The accounting industry has evolved continuously over the past decades, with each innovation and addition making it even better. There has been consistent development and modification from traditional to technological options which have made accounting easier for owners and professionals.

Cloud technology, the latest trend in accounting, is expected to make accounting applications easily accessible, time-saving, and less expensive. Cloud accounting refers to using accounting software and data that is hosted on someone else’s server, and that’s made available over an Internet connection from anywhere on any device.

Accountants in the cloud

Accountants should take the cloud as a big opportunity to step up. They can leverage the cloud to empower a new segment of business insight to understand that they can change their business’ performance. However, this transition isn’t easy as it would also involve a change in culture and attitude.

Accountants can’t just adopt cloud technology but would also have to incorporate with the change in the work methods that come with it. Cloud significantly changes the administrative processes and human dependency, which gives them potential utilizing their skills and expertise to innovating new level of services.

Real-time analysis

The real-time updates over cloud computing to all involved parties mean that accountants don’t have to get mixed-up in the redundant data files anymore. Cloud technology makes it easier to gather and work on the financial data. Since the data is not required to be shared as an attachment over emails, the more time can be spent on core tasks, especially during the tax season.

When users can access and edit the same files on the cloud, they would be able to do more and better. Decision-makers also have access to the most recent data, which makes the decision making faster and eventually, streamlines accounting practices for better.

Document scanning

Accounting relies heavily on the documents, such as – invoices, purchase order, account statements, etc. Rising dependency on the internet-based transactions has helped electronic format of these documents to replace the printed versions. Cloud ensures that accounting department can collect these e-format documents with ease and have them available for use, whenever and wherever required.

Integrating different applications, like – banking app with accounting software, can further help with this process of the maintaining the documents as integrated applications can automatically share various transaction information.

File storage

Accounting files are among the heavier ones, and as the business grows, more it demands the storage space. With the local data centers, accounting firms will have to regularly upgrade hardware to accommodate the growing demands, which is an expensive solution.

On the cloud, accounting firms can choose to expand the storage space on demands at a much lower cost. There is no need to buy expensive computer equipment, and IT professionals to maintain them. Cloud also automatically backs up the data which is stored locally, meaning that your data is always safe.

Enhance accountant-client relationship

Cloud computing offers an opportunity to change and enhance the accountant-client relationship. With permission-based sharing, the accounting files can be shared with the clients easily. It provides transparency with the status of the work.

Remote accessibility adds value to the client servicing of the accountants because they are available to assist the clients on the go. Since cloud reduces the cost of operations, accountants can offer some discounts or provide additional services at the same price to attract clients.

Is cloud computing making accountants redundant?

It is inevitable that the value of accountant – especially to SMB client – will be questioned as there will be people asking, “is there an app for that?”.

Business owners will always need professional accounting advice, especially when it comes to taxes. And there is no app for that.

Cloud computing allows accountants to spend less time on administrative tasks such as data entry, chasing up documents and spend more time on valuable revenue generation activities. It means that accountants can do what they are trained to do – explain, work with numbers and let them precisely to focus on the growth of the business.