ICAS ICAS logo

Quicklinks

  1. About Us

    Find out about who we are and what we do here at ICAS.

  2. Find a CA

    Search our directory of individual CAs and Member organisations by name, location and professional criteria.

  3. Careers

    Access current vacancies and understand what it’s like to work here at ICAS.

  4. Contact Us

    Get in touch with ICAS by phone, email or post, with dedicated contacts for Members, Students and firms.

Login
  • Annual renewal
  • About us
  • Find a CA
  • Careers
  • Contact us
  • Become a CA
  • CA jobs
  • SCABA
  • ICAS Foundation
  1. Members
    1. Become a member
    2. Manage my membership
    3. Benefits of membership
    4. Professional development
    5. Mentoring
    6. Member rewards
    7. CA jobs
    8. Area networks
    9. International communities
    10. Get involved
    11. CA Connect
    12. CA magazine
    13. Top Young CAs
    14. Career breaks
    15. The ICAS member app
    16. Newly admitted members 2021
    17. CA Wellbeing
  2. Become a CA
    1. How to become a CA
    2. Routes to becoming a CA
    3. CA Stories
    4. Find a training agreement
    5. Why become a CA
    6. Qualification information
  3. CA Students
    1. Studying with ICAS
    2. Timetables and exams
    3. Learning requirements
    4. Learning updates
    5. Learning blog
    6. Totum Pro | Student discount card
  4. Employers
    1. Become an Authorised Training Office (ATO)
    2. Resources for Authorised Training Offices (ATO)
    3. Professional entry
    4. Apprenticeships
  5. Thought leadership
    1. Technology
    2. Trust
    3. Talent
    4. Research
    5. CA Agenda podcast
    6. CA Agenda videos
    7. ICAS webinars
    8. CA Summit
  6. Professional resources
    1. Anti-money laundering
    2. Audit and assurance
    3. Brexit
    4. Charities
    5. Coronavirus
    6. Corporate and financial reporting
    7. Business and governance
    8. Ethics
    9. Insolvency
    10. Pensions
    11. Practice
    12. Public sector
    13. Sustainability
    14. Tax
  7. Regulation
    1. Complaints and sanctions
    2. Regulatory authorisations
    3. Guidance and help sheets
    4. Regulatory monitoring
  8. Governance
    1. At a glance
    2. Charter, rules and regulations
    3. Council
    4. Boards and key committees
    5. Public reporting
    6. Executive team
    7. Diversity
    8. Member research
  9. Contact us
    1. ICAS technical helpdesk
    2. ICAS logo request
  10. Careers
    1. Business centres
    2. Meet our team
    3. Benefits
    4. Vacancies
    5. Imagine your career at ICAS

How CAs can stay ahead of the digital curve

  • LinkedIn (opens new window)
  • Twitter (opens new window)
By Eleanor O'Neill, CA Today

21 February 2018

Key points

  • PwC has named customer analytics and cyber-security among the essentials for businesses by 2020.
  • ICAS has a partnership with FutureLearn to help CAs get up to speed.
  • Online digital learning provides an ideal opportunity to combine your dedicated work with professional learning.

Ahead of Digital Learning Day 2018 (22 February) Eleanor O'Neill takes a look at how CAs can stay ahead of the digital curve.

Technology and business are becoming more intrinsically integrated year on year with customer interactions going online, big data in the cloud and artificial intelligence systems writing company reports.

Jonathan Tate, UK and EMEA Technology Consulting Leader at PwC, has said: "Everyone from marketing to operations to back office functions is desperate to embrace the digital revolution.

"With competition only increasing, developing the right strategies to stay afloat is essential. Industry should be working to attract top talent, whilst also looking to re-skill their existing workforce.

"The UK's skills shortage is fixable, but we need to take steps now to ensure our continued place at the cutting edge of innovation."

Digital disruption

In its research publication, 'Financial Services Technology 2020 and Beyond', PwC addressed the effect the digital revolution has had and will continue to have on the industry.

The firm has concluded that embracing digital disruptors is the best way forward as clients, customers and much of the competition have adjusted to the new norm already.

The report outlined the main technological areas that continue to be essential for businesses by 2020, including customer analytics, digital regulation and cyber security.

PwC has also suggested that businesses should improve IT resources and retrain employees with enhanced digital knowledge and skills as a priority.

Julien Courbe, PwC’s Global FS Advisory Leader, said: “Financial services providers may feel that they have already seen this movie. The priorities we list – like updating your IT operating model and slashing costs by simplifying legacy systems – have always been good things to do.

"But how they will do it, and why, is quite different from what they may have thought about until now. Financial institutions need to start thinking quickly about refreshing their strategy for 2020 and beyond.”

The skills gap

'Digital skills for the UK economy' is a piece of research conducted by Ecorys UK with the Department for Business Innovation & Skills and the Department for Media, Culture & Sport.

The findings claim that a continued shortage of suitable digital skills in the UK labour market is a major risk to business growth, innovation and broader societal development.

All sectors and organisations need to improve and re-skill in order to maximise their competitive potential offered by the rapidly developing applications of digital technologies.

How CAs can answer the call

ICAS is dedicated to creating leaders of the future and helping our members stay at the forefront of business.

Our PD Development offering, includes a partnership with FutureLearn, offering members the opportunity to get up to speed with some of the major digital concerns outlined by PwC for free.

Andrew Penker, ICAS Director of People explained: “The ICAS / FutureLearn members collection allows us to highlight the most relevant courses available and the real benefit is that all you need is wi-fi to access them, as they’re all free.

“Developed by leading global universities and organisations, they provide open access to a range of relevant topics for CAs and their organisations, wherever they are in the world at whatever stage of their career.

The full list of courses also covers social media, effective networking, managing your online identity, developing cultural intelligence for leadership and leading a team.

2021-04-alterledger 2021-04-alterledger
ICAS logo

Footer links

  • Contact us
  • Terms and conditions
  • Modern slavery statement
  • Privacy notice

Connect with ICAS

  • Facebook (opens new window) Facebook Icon
  • Twitter (opens new window) Twitter Icon
  • LinkedIn (opens new window) LinkedIn Icon
  • Instagram (opens new window) Instagram Icon

ICAS is a member of the following bodies

  • Consultative Committee of Accountancy Bodies (opens new window) Consultative Committee of Accountancy Bodies logo
  • Chartered Accountants Worldwide (opens new window) Chartered Accountants Worldwide logo
  • Global Accounting Alliance (opens new window) Global Accounting Alliance
  • International Federation of Accountants (opens new window) IFAC
  • Access Accountancy (opens new window) Access Acountancy

Charities

  • ICAS Foundation (opens new window) ICAS Foundation
  • SCABA (opens new window) scaba
ICAS logo

Our cookie policy

ICAS.com uses cookies which are essential for our website to work. We would also like to use analytical cookies to help us improve our website and your user experience. Any data collected is anonymised. Please have a look at the further information in our cookie policy and confirm if you are happy for us to use analytical cookies: