Johannesburg South Africa, and Nairobi, Kenya, 23 May 2017
A pioneering East African audit and professional services firm is adding value to its services by automating processes and harnessing the cloud.
Compliance is non-negotiable in the auditing sphere, but in order to truly add value to clients, accounting and auditing firms must also be available to serve as trusted advisors. Kenyan audit firm Horwath Erastus & Co is actively implementing the most advanced ICT solutions on the market to increase efficiencies and free its experts up to do just that - enhance client service.
Horwath Erastus & Co is a medium-sized audit firm based in Kenya, and is part of the global Crowe Horwath International network of over 150 independent accounting and advisory services firms. The network uses customised CaseWare drafting and auditing solutions branded as Crowe Horwath International Auditing Template (CHIAT) in line with a global agreement. This allows them to produce annual financial statements and audit reports in a global recognised format, and from any location. Kenya's Horwath Erastus & Co, with its CaseWare solutions implemented by CaseWare Africa, has grown its licence volume from 10 to 50 in recent years, and runs its company on CaseWare's technology.
Cephas Osoro, Partner and Head of Commercial Services at Horwath Erastus & Co, says the CaseWare solution offers the best of both worlds to the firm - not only is it a recognised global solution, but also, it has been localised to ensure compliance with local legislation. "Our drafting and automation solutions, along with the use of cloud technology have allowed us to go paperless and enhanced the quality of our service whilst the software takes care of the compliance overhead. Importantly for us, we are able to file remotely while travelling to clients. And because automation improves our efficiency, we can offer improved advisory and risk mitigation consulting using the same resources," he says. "Another plus is that the solutions are user-friendly and supported by online help tools. We are now considering additional CaseWare solutions."
Simphiwe Zuma, Internal Account Manager at CaseWare Africa, notes that Horwath Erastus & Co is a remarkably forward-looking firm in terms of its ICT adoption: "Horwath Erastus & Co is a pioneering audit company in the region and has embraced the best available technology to improve efficiency while staying compliant. With a dedicated team supporting ICT systems and staying on top of all software updates, they ensure that they are always equipped with the latest tools and updates. The cloud provides them with collaboration that differentiates their offering in terms of turnaround time and flexibility. This positions them to operate more efficiently, grow their firm and deliver more to their clients."
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