As a Finance and Accounting professional, should I learn Data Analytics?

Yes.

Data is coming to companies at a remarkable speed and volume.

From small data sets shared in Excel files from accountant to accountant to big data that is recorded every time a consumer makes a transaction, or a factory produces a new SKU, or someone likes a social media post, this information offers a range of opportunities to finance and accounting professionals.

Data allows us to make better forecasts about the future — whether a new factory is needed in the network or the development of a new clothing line will be successful. It also help us identify the root cases of certain events — a failed advertising campaign, a bad quarter or even poor employee performance or absenteeism. Data also help us to isolate varuables and then identify what our consumers want or need. It gives us key insights on factors that affect our industries or marketplace and inform our decisions about anything from hiring choices to tax implications.

If you go to LinkedIn and search for jobs as management accountant, finance analyst, finance manager or investment associate, you will find that it’s quickly becoming a requirement that every employee should have an understanding of data analytics and be able to present data in a clear, concise way to stakeholders and…