Ali Pejman, CA - Institute of Chartered Accountants of BC

grasped the importance of technological
change for the profession and have made it
an integral part of the CA profession.
“I’m glad to see the subject takes up a
lot of space on a regular basis in CA
Magazine,” he says. “For us in public
practice, of course it’s important to keep
up-to-date, but it’s also critical for CAs who
are CFOs or Controllers and not surrounded
by other CAs.
They need the profession helping them
understand how technology is continuing to
impact their environments.”
Figner also suggests that while the
big firms have plunged into looking at the
risks and problems associated with
technology, it’s harder for the small or sole
practitioners to do so and thus the Institute
has a role to play there.
“I think we need mentoring and
intensive professional development
around technology and the related issues,”
Figner says. “These are important programs
for all CAs.
“CAs have always been about information
and integrity,” he says. “Now these
areas have collided with the surge in
information technology and we must
remain on top of it.”
Derek Belyea, CA, MBA is with
GNA Consulting Group in
Vancouver and, for him, technology has
meant “working harder than ever before.”
“Overall, I see my cycle times for
responding to client requests dropping,”
Belyea says. “I notice that as clients adapt to
new technologies I can add more value to
their businesses with less wasted effort.
That means a lower cost to the client, even
though charge-out rates have been rising.
But I am also juggling more projects at the
same time because the technology allows it.”
Belyea acknowledges that a negative
side effect of the changes in technology is
a higher stress level.
“Everyone feels compelled to push
harder and the technology continuously
raises expectation levels,” he points out.
Belyea observes that for most of his
clients, technology investments are bigger
than ever and more critical to their
business successes.
“The range of choices that is offered is
dizzying and changes daily,” he explains.
“Clients are spending tons of money on
technology — Internet, intranets, supply
chain, ERP, CRM, data warehouses and on
and on. They know they have to — just to
keep up — but for many there is an uneasy
feeling that they are not getting it quite
right and not doing it fast enough.
“Failure to get technology projects to
succeed used to be a private matter,”
Belyea continues. “Today everyone is more
savvy about what can be done with
technology and now it can be obvious to
customers, suppliers and competitors that
you are not delivering on technology.
Customers can be fickle if you are not
meeting their expectations and competitors
will pounce when they see an opening.
The businesses that succeed know
how to make technology a competitive
tool. They do this to reduce costs, shorten
cycle times and improve quality. In many
cases, it can mean a complete re-definition
of the business.”
Belyea points out that for many
companies the CFO is often a CA with
direct responsibility for technology
investments.
“The CFO needs to understand the
opportunities for technology investments,”
he explains. “He or she also needs to know
how to drive the necessary change into the
business, how to do it on time and within
budget. This can be a tall order with lots of
risk.” Belyea suggests that the baseline
computer skills most CAs have acquired
over the last 20 years will keep on growing.
“If you are not regularly updating
your technology-related competence, it
will show,” he says. “Employers and clients
expect you to be current and are less likely
to trust your judgment in other matters if
you are not reasonably knowledgeable
about technology.
“For CAs in decision-making positions,
the challenge is to know the right amount
about technology options,” he explains.
“You need to know the agendas and the
shortcomings of the technology experts
who advise you so you’re in a good
position to make the business objectives
drive the technology decisions rather than
the other way around.”
Belyea cautions that while learning
about technology is quite exciting, it can
also be dangerous to “fall in love” with
technology solutions.
“I have seen that happen and it’s
fatal,” he points out. “This is a challenge
that the CA profession needs to address
overtly. I think there is room for more
education about the business of managing
technology and all the related change
management issues.”
Jim McCulloch, CA, a tax partner
with the Vancouver firm of Rolfe
Benson, Chartered Accountants, has been
around technology for a long time. A CA
since 1970, he remembers being “forced”
along with all his tax colleagues into
learning how to use Osborne computers
and a program called “Visicalc”, the original
spreadsheet.
“Today it’s e-filing, totally computerized
tax forms, project modeling and
excellent tax research resources on the
‘net or CD ROM updates,” he says. “It’s
been a remarkable 20 years.”
McCulloch himself has been ‘wired’ at
both home and office for at least 15 years
and relies heavily on his Lotus organizer.
He carries a cell phone, but no laptop — at
least not yet.
“For clients, technology has meant so
many improvements, it’s just marvelous,”
he explains. “The computerization of all
aspects of accounting — for example, the
paperless audit and fully integrated
systems — have improved operations and
reporting immeasurably. And of course e-
commerce will be a big market in the near
future, though it means issues of security
and privacy, too.”
McCulloch admits there are some
clients — and even some staff — who are
resistant to technology, but “those
numbers are small and dwindling all the
time”.
“I know it can be a long, slow process
for some older CAs, especially when every
CA student or young CA who comes
through the door is so keen on all aspects
of technology, but you have to embrace it,”
McCulloch says. “CAs must go for all the
technological knowledge they can acquire
and always be on the leading edge. Clients
and employers expect it, demand it.”
Right now, McCulloch says he’s
working with voice-recognition software
for dictation (“it’s not quite there yet”) and
he’s convinced we’ll all have personal
information managers soon.
Travis Bryson, CA, “unplugs”when
he’s at home. “I haven’t let technology
grab too much of my life at home,”
Bryson says. “There’s no cell, no laptop and
no pager there. At work, it’s another story.
There I’m totally plugged in.”
Bryson, a CA since 1996, is the
Manager of Business and
Technology Solutions at
BDO Dunwoody LLP in
Vancouver. He says he
remembers his first
encounters with 286
computers during his
articling days in the early
‘90s. [cont’d on page 24]
10 Beyond Numbers / September 2000