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Why This Modern Firm Still Tracks Time—and How It’s Boosting Their Success

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What if the secret to modern accounting success isn’t abandoning time tracking but reimagining it? Dillon Business Advisors (DBA) discovered that time tracking—separated from billing—is a powerful strategic tool for managing their subscription-based practice.

In a recent episode of the “Who’s Really the BOSS?” podcast, firm leaders Marcus and Rachel Dillon discussed how this traditional practice transformed their modern firm. While many industry thought leaders suggest firms discard time tracking and hourly billing, DBA found that maintaining it—with a crucial twist—provided valuable insights into team management and business growth.

Time Tracking as a Strategic Tool in a Virtual Firm

Traditional firms primarily use time tracking for billing. However, in DBA’s virtual environment, it’s a crucial window into team performance and client profitability.

Marcus explains, “In a virtual environment, it’s hard to wrap my mind around what’s going on. Not that I care how much time is being spent, but it weaves into our project management. It highlights an abnormal month, and then we can discuss what happened.”

Rather than using time data for invoicing, DBA leverages it to gain operational insights—which are especially vital when managing a remote team across multiple client engagements.

When team members feel stressed about particular clients or workloads, time data provides objective evidence to evaluate the situation. Rachel notes, “Often, when there are outside stressors and client requests pulling on you, you may perceive one as your biggest problem over the other, without data to support that.”

Tracking time is also valuable for managing their subscription-based services. The firm regularly compares historical time data against current trends. For instance, “If two months ago it took our team eight hours to complete the engaged work, and now it’s taking 14 hours, is it still the same work, or are there out-of-scope tasks? Has the business increased in volume or complexity?” Data from time logs allows DBA to proactively address scope creep, adjust pricing when necessary, and ensure their team isn’t overwhelmed by expanding client demands.

Combining Manual Oversight with Data Analysis

While many firms aim to fully automate their time data oversight, DBA prefers a manual approach, especially in a virtual environment.

Their monthly review process, which takes Marcus and Rachel around three to four hours, combines tools like Excel pivot tables with human analysis. DBA finds that manual review provides strategic insights that automation might miss.

Rachel explains, “I see it not as invoicing but as clearing out time for write-ups and write-downs. It gives us extra accountability to address issues sooner rather than later. If you’re busy, you might not address out-of-scope issues or potential team burnout as promptly.”

 Marcus agrees, “I need to be looking at this data monthly.”

This intentional review helps the firm quickly identify patterns, recognize potential team burnout, and spot clients needing pricing adjustments—crucial insights they might miss with a fully automated process.

Leveraging Time Data for Strategic Decisions

Time tracking’s strategic value extends beyond daily operations, influencing growth, staffing, and firm valuation decisions.

DBA finds that understanding team capacity through time data helps them manage part-time staff and plan for growth.

For part-time remote team members, time tracking ensures workload balance without compromising quality. Marcus explains, “If a part-time person doesn’t have billable work, they’ll log off, and it’s hard to know—are you willing to give DBA more time, or were you really done?” This led to committing to consistent hours for part-time staff while optimizing their workload using time data.

Time data is also valuable for firm valuation and succession planning. Marcus notes, “Allan Koltin says the most valuable firm is the one with team members and no clients.” He describes a recent M&A event in which “because they had excess capacity, they were more valuable to the buyer—nobody wants to buy overworked and burned-out employees.”

This shifts excess capacity from a cost to a valuable asset, enabling strategic marketing, growth, and succession planning decisions. Whether determining when to “turn on a little bit more marketing” or evaluating pricing for new engagements, time data provides insights for informed decisions on firm growth and future value.

Transforming Traditional Metrics into Strategic Assets

As firms evolve toward value-based pricing, DBA’s experience shows firms can reimagine traditional tools like time tracking for modern practice management.

Viewing time data as a strategic tool rather than a billing metric allows firms to gain essential insights and maintain oversight of team members in a virtual or hybrid environment.

