Building the Digital Practice

27 June 2019, 09:00-17:00

Building the Digital Practice

EFAA International Conference 2019

Amsterdam, 27 June 2019

Digitalisation has, and will continue for the foreseeable future, to dramatically impact the way Europeans live, work, and play. These technologies – in particular, Artificial Intelligence and Blockchain – and the associated risk of cyber security are also greatly affecting the accountancy profession and accountancy practices of all sizes. While large companies and accounting firms are embracing these technologies, some question whether the same is true of small and medium-sized practices (SMPs) and their small and medium-sized enterprise (SMEs) clients. What digital technologies are relevant to SMPs and their SME clients? How are leading edge SMPs changing the way they operate and the services they offer? And how can SMPs attract, retain and develop new and existing staff to best leverage the new opportunities? During the event these pressing questions were addressed and a new tool to help Europe’s SMPs analyse and build their digital competence was lunched. The event was hosted by NBA – The Royal Netherlands Institute of Chartered Accountants.

Click here for the speakers’ biographies.

Click here for the program.

PROGRAMME

9:00 REGISTRATIONS

9:30 Opening Session

  • Welcome and opening speech
    BODO RICHARDT – EFAA President
  • Welcome
    BERRY WAMMES – NBA CEO
  • ICAI Digital Initiatives
    MANU AGRAWAL and HANS RAJ CHUGH – COUNCIL MEMBERS of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI)

10:00 Session One – DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES UPDATE

This session updated participants via a series of presentations on those digital technologies that are having, or expected to have, the greatest impact on the accountancy profession, especially SMPs, and examine the associated cyber security risks. The session was concluded with an audience Q&A.

CHAIR: NOËL DE RUDDER – MEMBER OF EFAA DIGITAL WORKING GROUP

11:30 LAUNCH OF THE EFAA DIGITAL COMPETENCY MATURITY MODEL(DCMM)

EFAA unveiled its new tool designed to help SMPs analyse and improve their digital competence.
Download Presentation

11:45 HOW AN ACCOUNTANT CAN BECOME A PROFIT ADVISOR

FEMKE HOGEMA, Director of Profit First Professionals BV and a widely published entrepreneur, shared her vast experience on how she has helped SMPs transform from providing accounting and bookkeeping services to becoming true profit advisors to their SME clients.
Download Presentation

12:15 LUNCH

13:15 Session Two – TALENT ACQUISITION AND DEVELOPMENT

This session addressed how can SMPs can attract, retain and develop their staff to best leverage the opportunities presented by digital technologies.

  • Learning for the Future
    CLIVE WEBB – Senior Insights Manager, ACCA
    Download Presentation
  • Practice & Academia
    ELBANO DE NUCCIO – Professor at Lum Jean Monnet University, CNDCEC
    Download Presentation
  • Political Implications
    VÉRONIQUE WILLEMS – Secretary General, SMEunited
  • Panel Discussion and Q&A
    CLIVE WEBB, ELBANO DE NUCCIO and VERONIQUE WILLEMS

CO-CHAIRS: BODO RICHARDT, EFAA PRESIDENT and PAUL THOMPSON, EFAA DIRECTOR

15:00 COFFEE BREAK

15:30 Session Three – HOW LEADING PRACTICES ARE APPLYING DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES

This session demonstrated what and how digital technologies are already being applied in practice and digital tools and applications that are still in development. Prof. Jaap van den Herik provided an academic perspective.

CHAIR: MARTIN DE BIE – CHAIR OF EFAA DIGITAL WORKING GROUP

16:50 CLOSING REMARKS

BODO RICHARDT, EFAA PRESIDENT

17:00 END OF THE CONFERENCE