Infer, Predict, and Assure: Accounting Opportunities in Data Analytics

The business use of data analytics is growing rapidly in the accounting environment. Similar to many new systems that involve accounting information, data analytics has fundamentally changed task processes, particularly those tasks that provide inference, prediction, and assurance to decision-makers. Thus, accounting researchers and practitioners must consider data analytics and its impact on accounting practice in their work. This paper uses the organizing principles from Mauldin and Ruchala's (1999) meta-theory of accounting information systems (AIS) to identify current data analytics use, examine how data analytics impacts the accounting environment, and discuss challenges and research opportunities.