Thought Leadership

Using Basis, PrimeGlobal member Schneider Downs is putting AI into practice across its audit work. This case study explores how the firm is using the technology to increase capacity, support audit quality and give its people more time to focus on higher-value work.

Schneider Downs, a Top 60 accounting and advisory firm with leading capabilities in Advisory, Audit, Tax and Wealth Management and offices in Pittsburgh, Columbus, and Washington, D.C., is committed to delivering innovative solutions and exceptional client experiences. Guided by its brand promise, Big Thinking and Personal Focus, the firm continues to invest in technology and its people to enhance the value it delivers to clients. As part of that commitment, Schneider Downs partnered with Basis to integrate artificial intelligence into its audit practice, empowering its professionals to work more efficiently, enhance audit quality and dedicate more time to providing meaningful insights and advice to clients.

The partnership began after a Basis demonstration showed how its AI agents can perform complex accounting tasks enabling auditors to begin with review-ready work and focus on applying professional judgment. This convinced Schneider Downs’ leadership to launch a pilot in January 2026 and invest in a broader rollout during the winter peak season. The team was eager to get started, even during busy season. That enthusiasm reflected confidence in Basis AI agents and the Basis Deployed Intelligence (DI) team’s support through the rollout.

Finding 85 workflows for Basis to take on

An all-day, on-site hackathon helped turn that excitement into action. Schneider Downs set out to identify 15 workflows Basis could take off auditors’ plates. The Basis DI team directed them to focus on high-volume, complex work that bogged humans down. The Schneider Downs team blew their goal out of the water and identified 85 potential workflows.

The hackathon empowered Schneider Downs to use Basis AI agents to collect and organize confirmation letters, perform substantive testing, and check financial statement quality. The agents delivered review-ready work at scale so auditors could start at review, focus on deeper analysis and sharper client insights.

Beyond the work itself, auditors faced another challenge: keeping up with changes in each client’s business.

Basis also maintains and updates context on each client so auditors don’t have to piece it together themselves across different documents and siloed software. That shared context helps the Schneider Downs team deliver standardized work using current client information, week over week and year over year.

Investing in people and enhancing audit quality

As Schneider Downs continues its AI journey, two principles remain central: prioritizing people and improving audit quality.

Those priorities go hand in hand. As firms face talent constraints and more complex client engagements, auditors need more time for work that draws on their expertise and differentiates their firm. Schneider Downs invested in Basis to reduce time spent on manual processes, enabling its professionals to focus on complex analysis, strengthen client relationships and deliver greater value to clients. That shift also makes the work more engaging and helps the firm retain talent.

Basis gives auditors the evidence and control they need to stand behind the work. AI agents show how they reached their results through cited sources, formulas, and an audit trail. Auditors start with review-ready work, evaluate the results, and make the final decisions. This supports audit quality while giving people more time to investigate issues, apply professional judgment, and advise clients.

At Schneider Downs, Basis AI agents support the expertise and professional judgment of Schneider Downs’ audit professionals. By expanding capacity within the firm’s audit practice, the technology helps auditors work more efficiently, apply greater rigor, and deliver deeper insights.

This investment builds on Schneider Downs’ long-standing commitment to innovation. Since its founding in 1956, the firm has adopted technology to better serve clients and support its people. Through its partnership with Basis, Schneider Downs is transforming how its audit practice delivers services, while helping shape how the profession responds to changing client needs.

Building on the momentum

The Schneider Downs and Basis partnership demonstrates how thoughtful innovation, paired with strong human oversight, can help move the public accounting profession forward. Through this partnership, Schneider Downs is demonstrating how investments in AI can enhance audit quality, empower professionals and create more opportunities to deliver meaningful insights and greater value to clients.