To learn more about transforming traditional metrics into strategic assets, listen to the full episode of the “Who’s Really the BOSS?” podcast. Marcus and Rachel share additional insights about managing virtual teams, optimizing processes, and building a modern accounting practice that thrives beyond the billable hour.

Rachel and Marcus Dillon, CPA, own a Texas-based, remote client accounting and advisory services firm, Dillon Business Advisors, with a team of 15 professionals. Their latest organization, Collective by DBA, supports and guides accounting firm owners and leaders with firm resources, education, and operational strategy through community, groups, and one-on-one advisory.

Beyond EOS: A Better Path Forward for Accounting Firm Growth

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What if the very business system you’ve implemented to streamline operations is stifling your firm’s growth? While popular frameworks like EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System) promise efficiency and scalability, many accounting firm owners discover that these generic solutions fail to address their unique challenges—from managing seasonal workflows to optimizing tax preparation processes.

In a recent episode of the “Who’s Really the BOSS?” podcast, hosts Rachel and Marcus Dillon sat down with industry consultant Christine Nietzke to dig into operating systems for accounting firms. Drawing from decades of experience working with accounting firms, Christine shared why traditional business systems often constrain rather than enhance firm performance, especially when implementing specialized workflows and managing industry-specific demands.

The Promise and Limitations of Generic Business Systems

The appeal of systems like EOS is clear: they provide a structured approach to running your business through quarterly meetings, defined priorities (called “rocks”), and regular check-ins to maintain momentum. As Christine explains, “It’s a great process. It helps business owners keep at the forefront the things they’re trying to achieve.” There’s even science behind the system’s 90-day check-ins, aligning with natural human motivation cycles.

However, implementing EOS comes with significant commitments and crucial limitations many firm owners don’t initially recognize. EOS requires a “purity” commitment from its implementers that prevents them from providing industry-specific guidance or operational advice outside the system’s framework.

Christine discovered this limitation while exploring becoming an EOS implementer herself. “I would have been prohibited from helping an accounting firm specifically with an operational issue or workflow,” she explains. “That was the deciding factor for me—a deal breaker.” This restriction reveals a fundamental challenge with generic business systems: they prioritize standardization over specialization, potentially leaving accounting firms without the specific guidance they need to address their unique operational challenges.

For accounting firm owners, this means choosing between maintaining system purity and accessing the specialized expertise needed to optimize their practice. Christine shared an example of how this choice can significantly impact firm efficiency and growth.

When Generic Systems Meet Real-world Challenges

Christine worked with a firm owner who inherited his practice from his father—a common scenario in the accounting industry. Along with client relationships came embedded inefficiencies in workflows and processes holding the firm back. Notably, every tax preparer handled each return from start to finish, creating unnecessary complexity and reducing productivity—a challenge that generic business systems can’t address.

“Working with him, I helped reimagine what his tax process looks like in his firm,” Christine explains. By understanding the nuances of tax preparation workflows, she implemented a tax administrative professional role to handle front-end and back-end processes—a change that would have been impossible under the constraints of a generic system focused solely on high-level business practices.

The results were immediate and measurable: fewer tax extensions, improved efficiency, and better workflow management. They didn’t achieve this transformation through general business principles or quarterly goal-setting but by applying specialized industry knowledge of the challenges and proven solutions specific to accounting firms.

As the profession continues to evolve and new challenges arise, firms will continue to need specialized solutions. Forward-thinking firms are discovering that the path to sustainable growth is approaches explicitly tailored to their unique needs.

The Power of Industry-Specific Solutions: GRIP in Action

Enter GRIP (Goal Ready Implementation Plan), a solution that exemplifies the move toward industry-specific approaches. Unlike generic systems that apply the same framework to every business, GRIP was designed specifically for accounting firms, with a built-in understanding of tax seasons, industry workflows, and practice management challenges.

