How will robotic process automation impact your career in finance?

A CIMA study into how well businesses are keeping up with technology revealed the adoption curve above. With process robotics leading in the ‘early adopters’ space, along with blockchain in the ‘innovators’ space, it’s the next tech you need to know as part of your career development.

A Deloitte survey confirms this: 78% of organisations have already begun incorporating bots, with an additional 16% planning to do so by 2023. It’s a change accelerated by the Covid-19 pandemic, whether that’s because it gave companies an opportunity to reimagine the way they worked, or because automation was the easiest way to maintain a disrupted workforce. 

But while RPA increases workplace efficiency and eliminates human error, bots can’t operate without the oversight of people who understand the processes involved. And when something outside the bot’s strict parameters crops up, an accounting professional must take over — that’s why bots will be your co-workers instead of your competitors.

From the Big Four to small private practices, employers are looking for individuals who understand the strengths and weaknesses of the technology. Whatever your accounting specialism, plan on encountering RPA.

RPA can perform many of your time-consuming tasks, but there’s something it can’t replace: you.

Bots carry out actions, but they don’t possess skills or knowledge like you do. Accountancy benefits from the consistency and speed that automation offers, but it also demands critical thinking, versatile abilities and ethical input that only people can bring to the profession. Here’s how you can leverage RPA to make yourself even more valuable:

Build bots

RPA Builder software isn’t complicated. It monitors how you perform a process, then creates a bot to mimic each step you took. Because each individual bot is built to perform a particular task, the best people to design them are members of the accounting staff such as yourself.

Maintain bots

Even when bots operate as intended, they still require upkeep. You know the intricacies of accounting, so you’re the one best-suited to monitor bots and update them if processes change.

Utilize bots

RPA empowers you to overcome issues presented by legacy systems. RPA is also highly auditable, enhancing compliance and transparency. And bots are agile by nature, making your workflow more efficient.

Outperform bots

Since bots only do what they’re told, you’ll also have to take over when a bot can’t complete a task — an opportunity to demonstrate that your skills and creative thinking can be used for more important work than what machines can perform. 

Implementing RPA can also mask underlying problems within a system, and it takes the oversight of people with a good understanding of the process to find potential improvements and present solutions.

Find more work for bots

RPA is effective, affordable and easy to implement — the proof-of-concept stage on an RPA project can be completed within two weeks. So look for any processes ripe for automation and talk to your boss about how you might develop them.

Recruiters and hiring managers will ask you about RPA during the interview process, so include your familiarity with RPA in your resume. Consider including a projects section to showcase any direct experience you have, even practice projects or course assignments. Be ready to talk through them during your interviews.

No firsthand experience with bots? Display your potential by expressing your understanding of how RPA is affecting the finance function and your eagerness to embrace change. Your actions are as impactful as your attitude, so don’t just tell recruiters and employers that you’re adaptable. Demonstrate your enthusiasm for adopting new tools and methods. Standing out like this helps build your career profile.