For over 2 decades the profession has been trying to solve the staffing question. As firm leaders are exploring the impact of flex work schedules and technology like RPA and AI augmenting the skills of our team, it is time to reframe the productivity question. In place of focusing on how to get more staff onboard to do more work, we should look at the structure and make up of our teams. What roles do technology play? What positions can be filled by non-accounting professionals? Where do we use bots and fractual staffing to level the peaks and valleys of busy seasons? Join this session to discuss these questions, and hear many other perspectives to reframe the productivity question of the 21st century.

Auditing has been digitized with the advent of paperless and cloud technology. Now it is time for a digital transformation. Some in the profession are developing a new vision of what auditing looks like. Remote audits are one aspect, but what about when it goes beyond that? In this session, we will discuss how the traditional team structure can change by leveraging technology, specialized skills, and preparing for continuous auditing opportunities. Join the discussion on leading the way to a new audit of the future, and where to begin.

In this session, we will examine the four levels of Gartner’s financial analytics maturity model and how to grow into higher value advisory services using this framework. Learn how financial planning and analysis (FP&A) technology can help firms deliver a full range of advisory services from: analytics to financial modeling (forecasting and budgeting), to strategic business planning for scaling your practice, to deepening client relationships, and growing revenue.

As advisors, we strive to improve our clients’ businesses with the financials we provide them. Yet many of us still spend the majority of our time calculating ratios and creating spreadsheets manually. This doesn’t leave the necessary amount of time in our day to advise our clients on how to improve their financial results at a holistic level. Business Intelligence (BI) and data analytics are invaluable tools for client advisors to gain insight and foresight. However, without digging into the numbers, your advisory clients still may feel they are not getting what they need from you. We can learn to create the value that our clients desire by clearly communicating and analyzing the meaning of financial data in a way that helps them succeed and thrive.

During this session, be ready to learn from best in class vendors on how to dig into their KPI and Dashboard data in combination with Amy Vetter, CPA to help you learn how to take your advisory services to the next level with the communication techniques that will differentiate you from your peers. Be prepared to interact. We will generate questions you need to ask during an advisory engagement using the insights and analytics generated from automating these calculations through technology. Once we change how we create and deliver analytics, we can lift our value to our advisory clients as a strategic, highly valued partner whom they can’t imagine living without.

Deloitte's 2020 global intelligent automation survey found 94% of global executives have started implementing robotic process automation (RPA) or will in the next 3 years. RPA can perform as a team member for rules based processes. As firms are performing back office functions for businesses, or consulting businesses on streamlining their accounting and finance functions, RPA should be part of the discussion. In this session, panelists will discuss the differences between using API and RPA to automate, as well as, how these tools get us closer to the zero day close. You will hear how RPA is becoming more accessible to firms of all sizes and not just firms with extensive technology teams.

Cryptocurrency is hitting mainstream conversations, so it is no wonder valuations and reporting are emerging as services across the profession. Along with increased awareness and interest in cryptocurrency comes new use cases and applications. In this session, we will review updates in this field over the last year and discuss what is on the horizon for uses and accounting services to support the growth. Practitioners and consultants working in this niche space will share their point of view and how the profession should prepare to meet clients' cryptocurrency needs.

The CPA profession has played a critical role in helping small businesses achieve forgivable loans through the Paycheck Protection Program by leveraging new tools and capabilities. In this session, leaders from CPA.com and fintech company Biz2Credit will share how thousands of firms expanded their advisory services via the CPA Business Funding Portal to provide business relief for clients during economic recovery efforts.  CPA firm owner Andrea Parness  will share how she and her team leveraged the platform to create a successful application and forgiveness process. You'll hear from these experts exactly what steps firms have taken to make fintech a central part of their services for clients through PPP and loan forgiveness. They’ll also share best practices and insights on how your firm can expand into business financing advisory services to deliver greater value to clients beyond PPP.

Most CAS practices begin with offering BPO (business process outsourcing) services. This allows them to streamline procedures that foster collaboration between our staff and the clients, and have access to trust worthy data. Once this level of service is functioning well, it can be challenging to figure out how to make the next step up in value by selling virtual controller and virtual CFO engagements. These virtual advisory services seem more customized, creating the perception it cannot be systematized which prevents scalability. In part 1 of this 2 part session, we will discuss how to differentiate BPO from CFO services for staff and clients, how to develop CFO packages and pricing, and methods for creating a repeatable process for delivering virtual CFO services.

