Audit

Most audit partners can name the moment a deal goes sideways. It is rarely the technical work. It is week three, when half the request list is still open, the client sent the 2023 file instead of 2024, and the manager is composing a follow-up that should have never been needed.

Eighty percent of audit and tax professionals worked more than 51 hours a week during the 2024/25 busy season. Firms blame volume. The 2025 data from Financial Cents, Inside Public Accounting, and Microsoft points to a different culprit: the chasing, the threads, the Excel request lists.

Gartner found that manual audit evidence collection costs 3-5x more than structured systems. Most audit firms still run this process through email. This article traces where audit hours actually disappear and why AI adoption in audit lags behind every other department.

Firms often emphasize client collaboration as a core value. But new data suggests a significant disconnect between stated priorities and the service experience clients actually receive. This article explores the root causes and offers a practical path forward.

Rolling out audit technology works best with the right champions, realistic planning, clear expectations, and intentional contributors; making adoption faster, smoother, and more effective

Most audit teams don’t intend to over-communicate. It happens organically, one email thread at a time.

Alkmist does what Excel sheets, email threads, and makeshift portals can’t: it makes audit collaboration intuitive, seamless, and actually enjoyable.

Same choice, different emphasis, yet decisions flipped based on what had a number attached. This bias isn’t just about hotels. It affects every decision we make, including how we choose audit software. Now, think about how this plays out in audit software selection.