31 March 2016
Professor Bhimani delivered an address at The University of Technology Sydney on 31 March 2016 on 'Accounting and Digitisation: Research opportunities and challenges'. He spoke to an audience of accounting scholars noting that the ongoing digital data explosion will alter accounting practices with or without accountants' involvement. He discussed macro economic changes including global demographic shifts, urbanisation and advances in digital technologies which will act as forces of intense change on enterprise information processes. Central to digitisation's consequences for the finance function is whether accountants promote or simply observe technological changes impacting data generation and use.
Professor Bhimani discussed Big Data, analytics, blockchain, 3D printing and AI among emerging technologies which are affecting information production and consumption. He offered reflections on academic research possibilities tied to accounting's roles in data accumulation and recording, managerial uses of information, corporate financial reporting and the audit function. He concluded with questions academic accounting and professional educators need to address in the face of the transformation digital technologies are unleashing.