“While EOS is a process and a system, GRIP is actually a blueprint,” Christine explains. “It’s going to get you exactly where you want to be. And you have consultants and advisors ready to help you when things aren’t progressing the way you wanted.” This distinction is crucial: rather than just providing a framework, GRIP offers a concrete roadmap tailored to accounting firm success.

The program’s effectiveness comes from its deep integration of industry knowledge. Implementation timelines account for tax seasons, preventing the chaos that can result from instituting significant changes during peak periods. Documentation and delegation strategies are designed specifically for accounting firm dynamics, and ongoing advisory support comes from professionals with direct industry experience.

Firms implementing GRIP bring their blueprint to every leadership team meeting, using it to guide decision-making and track progress. This practical application demonstrates how industry-specific solutions transform high-level goals into actionable improvements—proving that specialized knowledge matters when it comes to accounting firm success.

Embracing Tailored Solutions for Firm Growth

Accounting firms face unique challenges that generic business systems often fail to address. By adopting industry-specific solutions like GRIP, firms can implement strategies that account for the nuances of their operations, leading to sustainable growth and operational excellence.

Ready to transform your firm’s operations with specialized approaches? Listen to the discussion on the “Who’s Really the BOSS?” podcast, where Christine shares additional insights and real-world examples of accounting firms achieving breakthrough results.

Rachel and Marcus Dillon, CPA, own a Texas-based, remote client accounting and advisory services firm, Dillon Business Advisors, with a team of 15 professionals. Their latest organization, Collective by DBA, supports and guides accounting firm owners and leaders with firm resources, education, and operational strategy through community, groups, and one-on-one advisory.

DataBlend: Revolutionizing Financial Data Integration

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Imagine cutting your data integration time by 80%, freeing you to focus on strategic financial analysis instead of manual data entry. For many CPAs, this seems too good to be true. The constant juggling of multiple systems, endless data entry, and troubleshooting integration tools has become a daily grind. But what if there’s a solution that could make this a reality?

Enter DataBlend, a game-changing ETL (Extract, Transform, Load) tool revolutionizing financial data integration. As Eric Neilssen, Senior Account Executive at DataBlend, explained on a recent episode of the Unofficial Sage Intacct Podcast, “At the heart of what we’re doing is solving a friction point for customers and making life a little easier for the Office of Finance and Accounting.”

The Swiss Army Knife of Financial Data Integration

At its core, DataBlend is an ETL tool designed specifically for financial data. But calling it just an ETL tool is like calling a Swiss Army knife just a blade. DataBlend’s true power lies in its versatility and ability to connect virtually any system that houses financial data—a game-changer for CPAs juggling multiple platforms.

Eric explains their approach: “What expands on that value is our Swiss Army-like way of connecting to systems.” This flexibility is achieved through four main connection methods:

  1. API Connections: Pre-built standard connections to popular systems like Sage Intacct and Salesforce.
  2. Database Connector: For on-premise or cloud databases without API access.
  3. SFTP Connector: Ingests CSV or TXT files from systems that can export data in these formats.
  4. Custom Script Connection via API: Extends connectivity to any system with an open API.

This multi-faceted approach allows DataBlend to tackle complex integration challenges that typically require extensive custom development. Eric shares a compelling use case involving Stripe, Salesforce, and Sage Intacct:

“We have customers who use us to connect Stripe, Salesforce, and Sage Intacct. When a customer makes a donation or payment through Stripe, we take the revenue and send it to Salesforce. Then, the credit card fees are sent to Sage Intacct for revenue recognition.”

In this scenario, DataBlend doesn’t just move data from point A to point B. It intelligently routes different types of data to the appropriate systems, handling complex transformations along the way. For CPAs, this means no more manual data entry or reconciliation between systems—DataBlend handles it all automatically.

This level of sophistication allows businesses to choose the best systems for their needs without worrying about integration limitations. Eric says, “You shouldn’t have to make that choice based on connectivity. You should make that choice based on what’s best for your business, and let us come in and help make those connections.”

