Technology Conference 2022 Wrap up
On Thursday, July 21, 2022, GSCPA kicked off its annual Technology Conference. Attendees had the option to attend the event in person or virtually.
Brian Tankersley from CGMA, began the conference by giving a Tec Update for the 2022 year. Within his session, he covered emerging and evolving technologies that are important to accounting professionals. He also covered the benefits and risks of adopting new technologies from software applications to hardware devices. Attendees also learned how to develop a balanced technology strategy that included current, emerging, and future technology choices for their firm or business.
There was a short networking break, and the morning breakout sessions began. One session option was led by Lawrence A (Mac) McClelland, and he spoke on Eight Awesome PivotTable Features. He helped attendees discover eight powerful features they may have missed. He also taught them to discover how to get the most out of their PivotTables, from user-defined calculations to consolidating reports and adding KPIs.
The second session option was led by Brian Tankersley, and he spoke on Emerging Topics in Blockchain and Cryptocurrency. Attendees explored the basics of blockchain-based ledgers and the fundamentals of cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Ripple. Additionally, they learned about emerging issues in these fields, such as stable coins, central bank-issued digital currencies, smart contracts and sovereign identity management.
After lunch, the afternoon portion started with two breakout sessions. Lawrence McClelland led one session option on The How’s and Why’s of Data Analytics. Attendees learned about the four primary types of data analytics and when to use each. Further, they discovered how to generate meaningful analytical measurements using Excel, Power B.I., and other tools and, more importantly, how to interpret the results.
The second option was led by Brian Tankersley, and he spoke on the Tales of True Tech Crimes Ripped from the Headlines. The attendees learned that accountants are one of the most targeted groups on the internet. They examined how high-profile failures occurred due to control malfunctions. They also discussed how hackers gained full reign over entire networks that contained sensitive information such as financial data stored online. Lastly, they found out how to be more effective at preventing crimes such as theft, malware, ransomware, phishing, and hacking.
The day ended with a session led by Lawrence McClelland, and the topic of Windows 11: What End Users Need to Know. The discussion provided the answers to the attendee’s questions, all delivered in the context of improving productivity and security with the end-user in mind. They also learned about improvements in virtual desktops, changes to the user interface, customization options and more.
All of the above sessions will be available soon on-demand at www.gscpa.org.
The Georgia Society of CPAs thanks all the Technology Conference attendees, both in-person and online. We hope you will plan to join us next year for the 2023 GSCPA Technology Conference!
For more information on the many CPE options that The Georgia Society of CPAs offers, visit the Continuing Education area of the GSCPA website, www.gscpa.org, or call the CPE Department at 800-330-8889.