Business controllern : Digitaliseringens influenser på rollen

Sammanfattning: This study aims to investigate and assess how the role of a business controller and his or her tasks are influenced by digitalization. This study will provide theoreticians and practitioners with a deeper insight of the requirements, skills, experiences, tasks and expectations that fall on the controller in a digital world. The controller's main tasks involve analysis, communication, reporting, data management and forecasting. There are potential tools for the tasks to be implemented effectively. We are during a digital revolution. This brings along changes and it requires the will of adaptation and development. To succeed in running a business, it requires planning, strategy, and qualified personnel. This requires knowledge, but also the right conditions in the workplace to do the job. With the analytical and technical tools available today, controllers can become an invaluable resource if they can master the tools and learn to interpret and understand the information that IT-systems can provide. Companies are also required to implement the right system. This study is based on the theory of digitization, the business controller role and role theory. Empirical data were collected through 50 job advertisements and five interviews. Through inquiry of empirics and theories and an analysis of this material, an understanding could be created about how the controller's role and tasks are influenced by digitalization. Specifically, the extent to which the controller uses digital tools and the demand that companies have for controllers' digital skills and experience. It also provides an insight into the role and expectations of the controller in a digital world. The conclusion of this study is that controllers use digital tools to a large extent. Which in turn places demands on digital experiences and skills. The digital revolution can be considered a fact, which entails the controller to consider and monitor digital development and change. The job advertisements show a clear tendency that digital experience and skills are a large part of what is demanded from companies. Despite the high demand for digital skills, the review of job advertisements shows that companies still only require a person with a financial education. The role of a business controller in Sweden has gone from being a financial controller and an accountant to a role that is now in a borderland between IT and finance. Which means that the role can now be considered as something of a hybrid. However, the empirical evidence in this study shows that this is not yet fully seen in practice. This study is written in Swedish.