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Technology and data

Webinars and publications on technology and data

Browse our extensive catalogue of articles, webinars and reports on technology and data. The collection forms a comprehensive and accessible package of guidance and technical advice for those working in accountancy and allied financial industries.
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Technology news from Insights

The latest news and features on all things technological and data related from our Insights section.
Keep on top of developments in ethics
  • Article
  • 16 Apr 2025
ICAEW’s first annual update to its e-learning course on ethics covers the 2025 update to the Code of Ethics and implications of the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act.
Cloud accounting software: lessons from failure of Bench
  • Article
  • 14 Apr 2025
Canadian cloud software provider Bench Accounting had a narrow escape from bankruptcy at the end of 2024. What happened offers lessons for the accountancy sector on this side of the Atlantic.
Accountants embrace AI but need new skills and leadership
  • Article
  • 14 Apr 2025
A new survey on artificial intelligence by Chartered Accountants Worldwide reveals much willingness among chartered accountants to make use of it, but new skills are needed to properly bed it in.
Government issues new cyber governance code
  • Article
  • 09 Apr 2025
The latest guidance for businesses aims to shore up cyber defences, following a consultation last year.
Accountants are embracing AI and securing their future
  • Article
  • 28 Mar 2025
ICAEW’s Chief Executive Alan Vallance corrects the misinformed view that artificial intelligence could replace the knowledge, judgement and skills of professional accountants.
Quality of large company cyber disclosures lacking, study finds
  • Article
  • 28 Mar 2025
Research highlights concerns about the fine line between quality reporting on cyber threats and placing information in the public domain that could be used as the basis of a cyber attack.
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Webinar archive

Stay up-to-date with the fast moving technology world by viewing our archive of events and webinars.
Cut out of laptop device with generative AI prompt screen.
Artificial intelligence webinars
  • Listing
View our webinar recordings and listen to our podcasts covering the topic of artificial intelligence (AI).
what is blockchain
Blockchain and cryptoassets webinars
  • Listing
View our webinar recordings on blockchain and cryptoassets.
Cyber security awareness month 2023
Cyber security webinars
  • Listing
View our webinars on the topic of cyber security.
Where does Malaysia sit on the digital scale
Data analytics webinars
  • Listing
Webinars and other recordings on data analytics and big data.
Abacus
Excel Community webinars
  • Listing
Improve your Excel knowledge and minimise spreadsheet risk with webinars from the Excel Community.
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Excel news and features

Articles from our Excel Community.
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Exclusive Excel Tips and Tricks #498 – Introducing TRIMRANGE
  • Article
  • 15 Apr 2025
A Creator level post introducing one of Excel’s newer functions – TRIMRANGE. TRIMRANGE is a new function in Excel that allows users to easily exclude leading or trailing blank rows or columns in a range.
John Tennent
Exclusive Bringing financial reports alive in Excel with visualisation – building the report
  • Article
  • 11 Apr 2025
This article is part of a series that supports the lunch and learn webinars on how to bring financial reports alive in Excel with visualisation. This fifth and final article will cover bringing together the visualisations to build a financial report.
Ben Ducker
Exclusive Aligning data in PowerQuery
  • Article
  • 11 Apr 2025
In this article, Ben Ducker explores how to use PowerQuery to align data and fields from several sources and time periods into one report.
Simon Hurst
Exclusive Excel, what’s occurrin’ 7 – Conditional formatting from bottom to top
  • Article
  • 08 Apr 2025
This series looks at some of the things that can go wrong in an Excel spreadsheet and at what we can do to avoid or resolve the issue. This first six parts dealt with issues that cause numbers to appear not to add up correctly. This time, we move on from number formatting to conditional formatting. We’ll look at applying multiple conditional formats to the same cell or range of cells and see why you might use a conditional format with no format.
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Excel hints and tips

The Excel Community has produced an extensive list of helpful tips and tutorials including its 'Excel tip of the week' series.  
Exclusive Excel Tips and Tricks #498 – Introducing TRIMRANGE
  • Article
  • 15 Apr 2025
A Creator level post introducing one of Excel’s newer functions – TRIMRANGE. TRIMRANGE is a new function in Excel that allows users to easily exclude leading or trailing blank rows or columns in a range.
Exclusive Excel Tips and Tricks #497 –BYROW and BYCOL
  • Article
  • 28 Mar 2025
Welcome back to Excel Tips and Tricks! This time, we have a Creator level post exploring BYROW and BYCOL, functions that can help troubleshoot common issues when using Dynamic Arrays.
Exclusive Excel Tips and Tricks #496 – ‘Check Performance’ in Excel
  • Article
  • 23 Oct 2024
Welcome back to Excel Tips and Tricks! This week, we have a General User level post exploring the ‘Check Performance’ functionality to improve workbook performance in Excel.
Exclusive Excel Tips and Tricks #495 - Excel “Tick”ery!
  • Article
  • 27 Sep 2024
Welcome back to Excel Tips and Tricks! For our latest tip, we have a General User post exploring one of the latest pieces of Excel functionality – Checkboxes.

