Latest News

Looking back - and forward - to seminars

Our most recent seminars attracted a good attendance as members gathered to focus on audit issues and for our managing partners meeting.

Our first ever audit forum on 12 October included a discussion on audit automation, with delegates sharing their firm’s experience of Pro Audit or Caseware and discussing their future plans where they had not yet taken this step.

A presentation by David Southern of Mercia included an update on standards and ethical guidelines and David also commented on issues he and his colleagues identify during cold file reviews for client firms, which include the majority of MGI UK & Ireland members.

A discussion of topics raised by delegates included quoting for audits and interim payments, audits as a loss leader, academies, nonstatutory audits and Clarity ISAs.

Topics on the agenda of our managing partners seminar, on 1 November, included the information and trends identified in the interfirm comparison and a demonstration of Experian, in relation to Companies House and its corporate finance module.

Susan Sedgwick of Watson Buckle contrasted this with Red Flag Alerts, a much cheaper system for accessing and monitoring Companies House data, and which also offers database facilities for marketing. Paul Winder is currently exploring group buying opportunities in this area.

The seminar also included a discussion on benchmarking, following on from a memo on the issue by Noel Kelleway of Rickard Keen, which delegates agreed was a useful service to offer but felt the market already offered many products that collectively MGI members would struggle to better.

Seminar dates for 2012 so far include:

• IT forum: 17 January
• Board meeting: 9 February
• Tax forum 1: 15 March
• Making social media work for you marketing forum: date in March TBC
• Managing partners forum 1: 24 April
• Tax forum 2: 25 September
• Managing partners forum 2: 1 November
• UK & Ireland Partners and Managers Conference: 29 November1 December.

A couple of managers have asked if they could have two gatherings rather than one each year, so if there is support for this idea we can arrange a March/April meeting in London.

Please let Paul Winder know if you are in favour of this suggestion, along with any ideas you may have for other seminar topics, whether new or ones we have looked at previously.