Ever wonder what it’s actually like to implement data automation in your audit practice? How do you navigate client adoption? What roadblocks should you expect? And most importantly—what kind of results can you realistically achieve?
What you’ll learn:
- How Grant Thornton achieved 80% coverage with their client data standardization initiative—and what took so long to get there
- The “white glove approach” that turned reluctant auditors into technology champions
- Three practical metrics GT tracks to measure adoption success (and why incentive schemes actually matter)
We’ve also highlighted the top 5 take-aways below the video in case you don’t have time to watch the full recording.
5 Game-Changing Takeaways from Grant Thornton’s Digital Transformation
1. Start Small, Then Scale Smart
Grant Thornton didn’t try to revolutionize everything overnight. Liam’s team began with a small group that had both audit expertise and data skills, testing and refining their approach before expanding firm-wide. Liam explained:
“We started small with a team that was familiar from an audit or accounting perspective, but also people that did have the data or technology expertise.
We wanted to focus our time more on the analysis and use of this information from the audit lens, not be data specialists.”
The lesson: Don’t expect your auditors to become programmers. Find the right balance between audit knowledge and technical capability, then scale from there.
2. It’s About Standardization, Not Just Speed
While time savings matter, the real value comes from consistency. Grant Thornton focused on creating standardized data pipelines that work across different accounting systems—enabling automated analytics that would be impossible with fragmented data. Liam noted:
“The standardization of that pipeline of data coming in… allows for automation of the process and flow that follows,”
This foundation enabled them to build proprietary journal entry testing tools and pre-configured dashboards that map automatically to any client’s data.
The insight: Standardization isn’t just about making things look the same – it’s about making everything that comes after possible.
3. Change Management Requires Both Carrot and Stick
Here’s where Grant Thornton got refreshingly honest about adoption challenges. Voluntary adoption wasn’t enough – they needed metrics, incentives, and what Liam called “the white glove approach.” Liam went on to admit:
“You do need to think of some sort of incentive scheme or plan around how you’re going to get the adoption embraced.
You can’t just take a too hard approach or even a too soft approach.”
Their solution? A centralized team that handled client onboarding and provided hands-on support to audit teams throughout the process. No one was left to figure it out alone.
4. Client Security Concerns Are Overblown (When You Frame It Right)
Grant Thornton tackles the inevitable security question head-on by emphasizing one crucial point:
We’re just changing the method for acquiring information that we were already getting.
Instead of focusing on all the security features (though SOC2 compliance certainly helps), Liam’s team emphasizes that clients remain in complete control – they initiate every data refresh, and it’s read-only access to the same data auditors always needed.
The reframe: This isn’t about accessing new data – it’s about accessing the same data more securely and efficiently.
5. Metrics Drive Adoption (Here’s What GT Actually Tracks)
Grant Thornton measures success across multiple dimensions:
- Coverage rates: What percentage of eligible clients are using the platform?
- Upload frequency: How consistently are teams using the system?
- Downstream utilization: Which analytics and visualizations get used most?
- Time savings: Reduction in preparation and administration time
“High adoption rates, high utilization is good because that’s more consistent information across our entire client base,”
The practical takeaway: You can’t manage what you don’t measure. GT’s comprehensive tracking helps them identify both champions and holdouts.
Ready to See the Same Results?
These aren’t theoretical concepts—they’re practical strategies from a firm that’s actually done this work. If you’re not yet a Validis customer and want to explore how data standardization could transform your audit practice, chat with our business development team.
If you’re already a Validis customer and want to discuss how to achieve the same successes as Grant Thornton, reach out to your account manager or check out our comprehensive Audit Playbook.
Check out The Ultimate Audit Playbook
We’ve done a deep dive into our most successful audit customers and distilled those insights into five practical tips:
- Instant Standardized Work Papers
- Leverage Validis Analytics Dashboard
- Interrogate 100% of Source Data
- Integrate Your Audit Tools
- Turn Clients into Super Fans
The playbook goes beyond time-savings to help you spot risks quickly, ask smarter questions, and turn your clients into genuine advocates for your modern approach. Think of this as your data-driven audit cheat sheet.
We get financial data. You deliver the insights.
