Accounting bots help smaller firms save time

SOFTWARE scripts – also known as bots – are helping Singapore’s small accountancy firms save time and tackle manpower shortages, by taking care of manual and repetitive tasks such as transferring data between programs or converting files across formats.

The use of computer scripts to do predefined tasks, known as robotic process automation (RPA), has seen increased adoption by small and medium-sized practices (SMPs).

The Institute of Singapore Chartered Accountants (Isca) has tripled its RPA-related education – including continuing professional development courses, e-learning and talks – since 2018, when it introduced its first such course.