Proceedings

1. LITERATURE REVIEW
1.1. Tendencies in the research and modernization of SME accounting
Regarding the present tendencies of modernization of SME accounting, one may
notice a constant preoccupation of the researchers and responsible factors for policies
in this area, to find ways and means to stimulate the implementation of the accounting
system adapted to the international requirements and practices (Briciu et al., (2009). A
very important help came from the discoveries in the IT. As it is well known, the big
issue SMEs are confronted with comes from the lack or financial and human
resources for the implementation of sophisticated and complex accounting systems
like ERP. This has often led to the outsourcing of accounting by the SMEs. The
solution could come either by creating simple and cheap solutions to satisfy the
implementation requirements of accounting systems, or by sharing the costs of
programs like ERP among several SMEs.
There are few studies focused on the introduction of new informational technologies
within SMEs. This is so because there are few data to be analyzed due to the improper
system of reporting or to the limited resources SMEs have for the implementation of
such technologies, or due to the pioneering character and a very recent history of these
services. It is worth though mentioning the studies in the field of the management of
implementation of IT systems within the SMEs (Suraweera et al., 2006), the use of
the Beta accounting index for risk determination at non-listed enterprises (Pierre et
al., 2006) or the analysis of the relation between SME performance and the adoption
of (Accounting Information System) (Ismail et al., 2005). As we have mentioned
before, the system of web-based accounting accelerated the implementation of some
modern systems of collecting, processing and transmittal of accounting information to
the SMEs as well. This has determined the apparition of some studies in this area. It is
worth mentioning in this respect the work “Digital Accounting –The Effect of Internet
and ERP on Accounting” by Ashutosh Deshmukh as a landmark work in the field of
using web-based technology in accounting.
In the above mentioned work it is claimed that: ”Accounting has evolved together
with information technology. The distinction between the message of accounting and
the environment of information technology is blurring even faster.” (Deshmukh,
2006) paradoxically to the idea of accounting as a science less developed in the sense
that it is reactive and reacts only to the evolutions in business and information
technology. True or not, we notice that the development of accounting information is
accompanied by the rapid development of information technology (Zhou, 2010).
That is exactly why in our days we assist to an explosion of accounting information
and the development of the International Accounting System (AIS) as well as of the
research in this area. Of course, there are quite a few researchers who consider that the
use of accounting software as compared to the manual accounting can only bring
benefits for the SMEs because it would be easy to use (Banzacar, 2010). Considered
from the point of view of the accounting praxis, things do not look that simple. Even
professional accountants complain that the accounting software is too sophisticated
and difficult to apply. It is claimed that in average only 10-20% of the capabilities of
an accounting software are being used in the SMEs (Pederiva, 2010).
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