The onboarding process can set the path for a successful relationship and reassure new clients they made the right choice in partnering with your firm. CAS teams are challenged with standardizing and systemizing the process to improve efficiency and profitability while simultaneously making it feel personalized to each client. In this session, we will discuss best practices in client onboarding. Providing a high quality, organized onboarding experience for clients starts the relationship on the right foot and sets your team up for success.

Over the last 2 years, we saw an increased demand and growth of advisory services, yet not every accounting professional is ready to lead with advisory instead of compliance. Many hold back offering high value advisory services over concerns of inadequacy or failure. Those with a growth mindset, welcome opportunities to grow and learn and don’t see failure as a condemnation of themselves, but as a learning opportunity. Our mindset influences our ability to see opportunities, offer a fresh perspective, earn trust, and problem solve, all of which we need to build a new advisory services and bring value to clients. In this session, we will discuss the various types of mindsets and how to intentionally make a shift so we can offer clients the services they need most.

In a CAS practice the technology, processes and roles are different than other service lines in the firm. Though technical training can be organized as crossover trainings, the exact skills to be successful in the various roles of a CAS department needs it's own curriculum. In this session we will discuss ways to train your CAS team from entry level to virtual controller and CFOs. Communicating career path options is important for employee engagement and firm growth. This includes developing additional skill sets and knowledge on tools that are key to the productivity and profitability of the services.

Virtual connections will continue to be important even after the pandemic ends. Clients and staff get the experience you intentionally and unintentionally give them. In this session, we will explore how you can apply customer experience design practices to ensure you raise the bar at every client touchpoint (e.g. Disney). It is time to get creative in your methods of building and strengthening relationships with clients and employees in a hybrid, virtual and on-premise, environment

The capacity challenge has been going on since the dawn of time in public accounting but certainly has been more pronounced with the pandemic, pipeline shortages, and the impending Great Resignation. Firms feel understaffed for the high-volume periods. People feel flattened out when finishing busy seasons, including partners. Firms must stop talking about the capacity problem and start solving it.

Leave this session with ideas to resolve your firm’s capacity challenge once and for all!

What are the new roles we need in firms? Implementation specialists, onboarding specialists? IT is a different animal in a virtual cloud practice. We need new positions that include technologists that can integrate cloud solutions and train AI databases. The profession needs more financial and data analysts. With the growth of advisory we are looking for professionals with consulting and advisory skills. It is time to write some new job descriptions and expand the skillsets on our teams. In this session, we will discuss the roles and skills needed now and in the future. We will discuss how we will train existing team members and incorporate professionals from other fields of study.

To successfully elevate your CAS practice from BPO services with the occasional virtual CFO offering to one where you lead with the higher-level services, you need more staff participating. Many firms get stuck by not having enough capacity at the partner level to offer virtual CFO. In part 2 of this session, we will discuss how to leverage more of the team to participate in the higher value services, the skills to develop in your team, and ideas for structuring your team to systematize delivering virtual CFO services to clients.

At the 2019 AICPA and CPA.com Executive Roundtable a technology expert pointed out to the executives of 50 top cloud based accounting solutions that AI (artificial intelligence) had the maturity of an 8 year old. But he also noted the exponential rate at which it will grow and mature. Now, nearly 2 years since that observation, the impact of AI in our daily work and personal lives is undeniable. Join this panel to hear about innovations taking place and hear them share their vision for more potential. Are you ready to capitalize on AI? Have you begun to formulate your vision? Consider the Chinese Proverb, the best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago, the second best time is today.

In the accounting profession, disruptive technological change is not on the way – it’s already here, with even more to come. As these capabilities advance further and the marketplace evolves, leveraging technology to effectively drive competitive advantage requires a combination of planning, clearly defined business objectives, and strong change management capabilities. In this session, we will discuss the essential elements that contribute to successful change initiatives, including the people and processes impacted. Join us to learn how you can successfully navigate and drive change to achieve your future vision.

In today’s post-Wayfair, digital consumer environment, the last thing your business clients have on their mind is sales & use tax… until there is an audit.  The risks associated with ignoring sales & use tax can be severe for businesses of any size and type.  As a result, your business clients need their trusted advisor to be proactive and cover their blind spots.

In this session, we will discuss how your firm can master its sales & use tax strategy to proactively address business clients’ needs. An expert in sales & use tax will highlight the top areas of vulnerability for businesses and how you as the trusted advisor can offer support. We will then review the necessary elements to drive your sales & use tax strategy. You don’t have to have a dedicated sales & use tax department at your firm to attend this session, only a desire to protect your clients. Bring your questions and expect to leave this session feeling educated and confident in knowing how to master your firm’s sales & use tax strategy of today and tomorrow.

