ISSN: 2225-8329
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The audit profession is experiencing significant changes driven by advancements in digital technologies, transforming traditional practices and reshaping auditors' roles and responsibilities. The study addresses the need for a comprehensive overview of digital transformation's impact on audit practices and competencies, a gap evident in current literature where fragmented studies lack a unified framework to assess these advancements holistically. Using the TreZ framework for thematic analysis, this study systematically examines 24 relevant articles identified through SCOPUS and Web of Science (WoS) databases. The findings highlight five key themes: the digital transformation of audit processes, technological integration and audit automation, the impacts on auditor roles and competencies, challenges and risks of digitalization in auditing, and regulatory compliance and transparency enhancement. This paper's contribution provides a comprehensive understanding of how digital transformation reshapes audit efficiency, accuracy, and transparency. It also emphasizes the need for auditors to develop new competencies in response to evolving technologies. Therefore, future research should focus on standardizing digital auditing frameworks and explore the scalability of digital technologies across various sectors, particularly in highly regulated fields such as healthcare, environmental, and tax auditing. Additionally, examining the long-term impacts of digital tools on auditor roles and the required competencies is crucial. Hence, future studies should also address the challenges faced by smaller auditing firms or public sector entities with limited resources in adopting such technologies, providing targeted strategies to overcome these barriers. Finally, investigating the long-term potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and blockchain in enhancing public-sector auditing practices would further enrich this area of research.
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