If you’ve been paying attention to AI in accounting, it probably feels like everything is speeding up.
New tools, new features, new ways of working. There’s a constant push to move faster and do more.
At the same time, most firms I speak to are already stretched.
There’s more work than ever. Compliance keeps expanding. Teams are juggling deadlines, reviews, and client expectations. And on top of that, there’s a growing stack of systems that don’t always work well together.
Where I think the conversation goes wrong is that it starts with the tools.
What matters more is how your firm actually feels to work in. Because the real impact of AI isn’t just speed. It’s whether your systems make work clearer and more manageable, or more fragmented and harder to deal with.
The pressure you’re feeling isn’t new, it’s just building
Before AI even enters the picture, most firms are already under pressure.
Workloads are increasing. Regulatory expectations are higher. Reviews, AML, audit readiness, all of it adds layers to the day.
You can see it in how work flows.
Jobs get picked up and put down multiple times. Information comes in late or incomplete. Queries bounce back and forth between team members. Rework becomes part of the process.
Over time, this starts to feel normal.
I don’t see these as people problems. I see them as system problems. The way workflows are designed creates the friction your team is experiencing.
Too many tools, not enough connection
Most firms don’t have a shortage of technology.
If anything, they have too much.
Different systems for email, document management, accounting, workflow, reporting. Each one solving a piece of the puzzle, but not always connected.
That’s where the friction comes from.
Your team ends up switching between platforms, moving data manually, fixing inconsistencies, and trying to hold it all together.
More tools don’t necessarily make things better.
When systems aren’t connected, small inefficiencies build up across the day. And when AI gets added into that environment, it can feel like just another layer to manage.
What changed for me was simplifying, not adding
The shift in my own firm didn’t come from adding more software.
It came from simplifying what we already had.
I rebuilt our tech stack around one principle. Everything should connect.
Email flows into document management. Document management connects to the accounting system. Data moves between tools without manual handling.
That alone made a significant difference.
Work moved more smoothly. Communication improved. Each person on the team got back a meaningful amount of time.
And that was before introducing AI.
Automation works best where friction already exists
Once those foundations are in place, automation and AI start to make a real difference.
In our case, tools like Abbey automate compliance workpapers by pulling data from accounting systems and source documents, then preparing outputs in seconds.
But the real value isn’t the speed.
It’s what that removes.
Manual data entry. Rework caused by missing or inconsistent information. Back-and-forth queries. Bottlenecks between juniors and reviewers.
Those are the parts of the workflow that take time without adding value.
When they’re reduced, capacity opens up.
Capacity changes how your team thinks
Capacity isn’t just about having more time.
It’s about having space.
When your team isn’t constantly under pressure from repetitive work and tight deadlines, the way they approach their work changes.
They apply better judgement. They ask better questions. They engage more thoughtfully with clients.
The quality of the work improves, not just the speed.
When the pressure lifts, everything shifts
You’ll see the operational improvements first.
Compliance work gets done faster. Errors reduce. Deadlines feel more manageable.
But the bigger change is how the firm operates.
Your team spends more time with clients. Conversations become more meaningful. Relationships develop more naturally.
In my own firm, that showed up in simple ways. More time spent with clients outside formal meetings. Conversations that went beyond transactions. Opportunities that came from understanding what was really happening in their business.
Internally, it created flexibility as well. Some team members reduced their hours. Others moved into more advisory-focused roles.
The structure of the firm started to change.
There’s a real cost to not changing
Keeping things as they are has a cost.
I see it in two areas.
The first is missed opportunity. When time is tied up in compliance work, there’s less capacity to deliver advisory work that creates more value.
The second is underused talent.
Skilled people spend years doing repetitive tasks instead of developing their ability to analyse, communicate, and advise. Over time, that affects engagement and retention.
Both are avoidable.
Advisory follows better systems
Advisory doesn’t need to be bolted on later.
It becomes possible when capacity is created.
At its simplest, it starts with helping clients understand their numbers. Where their cash is coming from. Where it’s going. What it means.
From there, it builds into better decisions and stronger relationships.
The only requirement is having the space to have those conversations.
Start by removing friction, not chasing transformation
Most firms already have the foundations in place.
The opportunity is to refine what’s there.
Look at how work flows through your firm.
Where does rework happen? Where are reviews happening too late? Where is data still being moved manually? What are you accepting as normal that creates friction?
Start there.
Focus on connecting fewer tools, not adding more. Improve how data moves. Bring your team along gradually.
That’s where progress comes from.
AI should make your firm feel better to work in
AI plays an important role, but it sits within a broader system.
It works best when it supports people.
For me, that comes back to human-centred design. Start with what your team and your clients need, then build the technology around that.
When it’s done well, technology removes friction.
It supports better work and stronger relationships.
What this really comes down to
The biggest shift isn’t about AI itself.
It’s about how you choose to build your firm.
More clients or better clients. More output or better work. More tools or better systems.
And ultimately, how people feel inside the firm.
Culture isn’t what’s written on a wall.
It shows up in how people feel on a Sunday night.
The firms that approach AI in the right way won’t feel more automated.
They’ll feel more human.
Watch the full session
If you want to see how I’ve approached this in practice and how it plays out inside a real firm, I walk through it step by step in my QuickFest session. You can catch the full replay here:
[Watch the QuickFest 2026 Replay]
