In Part Two of their Scaling New Heights 2026 recap (see part one), Randy Johnston and Brian Tankersley examine what the conference revealed about artificial intelligence, accounting platforms and the profession’s readiness for change. They describe an unusually divided AI adoption curve: a relatively small group is experimenting aggressively with agents and advanced workflows, while many accounting professionals have done little or nothing with the technology.
The Accounting Tech Lab is an ongoing series that explores the intersection of public accounting and technology.
The hosts review keynote speakers, educational sessions and the conference’s AI-enabled general-ledger tour. Products discussed include Campfire, SoftLedger, Kick, Xero, Puzzle, Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, Sage, Digits, Zoho and Acumatica. They also observe growing dissatisfaction with Intuit and uncertainty about replacements for QuickBooks Desktop.
A central lesson is that firms should not select technology merely to reproduce today’s processes. Instead, they should define how services, pricing and workflows should operate three to five years from now and choose platforms that support that future. Johnston and Tankersley also warn that an overcrowded accounting-technology market will produce additional vendor failures and discontinued products. Firms therefore need careful due diligence, realistic implementation plans, data-export procedures and a viable Plan B—even when buying from established publishers.
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