firms turn to mergers to solve problems.
by august aquila
the rosenberg map survey
this may well be the year that the dinosaurs become extinct.
more from the map survey: 2019: appetite for growth unabated | 2019: doing more with less | 2019: tech isn’t the problem. it’s the solution | 2019: using m&a to launch consulting | 2019 trends: client service changes | staff policies improve, but not mentoring
exclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.
because profitability is still somewhat strong, partners are less likely to embrace change. the reaction is “why change, things are going well?” this is a false sense of security.
the far-reaching forces of the threat of technology, especially ai, increasing client demands and the continual focus on short-term challenges rather than long-term changes will compel more firms to seek a solution to their issues through mergers. these forces most impact smaller firms. but even firms in the $20 million to $35 million range are not immune.
the pace of change and innovation is only accelerating, particularly in:
- artificial intelligence (ai) beginning to replace more activities that were once done by staff
- partners in firms continue to resist most change efforts
- equity and non-equity partners are not productive enough
- firms moving into alternative pricing methods
clients are demanding more value and are more likely to leave one firm for another. and, firms continue to focus on internal issues, rather than on client issues. they need to be asking: what do our clients want from us? what do our clients value? which clients make us money?
compensation systems continue to put too much emphasis on the wrong elements. many equity partners are overpaid and are expecting large retirement payouts. firms are still struggling with developing fairer plans and rewarding partners on helping the firm succeed.
one response to “2019: when cpas go extinct”
rita schooley
we’ve been using an auto-populate feature in 1040 prep for years so that our preparers are reviewing more, thinking more, and not just doing data input. we get a higher level of preparers and they like it better. why isn’t everyone using this? i can’t imagine. it costs about $20 per return (including a bookmarked pdf file) and is consistently, though not always, accurate. i believe technology is there to help us all. i’m looking forward to more ai in tax prep. note, both my partner and i are in our 60s.