After hearing about disruptive and innovative strategies being employed across businesses, participate in the round table discussions with your peers. Select a topic of interest and begin discussing the application and impact in your practice in the coming months and years. The Digital CPA Community is about anticipating the future trends and planning accordingly; start your conference experience by discussing ideas and initiatives. (Virtual attendees will have a virtual round table to join as well.)

After hearing about disruptive and innovative strategies being employed across businesses, participate in the round table discussions with your peers. Select a topic of interest and begin discussing the application and impact in your practice in the coming months and years. The Digital CPA Community is about anticipating the future trends and planning accordingly; start your conference experience by discussing ideas and initiatives. (Virtual attendees will have a virtual round table to join as well.)

After hearing about disruptive and innovative strategies being employed across businesses, participate in the round table discussions with your peers. Select a topic of interest and begin discussing the application and impact in your practice in the coming months and years. The Digital CPA Community is about anticipating the future trends and planning accordingly; start your conference experience by discussing ideas and initiatives. (Virtual attendees will have a virtual round table to join as well.)

After hearing about disruptive and innovative strategies being employed across businesses, participate in the round table discussions with your peers. Select a topic of interest and begin discussing the application and impact in your practice in the coming months and years. The Digital CPA Community is about anticipating the future trends and planning accordingly; start your conference experience by discussing ideas and initiatives. (Virtual attendees will have a virtual round table to join as well.)

Opportunities for advisory services are growing in emerging areas, such as: environmental social and governance (ESG) reporting, SOC auditing, cybersecurity, and working capital. A panel of practice leaders driving these initiatives will discuss how they started these practice areas, how they developed staff to deliver them, and identified profiles of clients buying these services. Bring your questions about best practices to branch out into these new service lines and what obstacles to consider as you develop your plans.

Data is everywhere. Firm staff and client staff are working from remote locations. Businesses have launched online models, and data shows they plan to keep running this way. Data is also showing fraud and breach incidents are increasing. In this session, we will discuss what to do post-breach, how to act fast, and notification requirements. We will also review in-firm or with 3rd party providers that can assist you and your clients in preventing breaches as we lead the way into blended work and commerce environments.

Client accounting advisory service (CAS) lines have been maturing in firms across the profession for over a decade. Some practices are flourishing where others are stalling out. Succession Institute and CPA.com collaborated on an assessment tool to assist firms in identifying where they will face challenges in growing a CAS practice. In this session, we will review anonymous findings from those that have leveraged the CAS Assessment Tool, and share insights on how to use results of the assessment to make your CAS practice stronger. This session is about the inner dynamics and workings in your firm. Leverage the experiential learning of other professionals to proactively address common roadblocks that stunt progress and those that propel success.

The use of data analytics is growing across multiple services in firms. Assurance services are employing data analytics to design antifraud tests, see trends, and gain valuable insights for your clients. In this session learn more ways to leverage data analytics to identify risks and make your assurance services more data-driven.

Services, technology, where we work...these aspects of our business have changed dramatically in the last 5-10 years. Why is it that we still use the same KPIs to measure success? Drop old school metrics and determine the right leading indicators that fit your unique practice area. With the right measures in place, you’ll be on your way to creating a high-performance, future-ready practice. 

Leave this session with a clearer picture of how you can affect the financial mechanics that drive profitability and success!

Each and every buyer has a unique way of ascertaining the worth of their spend with you; worth is subjective. This fact alone makes it impossible for sellers to use a “calculator” to determine the best, right price for something. Since science and technology cannot equip us with a magic calculator for this challenging task, we’re left to tackle the art of pricing through honing our human skills of listening and applying good judgment. The highest possible worth comes from thoughtfully correlating what you’ll do with why they might need it: the purpose of the work—the WHY.

Facing new pressures clients have a smaller margin for error when it comes to making decisions about their businesses. In this context, the annual planning process is taking on even greater importance. In this session, we will provide a full framework for creating a strategic plan including goal setting, driver-based model building, forecasting and budgeting, and ongoing goal tracking using advanced reporting and dashboarding tools. Data collected during client assessments will provide a solid foundation to opening the discussion on reaching goals.

Moving from onpremise to remote auditing includes a redesign of your process and expanding your toolset. Communication between team members will have a new cadence, including how and when you collaborate with the client. Beyond digitizing all work product, what other tools should you consider? Practitioners that have been forging the path in remote audits will share what has worked, and what has made the transition a success during this session.