Authors:
Florina Livia Covaci
1
;
Robert Andrei Buchmann
1
and
Radu Dragos
2
Affiliations:
1
Business Information Systems Department, ”Babes,-Bolyai” University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
;
2
Computer Science Department, ”Babes,-Bolyai” University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Keyword(s):
Knowledge Graph, Accounting Auditing, Digital Transformation, RDF.
Abstract:
This paper reports on an experimental Digital Transformation project where RDF graphs are adopted in an organization’s accounting and document management system as a novel approach to accounting digitization, going beyond traditional ERP systems to enable account-centric network analysis and more insightful master data management - having accounting contextualized in a relationship-rich Knowledge Graph that captures some of the tacit knowledge that accountants and auditors apply during their common tasks. Legacy ERP systems that are based on relational databases face challenges when aggregating information regarding the transactions that an account was involved in, which sometimes involve multihop JOINs, links to contextual documents that may reside elsewhere, or rules that mimic (at least partially) an auditor’s reasoning. The paper reports on a knowledge capture effort for mapping accounting information into an RDF graph in order to overcome limitations of legacy systems with audit
ing support, currently implemented in a feasibility demonstrator of low Technological Readiness Level. As theoretical implications, we also derive from this experience a novel, specialized definition of Digital Transformation.
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