2020 TEXAS CPA TECHNOLOGY CONFERENCE - ADDISON - DAY 2


This is the WEBCAST ONLY option for DAY TWO of the 2020 TEXAS CPA TECHNOLOGY CONFERENCE - ADDISON

8 a.m. – 9:40 a.m.

The Very Real Risk of Ransomware
Over the past two years, ransomware has surged as a major threat to individuals and organizations of all sizes. To illustrate the threat ransomware is, its annual cost to businesses is now estimated at over $8 billion, up from $1 billion in 2016. Against that backdrop, ask yourself “am I at risk?” Of course, the likely answer is “yes.” To reduce this risk, you should participate in this session where you will learn how you can avoid becoming yet another victim of ransomware. The survival of your business may depend on it! Topics:

  • Understanding what ransomware is and how it is transmitted
  • Exploring a variety of high-profile ransomware cases
  • Developing an action plan to reduce your individual and organizational risk

 9:40 a.m. – 9:50 a.m. | Break

9:50 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. | Advanced Topics in Power BI
So, you’ve been using Power BI to create fundamental reports and dashboards and now you’re ready for even more advanced reporting. If so, this session is for you, where you will learn how to extend your Power BI environment by incorporating tools such as Data Analysis Expressions, Key Performance Indicators, Hierarchies, and Apps and Content Packs, among others. By taking advantage of the tools and techniques covered in this session, you will be able to move beyond simple reports and dashboards in Power BI and truly leverage the power of this awesome reporting tool. Topics:

  • Creating formulas in Power BI with Data Analysis Expressions
  • Adding Key Performance Indicators to your Power BI reports and dashboards
  • Managing security in Power BI
  • Publishing your reports and dashboards to Apps and Content Packs for easy sharing with other team members

 11:30 a.m. – 12:20 p.m. | Lunch

 12:20 p.m. – 1:10 p.m. | The Perfect Storm – Data Governance and Data Privacy Regulations
How do you control the data you are responsible for? Consider the impact of the May 2018 General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), as well as the December 11, 2019 introduction of a law in India giving authorities sweeping access to data and the most important piece of U.S. legislation, the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), which is in force as of January 1, 2020. Companies like Microsoft and Apple not only claim they are ready, but they plan to implement CCPA across the country. What about your business? Have you completed your implementation? Attend this session to learn practical steps you can take to be compliant with mandated regulations. Topics:

  • Data transparency and access
  • Data deletion and portability
  • Definition of personal information
  • User opt out and the right to be forgotten
  • Understanding the fines and risks

 1:10 p.m. – 1:20 p.m. | Break

 1:20 p.m. – 2:10 p.m. | The Hows and Whys of Creating User-Defined Functions in Excel
With approximately 500 functions already present, Excel seemingly has a function for every need. But sometimes the function YOU need just simply isn’t available. For example, Excel does not have functions to calculate income tax expense or, in many cases, depreciation expense. To solve these shortcomings, you can create User Defined Functions (UDFs). UDFs provide you with the opportunity to create functions for use in any of your formulas and automate your most complex calculations. Join us to learn how to put the power of UDFs to work to simplify and automate even your most complex calculations. Topics:

  • Examining UDFs relative to macros
  • Identifying the steps necessary to create UDFs in Excel
  • Understanding where you should save UDFs
  • Key syntax when creating UDFs
  • Incorporating UDFs into your workbooks

 2:10 p.m. – 2:20 p.m. | Break

2:20 p.m. – 4 p.m. - Next Generation Excel Reporting
New and improved features in Excel tools such as Power Query and Power Pivot mean that yesterday’s techniques for generating reports in Excel are obsolete. Best practices for next generation reporting include building queries and transformations using Power Query, adding user-defined calculations with Data Analysis Expressions, managing data models in Power Pivot, reducing dependency on formulas with PivotTables and adding visualizations where appropriate. Participate in this session so that you can learn the best practices for preparing and automating your Excel-based reports. Topics:

  • Key issues with traditional reporting models
  • The roles associated with various Excel features, including Power Query, Power Pivot, Data Analysis Expressions and PivotTables in Excel-based reporting environments
  • How to create “repeatable/refreshable” reports in Excel that link data from external data sources