How a Toronto Accounting Firm Saved 15 Hours per Week with AI

S&T Accounting is a mid-sized accounting firm based in Toronto, serving small business clients across the GTA. Like many professional services firms, they were intrigued by AI but unsure where to start — and worried about data privacy with client financial information.

The Challenge

The S&T team was spending significant time on:

• Drafting client communications and engagement letters
• Summarizing financial statements for client meetings
• Manually categorizing and routing client document submissions
• Internal knowledge management (finding the right precedents and templates)

Their biggest concern was using any AI tool that might expose sensitive client data. They needed a solution that was both productive and compliant.

The Approach

S&T engaged Cloud Forces through the CDAP program, which funded the initial AI readiness assessment and adoption plan. The engagement covered:

Phase 1: AI Readiness Assessment

We audited S&T's workflows, data classification, and current Microsoft 365 environment. The assessment identified that the firm was already 80% of the way to AI-ready — they had well-structured data and consistent processes.

Phase 2: Secure AI Deployment

Rather than using consumer AI tools, we configured Microsoft 365 Copilot within S&T's existing Microsoft 365 tenant. This kept all AI processing within their existing data governance boundary — no client data leaving their environment.

Phase 3: Workflow-Specific Training

We ran role-specific training sessions for partners, managers, and staff — not generic AI literacy, but hands-on practice with the specific tasks they do every day.

The Results

After 90 days:

At an average billing rate of $150/hour, that's roughly $2,250/week in recaptured capacity — either returned to clients as faster service or converted into additional billable work.

Ivan Semenov, Partner at S&T Accounting:

"We were skeptical that AI could work in an environment where data privacy is non-negotiable. Cloud Forces showed us how to do it safely — and the productivity gains have been better than we expected."

Key Lessons

1. Start with what you already have. S&T didn't need new software — they needed help unlocking what was already in their Microsoft 365 subscription.

2. Data governance comes first. Understanding where your data lives and how AI tools handle it isn't optional — it's prerequisite.

3. Role-specific training beats generic AI literacy. Showing an accountant exactly how to use Copilot to summarize a P&L is more valuable than a general introduction to AI.

If you're a professional services firm curious about what AI adoption could look like for your practice, our AI Adoption Advisory starts with the same kind of assessment we did for S&T. Book a free consultation to get started.