DataBlend’s versatility doesn’t come at the cost of usability. Its low-code approach means CPAs and financial professionals can set up and manage integrations without extensive IT knowledge. This combination of power and ease of use has fueled DataBlend’s rapid growth.

Data Flows: The Power of Sage Partnership

DataBlend’s revolutionary approach reaches new heights through its strategic partnership with Sage. This collaboration has given birth to Data Flows, a powerful solution that brings DataBlend’s capabilities directly into the Sage ecosystem, offering CPAs a streamlined path to data integration.

Eric explains, “Data Flows, in the simplest terms, is DataBlend available on Sage paper.” For CPAs and finance professionals, this means seamless integration between Sage Intacct and other systems, all under one contract and backed by a trusted name in accounting software.

A single Data Flow allows for the connection between Sage Intacct and one other system, enabling the movement of three workflows or objects—such as customers, vendors, or invoices—between the two systems. This translates to significant time savings and reduced risk of errors. For example, customer data entered into a CRM system can automatically flow into Sage Intacct, eliminating double entry and ensuring data consistency.

The benefits extend beyond technical integration. Eric points out, “One of the benefits of coming to the table as a product that has this ISV relationship with Sage Intacct and being on Sage Intacct paper is the customer doesn’t look at you as much as a third party. They look at DataBlend as a Sage-backed integration tool that Sage has confidence is going to improve the value of what the customer is getting out of Sage Intacct.”

This increased confidence and ease of adoption have been game-changers for many finance teams. The Data Flows solution empowers Sage account executives and VARs (Value Added Resellers) to have more effective conversations with their customers about integration, removing much of the friction that integration can bring into evaluating and implementing new software.

Low-Code, Low-Maintenance: A New Paradigm in Integration

Traditional data integration often involves complex coding, expensive solutions, and ongoing maintenance headaches. DataBlend changes this with a low-code, low-maintenance approach tailored for CPAs and finance professionals.

Eric contrasts DataBlend’s approach with traditional methods: “Traditionally, you need someone to build the integration and then maintain it. It’s common for it to break, which is costly because you need to keep hours available for someone to fix it.”

DataBlend’s solution is a user-friendly platform that doesn’t require extensive coding knowledge. CPAs can manage their data integration without heavy reliance on IT resources, freeing up time for strategic analysis.

The benefits extend beyond setup. DataBlend’s subscription includes ongoing maintenance. “As long as you’re paying the subscription, we’re maintaining those connections for you,” Eric says. This means no unexpected downtime due to API changes or system updates.

This approach saves time and reduces frustration for CPAs. Instead of troubleshooting integration issues, finance professionals can focus on analyzing trends, identifying opportunities, and providing strategic advice.

DataBlend continually evolves based on user feedback and common use cases. Eric explains, “We release wizards and templates for common workflows, creating streamlined implementation methods.”

By embracing DataBlend’s approach, CPAs can shift from number-crunchers to strategic advisors, focusing on high-value activities that drive business growth and client satisfaction.

Embracing the Future of Financial Data Integration

DataBlend is revolutionizing financial data integration through its versatile ETL tool, strategic partnership with Sage, and innovative low-code approach. By automating and simplifying data integration, DataBlend frees CPAs to focus on analyzing data, identifying trends, and providing strategic insights.

For CPAs aiming to stay competitive, embracing tools like DataBlend is crucial. These advanced integration capabilities can position you at the forefront of the data-driven business revolution.

Ready to Transform Your Practice?
Don’t miss the opportunity to hear directly from the innovators behind DataBlend. Tune in to the full conversation with Eric Neilssen on the Unofficial Sage Intacct Podcast. You’ll gain invaluable insights into DataBlend’s groundbreaking approach, hear real-world success stories, and glimpse the future of financial data management.

From CPA to EV Pioneer: One CFO’s Journey into Tech Entrepreneurship

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Imagine transforming your CPA skills into the driving force behind a tech startup revolutionizing electric vehicle charging—that’s exactly what Guzel Lumpkin did with EVLUV.

