You’ve heard the horror stories. Weeks of meetings. Endless internal approvals. Client confusion. Staff pushback.
That’s not what happens here.
In the latest edition of our Validis Unboxed webinar series, Paul Wardle, Head of Audit Customer Success and Activation, and Kelly Schwarz, Account Manager, took us inside how real firms deploy Validis quickly and painlessly.
No IT nightmares. No steep learning curves. No waiting on a “perfect” tech stack.
Instead, what you get is fast value, real adoption, and immediate results.
Want to know what really happens during a Validis implementation? Watch the webinar or check out the blog below – we’re busting the five biggest myths holding firms back.
Myth #1: “Implementation is a resource drain”
Let’s start with the most common fear.
“It shouldn’t be a burden. It isn’t a burden. It’s much easier than you’d expect. We go live in one to two weeks – and most of the setup is done before we even hit day one.”
Paul and Kelly laid out a simple truth: this isn’t some six-month marathon. Most firms go live in just two weeks – with as little as one hour per week in the first month. In fact, you’ll spend less time implementing Validis than the 8+ hours you save on your very first audit. The rollout playbook is tested, refined, and completely replicable.
Validis handles:
- Portal branding and configuration before launch
- Security reviews with IT teams
- SSO/API integration and testing
- Step-by-step onboarding support
“Firms across US, UK, Canada and the rest of the world are getting this done in two meetings. It’s a fast win with minimal lift – and we adapt the pace to your timeline.”
The implementation isn’t just quick – it’s designed to get you to value faster.
Myth #2: “My clients won’t use it”
“Clients love it. They get one secure link, click through, and in 30 seconds they’re done.“
Let’s cut to the chase – your clients don’t want more tech. But they do want minimal interruption to their day job.
One Validis customer calls it the “smash and grab”, because within minutes he gets 100% of the data. Eliminating any back-and-forth conversations about what reports to pull or double-check if everything has been sent.
In fact, Validis provides:
- White-labelled invites branded to your firm
- Step-by-step upload guides per accounting system
- In-product guidance built right into the portal
- Ready-made client videos to show how easy it is
Worried about client security concerns?
“We take security super seriously and we have the highest accreditations possible. We have FAQs set up just for this conversation. We also have a SOC 3 report that you can share directly with clients or their IT departments. All you need to do is send that information over.”
The results? A 40% reduction in PBC list back-and-forth – saving your team time and saving your clients an average of 7.5 hours per engagement. That’s less chasing, fewer emails, and more time focused on value.
“When we show this to firms, partners literally say: ‘It can’t be that easy.’ But it is. We’ve worked hard to make it that way.”
Myth #3: “We need to fix our tech stack first”
This one’s a classic stall tactic. But Paul shut it down:
“Firms often think they need to ‘fix’ everything else first – get the perfect audit tool or rewire their whole stack. But the smart ones start with data. Because that’s what powers everything else.”
Validis fits alongside whatever tools you’re already using. Many firms roll it out before migrating to Caseware, Suralink, or other platforms.
Why?
- Because you get standardized, structured GL/AR/AP data from any accounting system
- It becomes your single source of truth for audit-ready data
- It’s light-touch to implement – so firms use Validis to jump-start their efficiency and broader transformation plans
- It improves every other tool’s performance (and adoption)
“This is the fuel for your tech stack. Starting with clean, complete, standardized data changes everything.”
Myth #4: “Our team won’t change how they work”
Resistance is real. But it doesn’t need to derail you.
“You don’t need 100% adoption on day one. Start with early adopters – managers or seniors who’ll try it, love it, and then tell everyone else how it changed their work.”
Kelly and Paul recommend starting with just 2–3 teams or clients. Give them the support and tools. Let the results speak for themselves.
“When someone sees they don’t have to chase files or manually balance reports, the switch flips. They go from sceptic to champion.”
There’s even a built-in checklist for teams to follow, so every rollout has clear milestones. And the account team stays close throughout the first few months.
“Honestly, we’ve seen firms write Validis into their audit methodology after just a few pilots. That’s the level of transformation we’re talking about.”
Myth #5: “The juice won’t be worth the squeeze”
Let’s get down to ROI.
“Validis pays for itself in the first audit. We’re talking 8+ hours saved per engagement, just from reducing data collection and prep.”
The value isn’t just time saved. It’s everything else that comes with it:
- Higher realization rates
- Stronger risk-based methodology
- More meaningful audit work
- Better client experiences
- Less burnout, more retention
“One partner told us: ‘This is the easiest ROI I’ve ever delivered.’ That’s what happens when you eliminate grunt work and get clean data from day one.”
This isn’t just about process improvement. It’s about changing the nature of audit work for the better.
Quick Recap: What Validis Implementation Actually Looks Like
Still thinking implementation will slow you down? Here’s the reality:
Next steps
If you’ve been putting off solving the data problem, this is your moment.
Ready to start saving 8+ hours per audit? Let’s make getting standardized data the easiest part of your audit process.
