The accounting field has had its eyes on the cloud for some time now, and small businesses are reaping the benefits of this type of software technology. Now, owners such as Alex de Bold, who is the cofounder of product-review website ChickAdvisor, can take all of his accounts with him wherever he goes.
"It's extremely convenient to have access in different places," de Bold told the Globe and Mail. "Now you're not stuck with one person having a copy of your accounting software on your computer back in Toronto."
Companies across the country are following suit by adopting this innovative and easy-to-use alternative, such as Intuit Canada and Sage Simply Accounting.
With this type of service, companies can maintain a lean and portable base with a small but powerful team of workers. Because of cloud accounting, however, those in the field need to adopt the latest skills and knowledge should their companies choose this route.
The growing reliance on cloud computing is quickly emerging as one of the most important changes in the accounting field today, according to a recent review by the Certified General Accountants Association of British Columbia. Organizations now deal with data differently, and their clients may have new expectations that their accounting firm will have their data available from anywhere.
Additionally, the new report reveals that new computing systems often support other convenient forms of technology such as mobile devices, allowing workers to access company data remotely and with ease. While a large number of small businesses are quickly adapting to these trends, bigger enterprises throughout Canada are also rapidly adopting these new computer systems.
"When accounting moves online, it involves a major shift in how organizations deal with data," Alan Salmon, the nation's leading authority on accounting technology, told Yahoo! Finance. "It does not stay in its own cubicle and it naturally wants to link to everything else such as payroll, [customer relationship management], your website and your other business applications. Inevitably, online accounting will evolve into broader business management."
Students who are interested in pursuing careers in this field can develop the fundamental skills through the accounting and payroll courses in the Accounting and Payroll Administrator program at Vancouver Career College. To learn more about this program, fill out the form on the right.