenue opportunities in all of our practices. 

Robotic process automation (RPA) bots, custom apps, and digital plumbing are revolutionizing how work gets done in today’s economy. Many firms and their clients have been embracing “best of breed” solutions and would like to automate the exchange of data between different business solutions using solutions like the Microsoft Power Platform (Power Automate, Power Apps, and Power BI), which already work with over 300 different platforms. While these technologies have already been adopted by many enterprises, their uses in small and mid-sized businesses are still emerging, and accounting professionals must understand the implications of their use on their internal control structure. Attend this session to learn the fundamentals of these innovative automation solutions, see how others are effectively using these solutions and watch a demonstration of an RPA being built in session.

Major Topics:

• Overview of RPA and other process automation technologies
• Discussion of how RPA, digital plumbing, and custom apps can impact workflow automation
• Bot capabilities and script creation approaches – pro-code versus low-code/no-code
• Walk through building an RPA to automate data entry into tax software

In this session, Angie discusses the enormous opportunity that professionals have to step into the Most Trusted Advisor role with clients and how this positioning will pay dividends for years to come. Setting yourself up as a Trusted Advisor starts internally with team members, can be expanded into your network and community, and can then be carried over into your relationship with clients. No matter what level of experience team members have, certain actions and behaviors can be learned and strengthened to improve positioning as an advisor. In this session, you will take away ideas for how to immediately improve your credibility, reliability and intimacy scores while focusing on the interest of your team members, COIs and clients.

What trends are emerging in firm practice management that you should know about? How are firms recruiting and retaining talent, dealing with succession challenges, keeping up with technology that changes rapidly, managing the impacts of COVID? We'll explore these questions and more.

What are the latest tools and technologies available to make the life of a road warrior a little easier? In this session, we will take a closer look at the practical and mobile technologies supporting and empowering remote employees to work smarter.

The new reality of work today would be unimaginable to most of us even 5 years ago. Everything is different. The workforce, the tools, the laws, the workplace — and companies that don’t focus on these stunning shifts can find themselves quickly left behind. We’re looking at what’s new: the who, what, when, how, where, and even why. There are critical trends to know about — and we’ll help you pinpoint the best game plan for getting ahead of them.

By helping clients recognize and address these areas, you can elevate your position to be more consultative — rather than transactional — and continue to strengthen your relationships with them.

We've learned a lot from COVID and how CPA firms have been impacted. Based on two surveys we've completed and anecdotal information, we will discuss what firms should expect for growth and what they can learn from what worked/didn't work.

Why does generosity matter? Join Jen and Amy to learn how generosity leads to sustained happiness and health of your team and prevents burnout. When you serve in a leadership role, the most important attribute you can generate within your team is trust. And the easiest way to produce trust is to be an unselfish leader. Attend this session to explore the impact that a culture of generosity can have on your firm’s success.

When you are a giving leader, others give back. Leave this session with a clear picture of the impact generosity can have on the success of your team, your clients and your firm. 

This session covers Excel tips and tricks, such as Flash Fill, instantly foot and cross-foot, and other Excel features and functions. 

In this session, the attendees will gain an understanding of how technology is quickly changing the audit. From artificial intelligence to machine learning, technology's role will be a driving factor in helping to insure audit quality and transformation well into the future. Attendees will get a peek at some of the best practices in this space, including an overview of the AICPA's Dynamic Audit Solution and its new transformative approach to audit, and hear a discussion on evolving standards.

Proposals are living documents that encompass the communication and the spirit of the engagement that was set during your sales cycle. Proposals are the foundation of the legal relationship between you and your clients, and help set clear expectations for both sides. Failure to properly set the tone can create friction in your working relationship, potentially costing you the client. How can you mitigate some of those risks when you provide this first deliverable to your client? Join Liz Mason as she shares ways to perfect client proposals.

It's impossible to overstate the importance of linking a firm's strategy to the "Big Four" issues of owner compensation, succession planning, profitability and buy-outs.  While the fundamental concepts of these issues are common, there is a uniqueness to how you address them based on your firm's overall core values.  These core values create your unique performance-based culture which, in turn, informs how you lead in these important areas.  This session will provide you with tools and strategies to both understand the connectivity of these issues while empowering you with the information to lead.

Everyone wants to know that their information is secure. Companies are relying upon SOC examinations to provide their customers and auditors with an independent report of their internal controls and cybersecurity. There are tremendous opportunities for CPAs to provide SOC services to their existing clients and new clients. SOC 1, SOC 2, SOC for Cybersecurity and SOC for Supply Chain are all products with great potential for practitioners. In this session, learn how to ramp up your firm's resources to provide these money making services.

As firms are challenged to evolve during these uncertain times, one thing became clear: cloud-based technology is essential, and the age of automation is here. By strategically aligning technology and automation with client accounting advisory services (CAS), firms can save time on traditionally manual processes, and focus on helping clients improve inefficiencies and grow their businesses.

Not only does technology and automation add value to your services, it provides new revenue opportunities.

When you look at the adoption of accounting technology automation on a curve of evolution, where do you stand now, and how will you reach maximum efficiency?

In this session, experts will showcase what a “highly automated firm” looks like, discuss the journey to get there, and help you understand:

• The value cloud-technology brings to you and your clients

• The three different levels of the automation curve

• How to develop a plan to get ahead of the curve, and on the path to a successful, profitable, and efficient CAS practice

Many firms are working harder than ever, but aren't being fairly compensated for their knowledge and strategic work.

If you're charging for your time and labor, but feel like you're giving away your "expertise" for free, that could indicate your client roster is misaligned.

This session will cover exactly how you can optimize your client roster through better client management - landing and keeping the right clients while firing or reorganizing the rest.

Applying the strategies in this session will allow you to:

• Significantly increase your cash flow by matching the right service level with the right clients.
• Reveal how to simplify your workflows so you can stress less and focus your time on work that matters.

Knowing how to make the most impact when networking in a digital space has never been more important. However, the idea of networking digitally can feel impersonal, awkward, and inorganic without a clear approach on how to make the most of your online connections. Building great business relationships virtually takes practice, intention, and a willingness to give your network in a generous and reciprocal way. In this session, we will share best practices for networking online, discussing everything from building an authentic presence to attracting and building genuine relationships with the people you truly want to connect with most.

Take this exceptional opportunity to meet with and discuss the latest developments in IT for the CPA. We will be discussing the latest developments in the industry and how it affects you and your practice. You will have an opportunity to talk to industry leaders and ask them the questions you need to take back to your practice. Don't miss this unique opportunity to discuss cybersecurity, SOC reporting, and more.