The era of Industrial Revolution 4.0 which was marked by big data and artificial intelligence was a challenge for accounting in the future. If they do not adapt to the rapid changes that occur, the role of accounting graduates can be replaced with learning mechanisms and automation.
In terms of quantity, according to a study by the International Academic Institute for Science and Technology, Indonesia still needs more than 200,000 professional accountants. In fact, Indonesia only has around 10,000 professional accountants currently. This problem will pose risks in the future if allowed to continue. This research is strengthened by the results of a 2018 study from the State University of Malang, where there is still a shortage of accounting graduates joining 500 public accounting firms in Indonesia.
The challenge of accounting science “On the other hand, the traditional aspects of accounting related to numbers have been automated very quickly. Today the future of an accountant as a trusted business advisor remains bright,” said David Bond, senior lecturer at the University of Technology Sydney. during his visit to Indonesia to fill in college activities and collaborate with the Indonesian Institute of Public Accountants (IAPI) (28/2/2019). Bond explained that the role of accounting has evolved from input data to be more efficient because these aspects have been automated. According to him, the future accountant profession will not only be numerate and understand technology, but strong interpersonal skills will be important. This is currently a focal point of education at UTS. “Current accounting graduates need to have critical thinking and analysis in the use of numbers to represent events that occur.
The skills of an accountant today also require interpersonal skills to work in teams, skills in the presentation to company officials, preparing reports with deep insights, and truly understanding the business, “he said. The key to the success of accounting graduates” The most popular accountants are those that offer real business value and deep customer understanding. They are strong in communication, critical thinking, empathy, and creativity and can truly understand and business partner, “he explained.
Bond argues that combining quality accounting education with the development of strong interpersonal skills, good English, a diversity of experiences, and an open mind can be the keys to a successful career in the accounting profession in the future. He further said that in Indonesia, the small and medium enterprise sector has a very positive direction of development, but the growth rate is hampered by the lack of professional accountants. According to him, Indonesia still has the smallest proportion of professional accountants in the Southeast Asia region, so he encourages more Indonesian youth to choose to account as an attractive and inspiring career choice.
Also, Bond added the important role of accounting professionals who will be at the forefront of business and government in identifying and overcoming many challenges and risks. The rapid development of cloud-based computing and the freedom of employees to use their own devices to access business systems increases vulnerability to systems that were previously difficult to access. “Companies or institutions are now facing a variety of new problems that continue to threaten – such as viruses (malware), attacks on infrastructure, data breaches, and payment fraud (fraud),” he explained. “Today, accountants have an important role to play in helping prevent fraud and protecting companies from various forms of cybercrime. They can help identify and reduce fraud-related risks at internal, external, policymakers, and protect the company’s reputation, ”Bond concluded.