AcctTwo Blog

It's next to impossible to overstate how much technology has (and will) change the face of business. But what is just as remarkable is how crucial the human element remains in offices around the world.

Advances in automation, big data, machine learning, and sophisticated analytics promise to make the impossible accessible. What these technologies will not replace, however, is highly-trained professionals with extensive experience and expertise in SaaS accounting.

AcctTwo recently sponsored and attended ServiceTitan's Pantheon user conference in Pasadena, CA. ServiceTitan is a mobile, cloud-based software platform that helps residential services companies streamline operations, improve customer service, and increase sales.

New research shows the accounting software market will grow to $11.8 billion by 2026, up from just $5.7 billion in 2017. The expansion is impressive but not really surprising considering that most companies are going through a digital transformation right now. But what gets lost in that explanation is that new accounting software is about more than just a tech upgrade.

At a certain point every business has to upgrade its accounting software. Solutions like QuickBooks may be adequate to start, but not once businesses begin to grow and diversify. Committing to an upgrade is an important step for future success. The question is what kind of upgrade to pursue.

In the new book “Subscribed: Why the Subscription Model Will Be Your Company’s Future—and What to Do About It,” author Tien Tzuo argues that services are becoming more important than products. Most of us already rely on services like Netflix or Amazon Prime, and the idea of paying for access rather than ownership will soon become standard.

This year, United Way of Central Indiana (UWCI) celebrated an impressive milestone — 100 years of fighting for the education, financial stability, health and basic needs of everyone in the Central Indiana community, with a special focus on people and families who are living in or are one step away from poverty. The United Way movement began 131 years ago in Denver, Colorado, when several leaders in the religious and human service sectors had united around one cause: helping to serve people who were living in poverty. In April of 1918, the United Way movement arrived in Indianapolis in the form of a “War Chest.” The gigantic Chest was placed on the steps of Monument Circle, and a campaign to raise contributions involved every person in the community. The result: more than $3 million ($50 million in today’s dollars) was collected and donated to dozens of charities and relief organizations throughout the region. Since 1918, UWCI has worked with more than 80 agencies that serve the critical needs of the community.

In 1972, Sharon Johnson went to Haiti to direct a choir that was traveling around the country. As she looked into the faces in the crowds, she fell in love with the people of Haiti. She returned each year with her husband, Bob, and over time, they felt the need to provide the people of Haiti with help every day and not just once or twice a year. In 1983 they formed what is today Mission of Hope: Haiti (MOH).

Officially founded in 1998, MOH has since grown from a small mission located on a barren piece of land, to a fruitful organization that now houses an onsite orphanage, medical facility, school, and church. Through partnerships, MOH also serves outside of its property by helping other orphanages, churches, and schools throughout the country.

A recent article in Forbes highlighted the breakneck pace of consolidations happening right now in the SaaS industry. Companies like Salesforce, Oracle, and SAP are all growing their enterprise app business by 25%-30% per year.

Those numbers are impressive, but it’s important to dive a little deeper to understand what is driving them. These companies are investing aggressively, but much of that money is going towards acquisitions. Rather than developing innovative ideas, the major players are simply buying up smaller companies and incorporating their capabilities. As a result, many enterprise apps are actually suites of products that promise one-size-fits-all utility.

The Health Insurance Portability Accountability Act (HIPAA) is one of the most sweeping sets of regulations on the books, and for good reason. Personal healthcare information is both highly sensitive and highly vulnerable. Keeping it safe and secure is both a legal and an ethical obligation for every organization in healthcare.

The challenge facing these organizations is that HIPAA compliance is notorious for requiring a lot of input without offering a lot of confidence. Protecting every patient record against every potential threat according to every applicable regulation is a major undertaking. And, considering that a single violation can carry a minimum penalty of $50,000, any amount of uncertainty around compliance is a serious liability.

The role of the modern CFO is changing substantially from just a financial gatekeeper to becoming a strategic partner in running the business. This change is driven by advances in technology, evolution in markets, and shifting responsibilities throughout the C-suite. It's both an exciting opportunity and an urgent obligation.

Every accounting department wants to become more data driven, and every CFO is ready to take on a stronger strategic role. Operating based on in-depth information and empirical insights is undeniably an advantage. And soon it will be a requirement for all businesses.

The challenge is that wanting to become more data driven doesn’t mean a company is equipped to operate that way. If the quality of the data, tools, or strategy is lacking, a data-driven approach is likely to fail. Rather than rushing to embrace the new, decision makers must assess whether they are truly ready. Here are some questions to get the conversation started: