Leading with AI: A Playbook for Accounting Firms

AI is already in your firm. Someone on your team is using ChatGPT to draft emails. Another person found an automation tool that speeds up their workflow. A third is experimenting with AI-powered research.

The question isn't whether AI is being used. It's whether you have the framework to use it well.

We wrote this playbook because the accounting industry is drowning in big ideas about AI with very little practical guidance. There's plenty of talk about how AI will change everything, disrupt the profession, replace some jobs, and create others. What's missing is a clear, actionable framework for firms to actually implement AI safely and strategically.

Here's what we've learned working with firms: The most important step isn't choosing the right AI tools or trying to automate everything overnight. It's setting the guardrails first. Defining how your firm will use AI, where the risks are, and what's allowed versus what isn't.

Once those are in place, you can explore, experiment, and train your team to use AI effectively without constantly worrying about what could go wrong.

Why Guardrails Matter

If every accountant in your firm is quietly testing AI on their own, without guidance, policies, or best practices, you're exposing your firm to unnecessary risks. Client data could end up in the wrong place. Work product might not meet your standards. Someone might rely on AI output that's confidently wrong.

When firms create a structured AI framework that includes governance, training, and feedback loops, AI becomes a competitive advantage instead of a liability.

AI usage shouldn't be a secret. It should be shared, nurtured, and openly discussed. When your team knows what's expected, what's encouraged, and what's off limits, they can move forward with confidence.

What This Playbook Covers

By the time you finish reading, you'll be able to implement an AI policy that protects your firm and your clients, establish governance processes that make compliance manageable, train your team so AI usage is transparent and consistent across the firm, create a feedback system where accountants can share what's working (and what isn't), and start using AI tools with confidence knowing your firm is protected by the right guidelines.

This playbook is practical. You'll find clear steps, checklists, and templates to help you implement AI in a safe, structured, and scalable way. There's no theory for theory's sake. Just the framework you need to get started.

What You'll Get

The playbook walks you through each stage of AI implementation. You'll start with policy development, understanding what needs to be covered and how to tailor it to your firm's needs. Then governance setup, creating the processes and oversight structures that keep things running smoothly. Next is team training, building fluency across your firm so everyone knows how to use AI responsibly. Finally, you'll establish feedback loops so your team can share insights, improve workflows, and help the firm get smarter about AI over time.

Responsible AI isn't just about avoiding pitfalls. It's about setting your firm up for sustainable success.

Ready to Build Your Framework?

Download the playbook and start building the structure your firm needs to use AI safely and strategically.

We hope you find it useful. Let us know your thoughts.

Onwards, Stuart, Bruce, and Agus