BDO announces worldwide strategic alliance with Microsoft

BDO, one of the world’s most innovative international networks of public accounting, tax and advisory firms, is pleased to announce a worldwide technology and services collaboration with Microsoft that will accelerate the digital transformation of their clients’ businesses.

This collaboration is a clear demonstration of BDO’s leadership in a profession undergoing digital transformation. Working with Microsoft, BDO professionals can deliver additional value-added services to their clients, as well as improve internal efficiency and the quality of audit and advisory engagements. The alliance will mean that BDO, together with Microsoft, can define the future digital landscape and enable BDO to deliver exceptional client service across all areas of its operations and industries.

BDO is working with Microsoft on both existing and new solutions designed to deliver leading edge, digitally-focused services to clients in more than 154 countries and territories around the world.

At its outset, this new global agreement will cover the following three key areas:

1. Digital relationships: BDO’s leading edge global portal, based in the Microsoft Azure environment, will deliver an online collaboration space to further enhance clients’ digital experience and service workflow, supporting and extending client relationships – locally, regionally and globally.

2. Efficiency and quality: BDO’s Audit toolkit will benefit from the next generation of the network’s bespoke Audit Process Tool (APT). Through the introduction of new technology, this scalable worldwide tool will now be capable of streamlining and focusing the audit process in even more ways for BDO professionals and their clients. In addition, the integration of BDO’s data analytics tool, BDO Advantage, powered by Microsoft Azure and services such as Cortana Intelligence Suite, will further enrich the audit experience, enabling BDO professionals to better understand and respond to risks. Through deeper analysis of internal and external data, BDO can leverage this understanding to provide additional insights and automation efficiencies to clients.

3. Foundations for the future: BDO is partnering with key cloud accounting providers across the world to deliver modern and secure cloud accounting services for clients: Microsoft NAV is a key tool in achieving this. BDO Cloud Accounting will give all BDO firms access to global resources, enabling agility and flexibility in their service delivery.

Martin van Roekel, Global CEO of BDO, recognises that the professional services market is in a constant state of change and welcomes this collaboration: “Our strategic alliance with Microsoft will create new and exciting opportunities for BDO Member Firms to expand upon the in-depth knowledge they have of their clients and provide them with powerful insights, in both a financial and operational capacity.

BDO Global IT’s vision is for the network to become the enabler of efficiency in their profession, supporting BDO clients through transformational change and providing new ideas and innovative thinking to contribute to their commercial success, helping them achieve their objectives.”

Max Long, Corporate Vice President Enterprise Global Delivery, Microsoft Corp, comments: “Businesses across the globe are undergoing digital transformation. We’re thrilled to work with BDO, harnessing our joint power to develop the frameworks and tools to provide BDO clients with leading technology, data and insights.”