Thought Leadership

Challenges with legacy research tools

Before adopting Blue J, McKonly & Asbury relied on traditional tax research tools that provided reliable information but required significant manual effort. Answering nuanced client questions often meant searching across multiple sources and reviewing layers of guidance to assemble a usable answer.

As Director of Tax Services Mark Heath noted, “You could find the information, but you had to do all the work to connect it yourself.”

After moving to a lower-cost research platform in an effort to manage expenses, the firm found that usability challenges increased. Research often assumed a high level of prior knowledge, making it difficult for staff—particularly junior team members—to know where to begin or whether their conclusions were correct. Over time, adoption declined.

Some staff began turning to general web searches or generic AI tools. This raised concerns about consistency, training, and the use of non-authoritative sources, making it harder to standardize research quality across the firm.

Exploring an AI-powered alternative

Facing these challenges, McKonly & Asbury began evaluating AI-supported tax research solutions. The firm was clear that any tool would need to be purpose-built for tax and deliver answers backed by authoritative sources suitable for real client work.

The firm piloted Blue J with a small group of five senior tax professionals who were not frequent users of AI tools. The goal was to assess whether the platform could be adopted easily and trusted in day-to-day research workflows.

According to Heath, if experienced professionals could use the tool effectively and see value, broader adoption would follow. After using Blue J on live research questions, the firm expanded access across the tax department.

Changes in research workflow

With Blue J, McKonly & Asbury moved away from traditional keyword-driven searches. Instead, tax professionals could ask fact-specific questions in plain language and receive structured responses supported by inline citations and source lists.

The firm found that research tasks which previously took hours could often be completed in significantly less time. This allowed staff to spend less effort locating guidance and more time interpreting it, considering related issues, and applying professional judgment.

Heath also noted that Blue J frequently surfaced additional considerations that prompted deeper analysis, helping teams deliver more complete and defensible advice.

Implications for billing and talent development

The time savings achieved through Blue J led McKonly & Asbury to revisit how tax research work was billed. While the value delivered to clients remained unchanged, reduced research time encouraged discussions around pricing based on expertise and outcomes rather than time spent assembling information.

In some cases, the firm was able to reduce fees per project while taking on a higher volume of work.

The firm also observed benefits for staff development. By making tax research more intuitive, Blue J enabled junior team members to take work further before involving managers or partners. This supported learning and consistency, while allowing senior professionals to focus more on complex advisory matters.

Key observations for other firms

McKonly & Asbury’s experience with Blue J highlights several considerations for firms evaluating AI-powered tax research tools:

• Start with a small pilot group to build confidence and identify appropriate use cases

• Ensure AI-generated research is transparent and supported by authoritative sources

• Use AI to enhance, not replace, professional judgment

• Consider how efficiency gains may affect staffing models and pricing approaches

Conclusion

As AI increasingly shapes how tax research is performed, McKonly & Asbury’s experience shows how a purpose-built platform such as Blue J can support faster, more consistent research while maintaining quality and defensibility. For firms considering similar tools, thoughtful implementation aligned with professional standards and firm strategy is key.