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How Is Data Used in Accounting?

Advanced data analytics presents innovative insights that add value to businesses. Customer analytics detail customers’ spending habits and purchase behaviors that spotlight market trends and new opportunities. Algorithmic trading brings automation to monitoring stock prices by being conditioned to place buy-and-sell orders when conditions are met. Unstructured data can be used to improve the timeliness of analytics. Accounting firms are increasingly leveraging advanced and predictive analytics in their daily operations.

The Role of Big Data

Big data in accounting is collected and organized from various sources to gain business insights in real-time. Unstructured data such as media, email, text, and web files can be collected from mobile devices to be analyzed and converted into a structured format such as a spreadsheet or database. Visualization software enhances data analysis with unique data views that support financial decisions. Auditors can more quickly and more accurately process large amounts of accounting data in different formats simultaneously. Advanced analytics allows for faster data processing, which improves risk analysis. Big data can improve the quality of data governance and data privacy because the extensive use of personal data requires vigilant monitoring to ensure data applications comply with regulations.

Any accounting firm that relies on business data needs a data integration and management solution such as a data fabric architecture. This solution consists of architecture, data management, integration software, and shared data that help organizations manage data. What is a data fabric? A data fabric gives access to data across an organization in real-time and creates a consistent user experience. It’s designed to help organizations solve complex data problems and use cases through data management regardless of the types of applications, platforms, and data sources. Data fabric provides frictionless access and data sharing in a distributed data environment. A data-centric organization needs a holistic approach to time constraints, different software, and disparate data sources. A data fabric provides a secure, efficient, single environment where data can be easily accessed at the right time.

The Role of Data Analytics

Data Analytics
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Data analytics provides accounts with a broader perspective of business finances and operations, more accurate market and industry trends predictions, and automated routine tasks for improved accuracy and cost savings. The goal of analytics in accounting is to create value and growth for accounting firms by leveraging new technologies. Cloud computing power can now offer scalable processing and storage that automatically grows as data sets become larger and more complex. Analytics makes data sources such as the IoT, social media, sensors, and other embedded devices more widely available. The emergence of open networks for digital infrastructures makes it easier to leverage data to communicate with domain specialists.

An accounting career can be fulfilling for those who are detail-oriented, enjoy working with numbers, and can do basic math in their sleep. You can easily complete an Associate of Applied Business in Accounting online program and earn an associate degree in two years. An online accounting associate degree gives you the flexibility to study on your own time at your own pace. Completing an associate’s degree accounting qualifies you for bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing careers. Coursework includes accounting fundamentals, computerized accounting, tax preparation, advanced bookkeeping, fraud examination, and more.

The Benefits of Data Analytics

Benefits of Data Analytics
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Analytics revolutionizes auditing from a basic analysis of the income statement and the balance sheet to a deep dive into large amounts of unstructured data to monitor risks. The financial industry faces several types of risks associated with mergers and acquisitions, fraudulent activities, supply chains, and more. Data analytics improves risk management by analyzing customer behavior and predicting shifts in economic trends.

Cloud technology and real-time reporting tools allow accountants and auditors to provide clients with real-time insights. Data helps optimize the client experience by providing a clear view of the customer information. Having insights into family life, bank details, transaction histories, and inquiries can help accountants have more in-depth conversations that result in stronger customer relationships.

Leveraging the power of data helps accounting firms improve business intelligence, better meet customer needs, and maintain a competitive advantage.

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