Data analytics news and features

Articles from our Data Analytics Community.
Exclusive The Cornerstone of Finance Transformation
  • Article
  • 15 Jan 2025
In this article, Catherine Myszka, Independent Transformation Director, explores why the quality of financial data, the underlying data structures and hierarchies are important for the success of any finance transformation or technology adoption.
Exclusive GenAI: What is it really?
  • Article
  • 13 Jan 2025
In this article Monica Odysseos, Head of AI and Data Lab at Grant Thornton Cyprus, returns to take a closer look at generative AI, exploring what it is, how it works, where it is applied, how to use it, its challenges and potential in our rapidly evolving world.
ESG is a Data Challenge
  • Article
  • 10 Jan 2025
In this article, Eden Smith explore why ESG is a data challenge and why accountants, equipped with their analytical rigor and integrity, are uniquely positioned to bridge the gap between ESG aspirations and data reality.
Data Analytics Community – 2024 in review
  • Article
  • 10 Jan 2025
As the ICAEW’s Data Analytics Community continues to go from strength to strength, Ian Pay, Head of Data Analytics and Tech, shares some of his favourite content and activities from the year, and gives some clues as to what’s coming in 2025…
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Thought Leadership

Read the latest thinking from ICAEW on how to ensure information services are working effectively and accountants are making the most of new technologies.
Twenty principles for good spreadsheet practice
  • Helpsheets and support
  • 17 Apr 2024
The ‘Twenty principles for good spreadsheet practice’, is a list of key spreadsheet considerations that could save you hours of effort or help prevent a career-ending spreadsheet catastrophe.
Digitalisation of tax: international perspectives
  • Thought leadership report
  • 22 Mar 2022
Digitalisation is transforming how tax is reported and paid, with significant innovation and investment occurring in countries of all kinds. There is no single pathway to digitalisation, as our case studies show, but there is something to be learned from all of them.
How to review a spreadsheet
  • Thought leadership report
  • 20 Oct 2021
Reduce the risk that your spreadsheet gives you the wrong answer.
Automation in finance functions: lessons from India and the UK
  • Thought leadership report
  • 15 Sep 2020
Drawing on real-life experiences, this collaborative thought leadership report by ICAEW and the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) considers how finance functions can harness automation to deliver greater value to business and the skills needed by accountants in the future.
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Tech Essentials

The Tech Essentials guides update members on the latest technology issues affecting the accountancy profession, mixing practical tips and expert insight.
The essential guide to data analytics
  • Report
  • 07 Dec 2021
Data analytics allows firms to harness data, both internal and external, to provide faster, deeper analysis for better decision-making. These tools offer accountants the ability to track client performance at a more granular level and identify ways to build in efficiencies.
Exclusive The essential guide to robotic process automation
  • Report
  • 30 Dec 2020
Robotic process automation (RPA) can save organisations' time, with tasks performed with higher speed and accuracy, as well as removing the risk of human error. However, it is not suitable for all processes and, in some cases, could act as a sticking plaster for a system that needs to be re-engineered.
The essential guide to audit tech
  • Report
  • 17 Dec 2020
There has never been a more exciting time to explore the transformative potential of technology in relation to audit. Tech advances are helping to improve the performance of audit, making it more insightful and informing better conversations in audit teams and with clients.
Essential guide to world of add-ons
  • Report
  • 13 Jul 2020
This guidance will help to shape your thinking on what is possible with add-ons; formulate and clarify firm (and client) expectations; recognise limitations and set boundaries; identify potential benefits and hurdles.
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Other technology publications

Generative AI guide
  • Hub page
The guide acts as an introduction to generative AI and provides information on topics such as how to get started, opportunities and possibilities, governance, and ethics.
Mastering mid-tier technology
  • Hub page
In our first post-pandemic research focused on mid-tier practice technology, we’ve seen some substantial changes in the landscape. Responses have given us cause to be optimistic, but also highlight challenges in the digital transformation journey. Addressing these challenges presents opportunities for firms, software providers and ICAEW.
Chartech November/December 2021
Chartech magazine
  • Journal
Chartech was the bi-monthly news magazine from the Tech Faculty. Its articles and news summaries aimed to keep members up to date with changes in technology. The last edition was published in December 2021.
Tech News archive
  • Hub page
Access an archive copy of the Tech News pages on the ION platform as they stood in October 2020.

Join the Excel community

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More resources

Explore some of the other resources ICAEW produces on technology and data analytics.

Data Analytics Community
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Elearning
Finance in a Digital World - support for ICAEW members and students on digital transformation and technology
Finance in a Digital World

ICAEW has worked with Deloitte to develop Finance in a Digital World, a suite of online learning modules to support ICAEW members and students, develop awareness and build understanding of digital technologies and their impact on finance.

Resources
Keep up-to-date with tech issues and developments, including artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain, big data, and cyber security.
Technology

Keep up-to-date with tech issues and developments, including artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain, big data, and cyber security.

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