Optimising Trusted Advisor Accountants to Drive Digital Adoption

优化可信顾问会计师以推动数字化采用

• 批准号: 105438
• 金额: $ 35.69万
• 依托单位: NORTHUMBRIA UNIVERSITY
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Collaborative R&D
• 财政年份: 2019
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2019 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=105438
• 关键词: Optimising; Trusted; Advisor; Accountants; Drive

There is a growing appreciation for the use of technology in UK SMEs to remain competitive. This is evident from the recent CBI report "From Ostrich to Magpie" that claims improving UK companies' adoption of existing technologies offers a unique opportunity to raise SMEs business productivity. The report highlights improving management best practice, innovation and diffusion, acknowledging the need for businesses to learn and apply new knowledge.Given that 75% of SMEs use an external accountant (ICAEW, 2014), a programme which Optimising Trusted Advisor Accountants to Drive Digital Adoption (OTAADDA) could reach a high proportion of SMEs through existing channels. The accreditation bodies, as well as large firms, such as Sage (UK) Ltd are a route to engage, recruit, train and interact with a large proportion of accountants.This is a non-business led trial designed by academics at Newcastle Business School, Northumbria University, in collaboration with Sage (UK) Ltd. Northumbria has developed the project infrastructure, will manage and drive the research and co-ordinate the dissemination of findings.The ProjectThe project will focus on the provision of an intervention for accountants to better equip them to provide knowledge, skills support and confidence to their SME customers so that SMEs feel better able to harness the benefits of digital technology across several specific applications.We will use a randomised controlled trial (RCT) to compare different intensities of advice provided by accountants to SMEs (as well as no advice at all: to the control group). Using mixed methods we will evaluate statistical measures of changes in productivity, as well as conducting a realist evaluation of how the transfer of knowledge to SMEs is diffused to drive digital adoption.Sage (UK) Ltd will recruit N=400 accountants (not just those that use Sage products) who will in turn will identify n=1200 SMEs to participate in the trial. Both accountants and SMEs will be recruited from across the UK. We will focus on micro and small SMEs (that comprise 98% of the SME population) across different industry sectors, including manufacturing and services. This trial will demonstrate the optimal intensity and type of intervention for digital adoption to boost productivity with SMEs, and subject to roll-out, broader UK Plc.

越来越多的人认识到，英国中小企业利用技术来保持竞争力。这一点从CBI最近的报告《从鸵鸟到喜鹊》中可见一斑，该报告声称，改善英国公司对现有技术的采用为提高中小企业的商业生产率提供了独特的机会。该报告强调改善管理最佳实践、创新和传播，承认企业需要学习和应用新知识。鉴于75%的中小企业使用外部会计师(ICAEW，2014)，一个优化可信顾问会计师以推动数字采用(OTAADDA)的计划可以通过现有渠道惠及高比例的中小企业。认证机构以及大公司，如Sage(UK)Ltd是一条聘请、招聘、培训大部分会计师并与其互动的途径。这是一项非商业主导的试验，由诺森比亚大学纽卡斯尔商学院的学者与Sage(UK)Ltd合作设计。诺森比亚已经开发了项目基础设施，将管理和推动研究，并协调结果的传播。该项目将专注于为会计师提供干预，以更好地装备他们提供知识，为中小企业客户提供技能支持和信心，让中小企业感到能够更好地在几个特定应用程序中利用数码技术的好处。我们将使用随机对照试验(RCT)来比较会计师向中小企业提供的不同强度的建议(以及根本不提供建议的对照组)。我们将使用混合方法评估生产力变化的统计指标，并对向中小企业转移知识的传播方式进行现实评估，以推动数字采用。Sage(UK)Ltd将招聘N=400名会计师(不仅仅是使用Sage产品的会计师)，他们将依次确定n=1200家中小企业参与试验。会计师和中小企业都将从英国各地招聘。我们将重点关注不同行业的微型和小型中小企业(占中小企业人口的98%)，包括制造业和服务业。这项试验将展示数字采用的最佳干预强度和类型，以提高中小企业的生产率，并有待于推出更广泛的英国公司。