Advanced Cases in Advisory Services Course Introduction

Why is this important?

Emerging technologies offer transformative potential for advisory services, driving measurable business value through innovative, technology-enabled solutions. In an environment marked by complex regulatory demands and expansive data volumes, leveraging automation, generative AI, and data analytics is essential for enhancing decision-making, reducing costs, and scaling operations without compromising quality. This course is designed to cultivate an innovation mindset, equipping students with practical skills in designing, testing, and deploying intelligent automation tools that will redefine the future of professional services work.

What will we do?

This introductory session for ACCTG528 Advanced Cases in Advisory Services establishes the foundation for the course by presenting an overview of the material and syllabus. The class sets the stage for an exploration into advanced advisory practices that integrate emerging technologies, specifically robotic process automation (RPA) and generative AI. Emphasizing both theoretical frameworks and hands-on practical experiences, this session outlines key expectations and deliverables while focusing on the strategic imperatives of cost–benefit trade-offs and operational efficiency. The course is designed to equip students with the analytical tools required to assess and implement innovative business solutions in complex, dynamic environments.

Review and Extension:

In ACCTG522, we emphasized that data quality is essential for effective analysis and automation. Inadequate data leads to flawed decisions and inefficiencies. Robust data management—through cleansing, validation, and profiling—is critical to ensure accurate, reliable automation outcomes.

Automation in professional services leverages the insights derived from strong data analytics to transform raw data into streamlined, efficient processes. By integrating automated workflows with rigorous data management practices, organizations can minimize errors, optimize resource allocation, and achieve significant cost benefits and operational improvements.

Materials and Suggested Seating:

Slides: will be available for download by the beginning of class in either powerpoint or pdf formats.
Automation Tools: LucidChart (can be accessed using UW credentials via google login).
Automation Tools: UIPath Academic Alliance Licensing Page.
Suggested in-class seating: There is no recommended seating for this class. Discussions prior to PolEverywhere polling will be undertaken in small 2-3 person groups, so please sit next to someone to facilitate the discussion.

Note on Pre-Class Preparation:

There is no suggested preparation for this class.

Class Plan:

1. First, we will undertake an interactive lecture (including using PollEverywhere) to outline the topics of interest in ACCTG 528, which are heavily focused on automation and the future of work.
2. We will also work through sections of the syllabus to introduce the overview of the course content and assessment requirements.
3. We will have time to reflect on your internship and think about repetitive tasks you did that involved data (including excel and excel-like databases). Make a list of them, they could be good candidates for automation.
4. We will obtain an UIPath licenses and troubleshoot the software on the Foster remote labs if necessary (I'll help while others work on the final task).
5. Finally, we will introduce process diagraming and the software LucidChart to draw a simple candidate process for automation.