The Roots of Microsoft Dynamics GP: Where Have All the Accountants Gone?

I am a CPA and I implement Microsoft Dynamics GP for a living. There, I said it. I know that doesn't sound like a huge revelation but as Dynamics GP connects to more of the Microsoft stack it seems like we accountants are getting squeezed out by technology folks. Frankly, not every solution is a technology solution. Sometimes those 500 year old accounting ideas still work just fine.

The Dynamics GP space still has plenty of accountants of course; I've warmed more than one Controller's cold little heart by explaining the invoice matching process using T-Accounts. Still, we seem to have fewer accountants around the consulting space each year. As disturbing as that trend is, it feels like more clients are trying to fill the role of accountant with technology, too. I see more and more people in accounting positions who can barely tell a Debit from a Credit, much less develop a solution to new a problem based on an accounting principal. I see whole AP departments without an accounting degree in sight and blank stares when I ask about last month's roll forward analysis on a balance sheet account. This is where so many people get burned by QuickBooks - no matter how much technology you wrap around accounting, you still need to understand the principals.

For fun I've got a real world example or two. We had a client who decided to manage the importing of their own Fixed Assets for a new division. At month end they were behind - no amount of technology was going to get the import done and validated before month end close in three days. The accounting answer they decided on was simple: accrue the depreciation from last month and give the technology people another thirty days ...