Accounting: the process of communicating financial information (through financial statements) about a business entity to internal and external users, like managers and shareholders; but how does technology affect the practice? This sounds like a repeated tune, doesn't it? As my faithful and loyal readers seen in my last post upon the role technology plays in "Big Four" firms like KPMG, times have changed upon how accountants conduct business. "Out" with the calculators and mountains of blank paperwork waiting to be filled out and "in" with the digital age. But how does technology's influence in a "Big Four Firm" compare to its role in one that isn't?Can there truly be a large difference in technology usage if the firm is not a "Big Four Firm"? Is technology the edge? Tiffany Harvey, a tax associate at the top 20 (but not Big Four) ranked accounting firm Reznick Group, was able to shed some light upon how significant technology is in the firms that stand outside the "Big Four" bracket.
Technology Allows Regional Firms to 'Hold Their Own' against Big Four Heavy-Weights
As a tax associate of only a few months with Reznick Group, Tiffany Harvey is a recent graduate of the University of Maryland and Robert H. Smith Business School, and has had the liberty of gaining experience with both KPMG (through internships) and with Reznick Group (currently working full-time). Similar to Lawrence Hui in my first cover of technology in accounting firms, Harvey has gained her credibility through obtaining 150-credits, but is awaiting her time to take on the behemoth that is the CPA (Certified Public Accountant) exam until after her "first busy season" subsides (based on the location of the videos, you can definitely tell that this season was certainly a "busy" one).
But did technology serve as a worthy conduit to allow Harvey to withstand the brutal tax season? Yes, and better-yet, it did majority of the work for her!
Sophisticated Software and Trainings Makes Tax Season Easier Than Ever
Contrary to Lawrence Hui's experiences, and those individuals basing their assumptions on slippery slopes about Non-Big Four firms, Reznick Group has given Harvey a plethora "firm-specific" knowledge to assure that work is done at an efficient rate at the regional firm. With the software and trainings being given to Harvey, it seems as though the "old dog" isn't just learning new tricks; it's adding a few years of life to the prime-time pup.
What Specific Hardware Benefits a Reznick Group Associate during Busy Season?
Your in the transition stage between the first quarter and the second where you, as a tax associate, experience some of the busiest times of the year when filing taxes. What could make life a little easier when providing a service to an important client? How about "Dual Monitor" technology (specific name has to be held confidential for corporate-competition reasons)? Tiffany Harvey goes further in-depth about one of the most amazing and prolific pieces of technology the accounting industry has ever seen! Photograph of the hardware follows synopsis of technology.
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| A Reznick Group Tax Associates' Typical Desk with the "Dual- Monitor" technology as the centerpiece |
Even with Technology of this Caliber, Tax and Audit Associates with CPA are Needed
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| Quarter-Incremented Annual Rate of Individuals Obtaining CPA |
Technology Allows Regional Firms, like Reznick Group, to Carry Their Weight against Big Four Heavy-Weights
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| Example of the NMTC Interactive Map displaying the tax credit opportunity in Denton Community , University of Maryland |
Through the interactive map (found through the webpage or by clicking on the hyper-linked text above) allows the average person to research where a tax credit is available for a new private sector investment in economically distressed communities (foreshadowing future expenses for entrepreneurs). Technology like this pretty much encapsulates what technology is capable of for a regional firm as a whole, along with it's benefactor role for the individual associates in the workplace.
Proclaimed loud and clear from a profession who has been at both types of accounting firms (Big Four and Non-Big Four), technology is shown to have affected every aspect of the accounting practice from advertising the firm to assisting individual associates with customer service. So with all the softwares, trainings and hardware available to make life easier, why aren't more people pursuing careers as accountants? Maybe it's the CPA exam's difficulty...
Out of all of the ePortfolios I got a chance to look at, this was definitely one of the better and more professional blog posts. The headlines and subheadings were explanatory, the graphics were interactive and relevant, and overall since this was a topic that interested you, it was portrayed as such. A few spelling/grammar errors but not enough to take away from the blog or act as a "kick out." I don't know too much about this topic but definitely have a better idea after reading through your project. I'm no Yaros, but I'd give it an A!
ReplyDeleteyou had very explanatory titles and subheads. Each allowed me to understand what he was going to explain without me having to read the details. you did a great job relaying his information and was able to explain accounting clearly to someone like me who does not know much about it.Regarding you videos, you had good lighting, good audio, and used the rule of thirds correctly. The only change I would make would be to get closer up to your interviewee. The videos were short clips which is great. Some of your lead ins to your videos, were questions. I would change them slightly to make them more as statements. You also made good use of explanatory graphics throughout his story, with text next to or under it to further explain it. Overall it was a very well done post.
ReplyDeleteGreat job with the content of the post. It was not only very informative, but also very well written. It is obvious that you put effort into the writing and took time to proofread. I thought your subheads were good/informative and flowed well. You picked a good person to interview for the blog - it is obvious that she knows what she is talking about and has experience in the field. Remember that once you mention her name, you can refer to her solely by last name throughout the rest of the blog. I found it a little confusing when you mentioned Lawrence Hui from a previous blog. This can be confusing to readers who are not familiar with your previous content. As for the media, I found the videos to be very well done. The volume was good as well as the framing. It was a little shaky at times so make sure to keep your arm steady/balanced. I also found the videos to be a little long - this is problematic because you may lose the reader's attention. The graphics you used were very good and relevant. It was easy to understand the graphic with little explanation. Overall good job. And I really like the title of your blog!
ReplyDeleteGreat Title and Subheads! they all are explantory, some of the best i've read among the 3 blogs i've reviewed.
ReplyDeleteThe video background is good and you clearly observe the rule of thirds. I wish the interviewees body was facing across the screen, but at least her eyes are.
The photo of the computer monitors might have been better if you had an over-the-shoulder shot of the woman working at her desk. I think the photo is a good addition though.
the image of the NMTC map is kind of confusing, maybe you could explain it more for those of us who are not as familiar with accounting terms. Otherwise it fits well and is certainly attention-getting.
Tavon, although you are not graded on it, I wish your interviewee showed more enthusiasm. I would have changed your graphic, a photo of the dual monitor technology, by taking a few steps back to get a full view of the workspace. It sounds like you are not aware that the dual monitor technology is available to anyone with a graphics card that will support multiple inputs. I am using this technology as I write this! If you were writing that blog with a wider audience, this might actually be a kickout.
ReplyDeleteThe subheads are well written-they prepare me for the text and peak my interest-especially the subhead "Technology Allows Regional Firms to 'Hold Their Own' against Big Four Heavy-Weights". This reminds me of the class discussion we had about the role that technology had in reducing the competitive gap between groups. Is there a repeated subhead: "Technology Allows Regional Firms to 'Hold Their Own' against Big Four Heavy-Weights"? Your graphic about the acceptance rate of cpa's over time is interesting-especially the trend that there is an increase in the passing rate of cpa's over time. It made me wonder: Does the organization that decide the passing rate of cpa's change the criteria of passing so as to show a trend over time. If so, this may be a manufactured result and may not accurately reflect the landscape of cpa's acceptance. I wound remove the graphic that has very tiny text. Personally, I would only include graphics that have text that you can read comfortable without clicking on it to zoom in. Good work-I see that you gave the source of your images. I enjoyed reading this blog post, but I would do one or two things to change it.