Change in Tasks

As a result of automation, many accounting consulting tasks can now be performed automatically, reducing the manual work of accounting for the consulted. However, the accounting consultants are allowed to focus on analytical services instead. Therefore, consultants will have more time for customers and their business. Consequently, advisory services have already increased in recent years, since automation has become more in the tasks of daily work.

Efficiency

The implementation of automated processes in the business can lead to several positive effects. Through automation and corresponding decrease in manual handling, the consultant is allowed to work more efficiently.

Client Relation

The Associate Accounting consultants do not see the development of automated processes as negative. Through automation, new services will emerge as for a consultant and much more advanced and beneficial services can be performed this will result in expanding the list of clienteles. Through new services, especially advanced consulting services, personal contact with customers will grow and become more important.

According to (Sun Lu, 2017) [19] (pp. 1-2), irrespective of how far automation may reach, a human can never be totally replaced by computers. Scientists state that computers and programs are not enough to develop tasks as analyses or interpretations, where therefore a human being is needed.

IT-Problems

Sun and Lu (2017) [19] (pp. 1-2) argued that today's computers and programs are not good enough. However, the confidence in automation is in shortage, and accounting consultants still see the risks of misstatements as a contemporary problem. Moreover, the shift to automated accounting will also give the accounting process a greater dependability on Internet connection, electricity, less malfunctions of systems and safety. A problem that consultants have encountered is the disconnection of the Internet and lack of electricity, which delays the process where accountants aren’t able to perform their duties.

Regarding the safety issue, where Dimitriu and Matei (2014) [20] (pp. 239-240) and Ionescu and Prichici (2013) [21] (p. 284) argued that hacker attacks would cause a significant damage to accounting firms in terms of data loss and disruption.

Job Opportunities

As Frey and Osborne (2017) [22] (p. 278) from the Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research have emphasized, automated accounting will result in loss of employment. Many argued that automation leads to fewer people participation in the process. It is also argued that the repetitive tasks are the ones that will face the greatest risk of being replaced by automation, which are often assigned to accounting assistants. For example, Nagarajah (2016) [17] (p. 35), contends that Accounting consultants with less experience in the profession or accounting assistants are perceived in the risk zone to relinquish. Furthermore, researchers Goos and Manning (2007) [23] (p. 118) and Shim and Yang (2018) [24] (p. 144) warn that the middle educated category of employees are pushed out of their profession, unless they find a more cognitive orientation to keep their jobs.

On the new competencies front, cognitive tasks are “often done by a senior accountant or more experienced professionals, whereby these professionals are safe from being replaced even in the future” [18] (p. 55). However, few still believe it is only a matter of time when computers are able to do part of these tasks. With the increased use of automated accounting, fewer hours of accounting process will be given, thus reducing the number of jobs opportunities.