In a recent episode of AI: Accounting Intelligence—the podcast for forward-thinking finance professionals navigating the AI revolution—Lumpkin shared how she leveraged her financial expertise to launch an entrepreneurial venture in the burgeoning electric vehicle industry.

Lumpkin’s story is more than a career pivot; it’s a testament to a broader trend where financial acumen meets technological innovation, creating golden opportunities for accounting professionals to transition into entrepreneurship.

Leveraging Big Four Experience for Tech Entrepreneurship

Lumpkin’s journey into tech entrepreneurship began in the intense learning environment of Deloitte. “It felt like I was getting three years of knowledge in one year. It was just so fun,” she recalls. This Big Four experience became the bedrock of her future success in the startup world.

The transition from Deloitte to tech companies like Mindbody and Procore wasn’t just a change of scenery—it was an opportunity to apply her accounting skills in a new way. Lumpkin explains, “I was hired to build the accounting and finance team for a software called Mindbody back in the day.” Shifting from auditing to operational leadership became a key step in her entrepreneurial journey.

The skills she honed at Deloitte—rigorous analysis, attention to detail, and a deep understanding of financial structures—were useful tools at scaling tech companies. From managing IPOs to navigating the complexities of high-growth environments, her finance background proved invaluable.

“I think at that time Deloitte, or Big Four in general, was looked at like if you want to have a career in accounting or finance, it serves as that springboard for your career,” Lumpkin says. As AI and automation reshape the accounting landscape, this outlook hasn’t changed. In fact, the ability to apply financial acumen to emerging technologies is increasingly crucial.

For finance professionals eyeing the tech world, Lumpkin’s path demonstrates that a background in traditional accounting isn’t just relevant—it’s a potential superpower in the startup ecosystem. It’s an example of how the intersection of financial expertise and technological innovation can lead to entrepreneurial success.

Spotting Market Opportunities: How EVLUV Was Born

Finance professionals are trained to spot inconsistencies and inefficiencies—skills that translate powerfully into identifying market gaps and business opportunities. Lumpkin’s journey to founding EVLUV exemplifies how financial acumen can fuel entrepreneurial vision.

The spark for EVLUV ignited from Lumpkin’s personal frustrations with electric vehicle charging at Procore. “When I bought my first electric vehicle, finding parking at the charging station was easier than finding regular parking on that campus,” she recalls. “But very quickly we started having 10, 20, 30, 40 EVs on campus.” This rapid adoption created a new problem: access to chargers became unpredictable and inefficient.

Her financial background kicked in, enabling her to analyze the problem beyond personal inconvenience. She saw a market inefficiency—a highly desirable asset with poor utilization and user experience. Drawing a parallel to the restaurant industry, she explains, “OpenTable solved this problem a long time ago. ‘How do I get people’s butts in seats at high peak demand times efficiently and effectively?’”

This analogy sparked her business idea: “I want to build OpenTable for electric vehicle charging because as the number of EVs increase, access to the chargers will become more and more dire and constrained.” Lumpkin’s financial training allowed her not just to identify the problem but to assess its market potential and viability as a business opportunity.

The beginning of EVLUV illustrates a growing trend: finance professionals leveraging their analytical skills to drive innovation in tech sectors. By bridging financial expertise with technological solutions, they’re uniquely positioned to identify and solve complex, real-world problems—a valuable asset in today’s entrepreneurial landscape.

Overcoming Startup Challenges with Financial Expertise

The leap from CFO to startup founder is not for the faint of heart, but as Lumpkin’s journey demonstrates, it can be a natural evolution for finance professionals in today’s innovation-driven landscape.

“On different days, different skills apply,” she says, highlighting the versatility demanded in startup leadership. Her CFO toolkit—from financial modeling and risk assessment to strategic planning—proved invaluable in tackling the multifaceted challenges of founding EVLUV.

