The End of Paper-Based Routine. Why Digitalization Is a Blessing for Accountants, Not a Threat

When people talk about professions being transformed by technology, many immediately feel uneasy. Accounting, however, is experiencing the exact opposite phenomenon: interest in the field is growing rapidly, and for thousands of people it represents a dream career anchor. But how is a profession that has been synonymous with binders and stamps for centuries adapting to the wave of digitalization? We discussed this at STING University with Jiří Hošek, Ph.D., a visionary in teleinformatics and CEO of Giri, the company behind the DocsPoint cloud platform.

In both Czech business circles and academia, the future of human work has been a hot topic in recent years. With the rise of artificial intelligence and advanced automation, questions naturally arise about which professions may disappear. Accounting, however, is unlikely to be found on that list of endangered occupations.

Quite the opposite. According to current labor market data, accounting and tax record-keeping courses remain among the most sought-after retraining programs in the Czech Republic. For people changing careers, the field offers stable employment prospects. Yet for this stability to continue into the coming decades, the very nature of accounting work must evolve.

Fear Is Unnecessary. Evolution Is the Next Step

“Should accountants be worried about their future? Absolutely not,” smiles Jiří Hošek, who has been focusing on the digitalization of accounting processes for more than ten years. “That’s exactly what I try to explain in every presentation. New technologies and tools create opportunities to move the profession forward. Instead of routine tasks that people often find uninteresting, accountants can focus on more meaningful activities that clients perceive as genuine added value.”

Today, the key success factor for modern accountants is openness to change. The traditional model in which accountants act as simple “data transcribers,” transferring information from paper into software, is no longer sustainable. Technology can complete these mechanical tasks within seconds. So why waste human potential?

The Biggest Enemy? Lost Time and Missing Documents

Anyone who has ever worked in accounting knows the year-end or closing-period stress. Clients fail to deliver documents on time, supporting materials are missing, and phones never stop ringing. According to Hošek, inefficient communication and disorder at the input stage remain the most pressing challenges in accounting today.

“The biggest problem accountants face is not receiving documents on time. A well-designed digitalization process and the right software tools can make a huge difference,” explains the CEO of Giri. With tools such as DocsPoint, the tedious process of tracking down missing documents and repeatedly reminding clients about VAT paperwork becomes a thing of the past. The entire process becomes transparent for both parties. Accountants stop being perceived as a nuisance and become strategic partners who have an immediate overview of a company’s financial health.

Why Is the Cloud Safer Than a Binder?

In the Czech environment, a deeply rooted belief still persists: if it’s on paper, it counts, and if it’s stored in a binder, it’s safe. As an expert in telecommunications and information technologies, Jiří Hošek sees paper archives as a significant risk.

“When you think about it, you usually only have one paper document. The moment you lose it, your supporting evidence is gone,” warns Hošek. “In the digital world, every file and every piece of data is backed up multiple times, and access is strictly secured. From a logical standpoint, a digital archive is far safer than a traditional paper archive.”

When using modern cloud platforms, compliance with legal archiving requirements is standard practice. Although legislation requires most accounting documents to be retained for ten years, systems such as DocsPoint do not automatically delete data once this period expires. The decision to keep or permanently remove documents remains entirely in the hands of the client.

Information Available in a Single Click

A few years ago, the COVID-19 pandemic clearly demonstrated how vulnerable companies dependent on physical office presence and paper files could be. Those that had already embraced cloud solutions barely felt the impact.

“A digital archive is accessible from anywhere at any time. All you need is an internet connection,” says Jiří Hošek, describing the main advantage of the modern approach. Finding a specific invoice by number, supplier, or amount takes only seconds. Compared to hours spent searching through dusty boxes, the time and energy savings are incomparable. Modern professionals can instead devote that time to business development or their own education.

Digitalization in accounting is therefore not a threat that will take jobs away from people. It is an evolutionary leap that transforms administrative routine into a prestigious, analytical, and fully digital profession. That is precisely why investing in education in this field continues to make sense today.

Sources and References:

HOŠEK, Jiří. Transformation and Digitalization of Accounting. Lecture for students of STING University. Brno, 2026.

LinkedIn profile: Jiří Hošek – CEO of Giri s.r.o. [online]. [accessed 2026-06-03]. Available at: www.linkedin.com/in/jirihosek [cite: 2].

MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND SOCIAL AFFAIRS OF THE CZECH REPUBLIC. Unemployment Statistics and Demand for Retraining Courses: Trends in Lifelong Learning. Prague: MPSV, 2025.