Optimising Trusted Advisor Accountants to Drive Digital Adoption

英国中小企业越来越重视利用技术来保持竞争力。这一点从英国工业联合会（CBI）最近的报告《从鸵鸟到喜鹊》（from鸵鸟到喜鹊）中得到了明显体现。该报告声称，改善英国企业对现有技术的采用，为提高中小企业的生产力提供了一个独特的机会。报告强调了改善管理最佳实践、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化采用（OTAADDA）的计划可以通过现有渠道达到较高比例的中小企业。认证机构以及像Sage (UK) Ltd这样的大公司是吸引、招聘、培训和与很大比例的会计师互动的途径。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（Newcastle Business School）的学者与Sage (UK) Ltd.合作设计。诺森比亚开发了项目基础设施，将管理和推动研究，并协调研究成果的传播。该项目将侧重于为会计师提供干预措施，使他们更好地为中小企业客户提供知识、技能支持和信心，使中小企业能够更好地利用数字技术在若干特定应用中的好处。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）。使用混合方法，我们将评估生产率变化的统计指标，并对如何向中小企业转移知识以推动数字化采用进行现实评估。Sage (UK) Ltd将招募N=400名会计师（不只是使用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。重点扶持占中小企业总数98%的制造业、服务业等各行业中小微企业。该试验将展示采用数字化的最佳强度和干预类型，以提高中小企业的生产力，并将在更广泛的英国企业中推广。

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.