One of the primary hurdles she faced was creating a profitable business model in the nascent EV charging industry, where current utilization rates are low and payback periods are long. Her approach leverages financial acumen to address this: “Our model is to increase utilization by providing that effortless, seamless experience.” This strategy shows how financial expertise can shape innovative solutions to complex market dynamics.

Lumpkin’s experience in analyzing data and market trends also helps balance the needs of both sides of the EVLUV marketplace—drivers and charging station hosts. “Both sides have to happen and meet and be happy in order for EV adoption to take place,” she explains, demonstrating how financial thinking can drive holistic business strategies.

For finance professionals eyeing entrepreneurship, she emphasizes the importance of passion and conviction: “Without knowing your why, it’s very hard for anybody to start an entrepreneurship journey.” This advice acknowledges that while financial expertise provides a solid foundation, successful entrepreneurship in the AI era also requires adaptability and a deep commitment to innovation.

Embracing the Future: Finance Professionals as Innovators

Lumpkin’s journey from Big Four accountant to EV charging innovator highlights the opportunity at the intersection of financial expertise and technological innovation. Here are three key takeaways for accountants who want to pursue entrepreneurship:

  1. The value of rigorous financial training
  2. The power of applying analytical skills to real-world problems
  3. The critical role of adaptability in entrepreneurial success

As AI and automation reshape the accounting industry, professionals with a strong foundation in finance are uniquely positioned to drive innovation. Their analytical abilities, combined with a deep understanding of business operations, provides a powerful toolkit for navigating the complexities of entrepreneurship in emerging tech sectors.

For CPAs, CFOs, and aspiring finance leaders tuned into the AI revolution, Lumpkin’s story could provide a roadmap. She demonstrates how accountants can leverage their skills to identify market gaps, develop innovative solutions, and build successful tech-driven businesses.

Ready to explore how you can harness your financial expertise to lead in the AI-driven future? Listen to the full episode of AI: Accounting Intelligence to gain deeper insights from Lumpkin’s journey. Discover practical strategies for transitioning from finance to entrepreneurship and understand the unique advantages your financial background offers in the tech startup ecosystem. Don’t just adapt to the future of finance—shape it.

Audit Crisis: How Flawed Incentives and AI Are Reshaping the Accounting Profession

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In a recent episode of The Accounting Podcast, we explored alarming trends in audit quality shaking the foundations of our profession. The numbers are stark: the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) found that Ernst & Young (EY), one of the Big Four firms, has a staggering 37% deficiency rate in its audits. Even PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), the “best” performer among the Big Four, has an 18% deficiency rate. These deficiencies are so significant that, according to the PCAOB, the auditors should not have issued their opinions.

As audit deficiency rates remain stubbornly high and scandals shake investor confidence, the accounting profession must confront systemic issues undermining audit quality—including misaligned incentives, inadequate staffing, and outdated practices—to restore trust in financial markets and secure their future relevance.

The Alarming State of Audit Quality

When we discuss a crisis in audit quality, we’re not exaggerating. The deficiency rates reported by the PCAOB paint a troubling picture of the state of auditing in the United States:

  • EY has a 37% deficiency rate—the highest among its peers.
  • PwC, despite performing “best” among the Big Four, still has an 18% deficiency rate.
  • BDO, a top 10 firm, has an alarming 86% deficiency rate.

But what do these numbers mean? A Part 1.A deficiency indicates that the auditor “had not obtained sufficient appropriate audit evidence to support its opinion(s) on the issuer’s financial statements and/or ICFR.” In other words, it means the auditor should not have issued their opinion, and potentially, investors should not rely on it.

This is not just a minor oversight—it’s a fundamental audit process failure. When nearly four out of ten audits at a Big Four firm like EY are deficient, or when 86% of BDO’s audits fail to meet standards, we’re looking at systemic issues that threaten the foundation of our financial markets.

The most common deficiencies relate to basic audit tasks:

  • Performing substantive testing.
  • Testing controls over data accuracy.
  • Evaluating the effectiveness of internal controls.

