Earlier in this whitepaper The call to adventure – Understanding the capacity challenges ahead, we established what’s at stake and why it’s time to transform your accounting firm’s approach to talent. We also covered how 40 strong London firm flinder is using Silverfin technology to turn number crunchers into storytellers.
Turning our attention now to creating capacity in accounting with the adoption of software and AI, we believe we are entering a new era of learning and development, particularly for junior staff or when different teams come together and need to align their know-how, processes and working methods. We’ll also talk to Tine Deklerck a Partner at Moore BE to understand how they have used Silverfin to create capacity and increase staff satisfaction.
Here’s how this fast-tracks not just their personal growth, but your firm’s as well;
Empowering people through consistent learning
By using AI to train new hires, your firm can nurture talent more consistently and rapidly, accelerating the growth trajectory of both individuals and the organisation as a whole. Through targeted learning interventions, junior staff can hone their skills and expertise, contributing to enhanced productivity and performance across the board.
Unleashing seasoned talent for strategic initiatives
Leveraging software and AI in learning also liberates your senior staff from mundane training responsibilities, basic learning processes and error correction. As a result, seasoned professionals can redirect their focus towards high-impact activities, such as business development, customer relations and advisory services. This fuels your firm’s growth by leveraging the expertise of your senior talent pool in strategic decision-making.
More efficiency and less errors
The integration of cloud technology and AI enables your accounting firm to perform checks and validations more quickly and accurately. By leveraging machine learning algorithms, you can identify anomalies, detect patterns and ensure compliance, all in real-time. This not only minimises the risk of errors, but also streamlines operational workflows, enhancing efficiency and driving sustainable growth for your firm.
Smooth team integration
Technology can also play a pivotal role in facilitating efficient teamwork – especially when your firm is expanding or making acquisitions. By uniting different teams around a uniform way of working, cloud-based software helps reduce fears and resistance associated with organisational transitions, ensuring alignment across the board. This helps to sustain morale during times of transformation, safeguarding your firm’s growth trajectory in the process.
The Silverfin touch – From reactive to proactive teams
“Silverfin enables us to be proactive to our clients’ needs, rather than reactive, and we can easily access need-to-know information at any time or any place. It’s a lifesaver.” Lynne Walker, Vice-Chair and Head of Business Advisory at Johnston Carmichael
Want to take a deep dive into the (people) benefits of AI?
Our dedicated whitepaper looks beyond the hype and explores the practical advantages and realistic expectations of using AI in your accountancy practice.
Case study: Moore
“Technology doesn’t just help us save time – it can also make our job more interesting and rewarding.”
Few accountancy firms have grown as spectacularly as Moore Belgium: over the past 4 years, the company has acquired over 40 local offices. Today, Moore Belgium employs more than 1,600 people, of which approximately 700 in Accountancy. In such a large and dispersed team, how do you keep everyone engaged and motivated? That’s where Moore’s thoughtful approach to digital transformation comes in, with Silverfin as one of its main technological enablers.
Founded in 1967 as a family business, Moore Belgium is the largest independent accounting and consulting service provider in the country today. Since 1990, the company has been part of Moore Global, one of the world’s leading international accountancy networks.
Tine Deklerck became Partner at Moore Belgium in December 2020, following a merger with Flamand & Partners. She and her team are responsible for the compliance processes on a national level. Tine also remains active in Moore Belgium’s daily operations.
The company – and the people’s – companion
Since the early days, Moore has been well-known for its personalised and convivial approach to accountancy. “Accessibility and approachability are still at the core of how we do things. It’s even encapsulated in our baseline: the company’s companion”, says Tine. “As we’ve grown and acquired more local offices, one of our main concerns has been to uphold this foundational principle. Not just towards our clients, mind you, but towards our own employees as well.”
How? “First of all, we only join forces with offices that share our core values. It also helps when everyone sticks to the same process and quality standards. Our network has grown so big that getting the right information to the right people is not a given. It’s why we’re continuously investing in a strong internal network, backed by cutting-edge technology. In this way, we build a strong community for our employees as well. People should never feel like pawns at Moore, no matter how big we’re becoming.”
“By communicating openly and sharing the same principles and processes, we can create a stronger community.” Tine Deklerck, Partner at Moore Belgium
A sense of time, place and belonging
But how does that approach translate to the day-to-day? “Technologies and tools like Silverfin are immensely helpful in creating standardisation and quality throughout the organisation”, Tine continues.
Communication and collaboration are also key, especially in Moore’s hybrid working environment. “Since we have a flexible work-from-home policy, I don’t always know where my colleagues are – nor do I need to. Thanks to Silverfin’s collaborative features, I can precisely and efficiently communicate what I need with anyone working from anywhere. Silverfin makes the job time and place independent for the entire Moore group.”
“Silverfin’s collaborative features make our jobs as accountants highly time and place independent.” Tine Deklerck, Partner at Moore Belgium
Digital freedom for the employer branding win
In the ongoing war for talent, Moore’s innovative drive is a clear advantage, too. Tine: “Some job applicants are actively looking for employers that invest in automation and digital tools. They understand that it’s key for the future of the company, but also for their own ability to do their jobs well. If you want to offer job satisfaction in accountancy, you need to equip your teams with tools that reduce repetitive and manual chores.”
“At Moore, we’re proud of our innovative spirit and the fact that we’re pretty far along in terms of digital maturity”, she continues. “In fact, we were among the first accountancy firms to work with Silverfin to centralise all relevant data and documents and free ourselves from a barrage of maintenance-heavy Excel, Word and PDF files.”
“If you want to offer job satisfaction in accountancy, you need to equip your teams with tools that reduce repetitive and manual chores.” Tine Deklerck, Partner at Moore Belgium
Major but rewarding changes
As a steadily growing firm, some Moore Belgium offices have yet to onboard Silverfin. Tine explains: “Technologies like these require a certain level of digital maturity, from the company, but also from individual employees. While they create room for soft skills, like engaging more deeply with clients, you need a basic interest in IT to leverage their full potential. For example, you need to know that it’s
possible to read cash registers automatically with the right APIs. To secure a true competitive advantage, accounting firms must be able to let go and trust the software and the process. Of course, a final human check is still required, and we need to manage data from different tools optimally to conduct specific analyses. In that way, accountants and technology collaborate closely all the time.”
“For some employees, changes like these can be hard. Eventually, however, most people realise that they are saving time and that it makes their jobs a lot easier and more interesting – enhancing their engagement in the long run. Plus, it also means we can offer better services to our clients. Going forward, we will all need to adopt the new ways of working that tools like Silverfin represent.”
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