PG Building Glass FD Yugan Moodley shares how he is keeping his teams, and himself, future-fit by staying up to date with new technology developments.
The role finance plays in organisations has changed significantly in the last year, largely driven by the business transformation technology has brought on.
“As a finance professional in the fourth industrial revolution, it’s clear that if you are not continuously learning and developing, you will perish,” says PG Building Glass FD Yugan Moodley.
Although he admits it may sound a bit “doomsday”, CFOs need to keep up with new developments, especially around technology, and equip themselves with teams that do the same.
Yugan says the skill he is currently looking for most in his finance team is the ability to provide insightful reports that assist in helping the business understand the key takeaways so they can make informative decisions.
“Understanding the data and impacts is crucial, and then simplifying the output to make it easier to grasp for users is the art that future-fit finance teams need to bring to the fore,” he explains.
Yugan adds that the company has embarked on training and development in key focus areas, like technology, to upskill teams. This includes exposing the organisation to new technologies as they become available so they can determine what the business needs to move into the future, and how to incorporate it into its technology development plan.
“The finance team has a weekly technology and innovation meeting to discuss opportunities which could help us plan the path forward,” he explains. “From new formulas to new software, we share everything we see, because some of these innovations can make our lives easier.”
Yugan says that attending conferences, reading articles on the internet, and keeping up-to-date on the SAICA learning and development platform all help to keep him in the know.
“I firmly believe that you control your destiny and journey – make the most of it and ensure that you stay informed while having fun!” he concludes.