In essence, auditors are failing to perform the core responsibilities that investors rely on them to perform. These high deficiency rates directly erode investor confidence. When investors can’t trust the audited financial statements, the entire financial reporting and investment system becomes compromised.

Why are these deficiency rates so high? We need to examine the business models and incentives driving audit firms to answer that.

Misaligned Incentives and Flawed Business Models

At the heart of the audit quality crisis lies a troubling truth: audit firms’ business models are fundamentally misaligned with the goal of producing high-quality audits. Instead, they incentivize practices that prioritize profit over thoroughness and accuracy.

One primary strategy audit firms employ to maximize revenue is understaffing. Having the fewest people work on the audits leads to overworked staff and rushed audits, increasing the likelihood of errors and oversights.

EY provides a stark example of this strategy in action. The firm boasts the highest revenue per employee among the Big Four at $383,900. While impressive from a business perspective, it raises serious questions about the firm’s ability to allocate sufficient resources to each audit.

Another concerning practice is the lack of transparency around materiality thresholds. Auditors use these thresholds to determine what issues are significant enough to report. However, these standards are not publicly disclosed and can be manipulated. It’s possible to cover up something undesirable by deeming it “immaterial.” This lack of transparency allows auditors to ignore or downplay significant issues, further undermining the reliability of their opinions.

However, the biggest problem is that auditors lack the financial incentive to detect fraud or significant issues. They have every incentive to do the audit quickly, even if it means overlooking critical problems.

These misaligned incentives and flawed business models directly contribute to the high deficiency rates. They create an environment where cutting corners is rewarded, and thoroughness is penalized, contradicting the fundamental purpose of an audit.

The Supermicro Scandal: A Case Study in Audit Failure

The recent Supermicro scandal provides a vivid example of how systemic auditing issues can lead to significant market disruptions and erode investor confidence.

Supermicro Computing, a major player in the tech industry, recently announced an accounting delay that caused its stock to plummet 19% in a single day. This followed a report by Hindenburg Research, which alleged dubious accounting practices at the company.

Based on a three-month investigation, the Hindenburg report uncovered glaring accounting red flags, including:

  • Undisclosed related-party transactions involving nearly $1 billion were paid over three years to suppliers partly owned by the CEO’s brothers.
  • Rehiring executives involved in previous accounting scandals less than three months after paying a $17.5 million SEC settlement for widespread accounting violations.

But where was Deloitte, Supermicro’s auditor, in all of this? Despite charging $4.5 million annually for their services, Deloitte failed to identify or report these significant issues. Their audit letters for 2022 and 2023 were nearly identical, focusing only on inventory valuation as a critical audit matter.

Adding to the concern, an AI system developed by Hudson Rock had identified potential accounting risks at Supermicro two years before these issues came to light. As my co-host, David Leary, points out, “If AI can surface these audit problems before companies can, people aren’t going to want to pay $4.5 million for an audit.”

The emergence of AI challenges the traditional audit model and demands a reevaluation of how we approach financial oversight.

A Call for Reform

The audit profession stands at a crossroads. The alarming PCAOB deficiency rates, misaligned incentives driving audit firm business models, and high-profile failures like the Supermicro scandal all point to a systemic crisis in audit quality.

This isn’t just an issue for accountants and auditors—it’s a threat to the integrity of our entire financial system. Investors rely on audited financial statements to make informed decisions, and when those audits fail, the consequences can be catastrophic.

The emergence of AI as a potentially more effective tool for detecting accounting irregularities further challenges the traditional audit model. Significant changes are needed—from realigning incentives to embracing new technologies—to restore trust in the audit process and secure the future relevance of the profession.

But change won’t happen without a concerted effort from all of us in the accounting world. We must confront these challenges head-on, push for meaningful reforms, and reimagine what high-quality auditing looks like in the 21st century.

To hear our full analysis, including potential solutions and ways you can make a difference, listen to this episode of The Accounting Podcast.