Membership numbers up; customer satisfaction improvements for global accountancy body

The role that Accountants are playing in supporting the economy cannot be underestimated according to ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) who have announced that its membership continues to increase in Northern Ireland and across the world.

Membership in Northern Ireland grew by 4% over the last year while the professional Accountancy body now has 154,000 members and 432,000 students in 170 countries.  ACCA also announced a significant rise in online service customer satisfaction at the end of its 2011/12 operating year

Joan Ballantine, ACCA, Ulster President, commented: “Increased membership and customer satisfaction is reflective of both the demand for accounting expertise in a very challenging economy, locally and internationally, as well as the work that we have done to deliver a quality customer service offering. 

“The economic role that our profession plays is particularly pertinent here in Northern Ireland where accountants will be pivotal in reshaping our economy and in delivering more knowledge based revenue streams.  From ACCA’s perspective these results show that we continue to deliver towards our goal to be the leading global professional accountancy body in reputation, influence and size.

“With our numbers growing in Northern Ireland and indeed throughout the rest of the UK, we’ve seen strong demand for the ACCA qualification, with significant growth in established markets – such as China, Singapore, Malaysia and the Caribbean as well as in new markets too.

“We have taken significant steps forward in our quality of customer service. Our members and students are now starting to see the benefits of investments made in recent years to improve our processes, IT infrastructure and customer service levels. This has included our customer contact centre, ACCA Connect, now being open 24/7, 365 days a year.”

Key indicators include:• 75% of students and 70% of members now say ACCA is easy to do business with online• 85% of exam entries are now made through the ACCA website• 90% of online student registrations are now completed within seven days.

Joan continued: “I am particularly pleased to see that we are enhancing our global reputation through our policy and technical work. ACCA’s Council is clear that we must demonstrate public value in all that we do. We have outperformed our target in relation to employers believing that our global policy output brings public value. This reflects the investment we have made in new Global Forums with high-profile membership from many leading organisations around the world, an enhanced research programme on key areas of importance to CFOs and increasing influence with policymakers, regulators and standard setters. I am proud that ACCA continues be independent in its approach, while fully engaged with experts to shape our thinking, addressing the key issues which will enhance the global profession in the interests of better business.

“We believe that this focus is strengthening even further the ACCA brand and I am delighted that members continue to recognise the value they obtain from ACCA.”

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