why are the non-adopters not adopting?
by 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 research
wolters kluwer tax and accounting has issued its annual tax and accounting survey. the results show an industry re-evaluating its criteria for success as firmwide changes occur.
technology is the driver of those changes, and its rapid evolution is enabling, and even necessitating, innovation.
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in her introductory letter, cathy rowe, wolters kluwer senior vice president, professional market, says, “those who embrace innovation will be able to redefine their firms, leave no spreadsheet untouched by the winds of change, and truly be future-ready accountants.”
the numbers back up the increasing use of and dependence on technology, but they also reveal a significant part of the industry declining to board the tech train.
look:
- 71 percent say technology improves average client response time and time spent per return. (but what about the other 29 percent? technology isn’t helping them? or is it taking more time, money and effort than it’s worth?)
- 61 percent say tech helps improve chargeable hours and percentage realization per client. (and the other 39 percent? have they no interest in higher revenue? or is tech just useless in their pursuits?)
- 62 percent say tech helps them increase time spent on core business and less on administration. (and the other 38 percent? what’s the problem?)
- 64 percent are extremely confident in their firm’s ability to meet customer needs. (that leaves 36 percent not so sure they’re fulfilling their professional obligations, which means there are a lot of unsatisfied customers out there.)
- 59 percent saw an increase in revenue in 2023. (the other 41 percent? maybe they are among the 22 percent who haven’t integrated their tech solutions, the 91 percent who don’t believe they are maximizing the use and value of their technology, the 65 percent who self-identify as neither innovative nor early adopters of technology.)
where providers fall short
we can’t blame the tech providers. they are meeting market needs in such areas as data security, minimizing risk, helping firms grow and dealing with regulatory complexity.
but survey respondents say providers are falling short in
- digital mobility demands,
- overcoming staff challenges and
- analyzing tax data for actionable insights.
there’s a market for tech providers who can devise innovative solutions to those demands.
- 34 percent of respondents intend to, and 37 percent are considering training staff on emerging technologies.
- 59 percent of large firms are intending to increase efforts to differentiate themselves from the competition.
- 44 percent of midsized firms are looking to hire more skilled staff rather than entry-level staff.
- more than a quarter of small firms – which make up a good 80 percent of respondents – are prioritizing tax workflow solutions, client portals and tax return automation.
the great divide
technology may be the great divide between small firms and larger firms.
among the small, pricing and competitive fee pressures are the most serious challenges, according to the survey. technology ranks third.
among the midsize and large firms, attracting and retaining top talent are the big challenges – probably because they need that top talent to make good use of top technology. they’ve got that technology under control, apparently; it doesn’t rank in their top five concerns.
buying into the available tech doesn’t seem to be the main problem. it’s using that tech to its full potential. predictably, the bigger the firm, the more the tech tends to reach toward its potential.
- a quarter of small firms say they are using less than a quarter of the technology they’ve got. only 10 percent of the midsize and 8 percent of the large firms say the same.
- 15 percent of small firms are using 75-99 percent of their tech’s potential, while 23 percent of midsize large can claim the same thing.
who’s milking their tech to the max?
- 9 percent of small firms
- 10 percent of midsize firms
- 8 percent of large firms
taking from tech all that tech’s got to give is tricky in a world so rapidly changing. keeping up with those changes is a challenge rife with risk.
in her introductory letter, rowe says, “unfortunately, advanced technologies such as generative ai, automation, machine learning and blockchain have shaken the confidence of some as they work to understand how to integrate new capabilities into their existing tech stack.”
one response to “survey shows that tech remains the great divide”
elizabeth davies
i think the discrepancy in the numbers is based mainly on the typical client. i have a small practice in florida with a large number of retirees who are reluctant to use the technology available today. because of the lack of enthusiasm for the technology, it is hard to justify the expense no matter how useful it might be. i would love to have all my clients use the advanced technology, but that’s not going to happen and i’m not of the mindset that i’m not going to serve those businesses or individuals. i also have a good number of business clients that do their work very well but don’t have time for “the computer”. i think the tech industry overestimates the general public use of technology. they may “watch” technology but to actually “use” technology is totally different.