The Accounting Technology Lab

Brian Tankersley & Randy Johnston
  • 5.0 (3)
  • Business
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In-depth, honest accounting software and technology reviews capturing the real-life experiences of using particular products and solutions - presented by CPA Practice Advisor and technology experts Randy Johnston and Brian Tankersley, CPA.

  1. 4d ago

    ATL274: Alliances, AI, and Self-Funding! Oh My! Guest Dan Pinkous, Founder/CEO of Truss

    ATL274 — Alliances, AI, and Self-Funding! Oh My! Guest: Dan Pinkous, Founder & CEO, TrussHosts: Randy Johnston and Brian F. Tankersley, CPA.CITP, CGMAPodcast: The Accounting Technology LabPublisher/Sponsor: CPA Practice AdvisorRelease Date: September 11, 2026Approximate Runtime: 28:26Primary Topics: Tax workflow, artificial intelligence, technology partnerships, client experience, advisory services, document management, practice management, startup funding, pricing 200-Word Episode Summary In ATL274, Randy Johnston and Brian Tankersley talk with Daniel Pinkous, founder and CEO of Truss, about a tax workflow platform built around three ideas: low-friction client experience, AI embedded throughout the workflow, and partnerships instead of trying to build every specialized capability internally. Pinkous explains that Truss began in late 2022 as an AI-native product, using large language models for document processing, client checklists, research, planning, and other tasks intended to move firms away from compliance tedium and toward advisory work. The conversation highlights Truss partnerships with Ping Assistant, Kintsugi, Filed, Byron, Magnetic, K1x, GruntWorx, CygnusAI, Bizora, and Karbon. Rather than replace every tax, practice-management, or document-management tool, Truss aims to connect the client-facing parts of intake, workpapers, preparation, and delivery while keeping the experience consistent. Pinkous also discusses adoption, saying Truss emphasizes web-based, zero-account client access and reports high client satisfaction. The episode closes with a different startup story: Truss says it is customer-funded, has taken no outside venture capital, operates profitably, and uses a simple firmwide pricing model with unlimited users, returns, e-signatures, and AI usage. For accounting firms, the question is not simply which tool wins, but how a connected ecosystem improves workflow, service, and control. Key Takeaways Partnerships can beat territorial product strategies. Pinkous argues that accounting technology vendors have historically been too territorial. Truss's strategy is to partner where another vendor has deeper expertise instead of attempting to recreate every specialty internally.AI is most useful when it disappears into the workflow. Truss was started in late 2022 and designed around AI from the beginning. Pinkous describes large language models working “under the hood” for document naming, page rotation, document processing, tax-year validation, checklists, research, planning, and other tasks.The goal isn't merely more compliance capacity. Pinkous sees automation first eliminating tedious compliance work and then creating room for higher-value advisory services.Tax workflow is an ecosystem problem. A tax engagement can involve intake, document collection, workpapers, preparation, signatures, payments, delivery, storage, and practice management. The more those pieces live in disconnected applications, the more time staff spend hunting for information instead of doing accounting work.There is a difference between “capital-W” and “small-w” workflow. Traditional practice-management systems such as Karbon or XCM manage the firm's broader internal workflow. Truss focuses heavily on the smaller client-facing workflows surrounding an engagement—requesting documents, exchanging information, preparing and delivering returns, collecting signatures, and keeping clients informed.Client adoption is an implementation metric, not a cosmetic metric. Pinkous argues that firms cannot redesign workflow around technology that only a fraction of their clients will use. Truss therefore emphasizes a low-friction, firm-branded experience with minimal login and account-creation barriers.Tax may be the entry point, but client experience crosses service lines. Pinkous says firms sometimes extend their use of Truss into audit and CAS because clients should not need an entirely different interaction model every time they work with another department.Document management remains an unresolved piece of the modern stack. The discussion touches on FileCabinet CS, SharePoint, Google Workspace, and other repositories. Pinkous describes Truss's own document-management capabilities while acknowledging that larger firms may still need more specialized systems and integrations.Capital structure affects product governance. Truss says it has been built without venture-capital financing. Pinkous argues that being customer-funded changes priorities because management is not simultaneously optimizing for an outside investor's required growth rate or next funding round.Pricing simplicity can reduce implementation friction. Pinkous describes firmwide pricing with unlimited users, returns, e-signatures, and AI usage rather than metering every transaction.Catchy Quotes and Video/Audio Locations TimeSpeakerPull QuotePromotional Angle03:55 | Dan Pinkous | “The first phase… save these firms from the tedium… liberate them from the compliance. Really, the second phase is now we can be free to do advisory.” | AI and advisory06:52 | Dan Pinkous | “The industry has been too territorial, and it's hurting accountants. We need to be working together. We need to be collaborating.” | Alliances07:05 | Dan Pinkous | “Ping is peanut butter and jelly with us.” | Partner ecosystem12:00 | Dan Pinkous | “Client says they uploaded something. Okay, where did they upload it? And I got to go search across four or five different systems.” | Workflow fragmentation21:01 | Dan Pinkous | “What if we start with the client experience, and we really nail that? And that's our primary north star for success.” | Client experience21:16 | Dan Pinkous | “I can't build a workflow around something where only 30% of my clients are using it… we need to push for 90% plus adoption.” | Technology adoption24:09 | Dan Pinkous | “We're really unique in that we're one of the only companies in the space that is built customer funded. We haven't taken any venture capital funding, any outside funding whatsoever.” | Self-funding24:41 | Dan Pinkous | “We get to serve just one master, and that's our customers.” | Best quote for graphics25:53 | Dan Pinkous | “Operating profitably is a much more stable future… long-term way to build.” | Vendor sustainability27:22 | Dan Pinkous | “One simple price for the entire firm, unlimited usage, unlimited e-signs, unlimited returns, unlimited users… unlimited AI usage… go crazy, have fun.”

    ATL274: Alliances, AI, and Self-Funding! Oh My! Guest Dan Pinkous, Founder/CEO of Truss

  2. Sep 4

    ATL273 Reinventing Your Practice With Advisory (Guest: Nancy Sperry of Sage)

    ATL273 — Reinventing Your Practice with Advisory With Guest Nancy Sperry of Sage Episode: ATL273Release date: September 4, 2026Hosts: Randy Johnston and Brian F. Tankersley, CPA.CITP, CGMAGuest: Nancy Sperry, Senior Vice President of U.S. Partner Sales, SageApproximate runtime: 33 minutesPrimary topic: Using trusted AI, agentic automation, and the Sage partner ecosystem to move accounting professionals from transaction processing toward higher-value advisory work.In ATL273, Randy Johnston and Brian Tankersley talk with Nancy Sperry, Senior Vice President of U.S. Partner Sales at Sage, about how AI can help accounting firms and finance professionals reinvent their practices around advisory services. Sperry argues that AI adoption in accounting depends on trust: systems must be explainable, auditable, secure, controllable, and subject to human approval. That “glass box” approach can reduce the time professionals spend validating transactions and manipulating data, freeing them to interpret results, advise clients, and look forward instead of backward. The discussion explores Sage Copilot, finance and close agents, partner-built agents, and a future agent marketplace where solutions created for one client may be reused across the Sage ecosystem. The hosts and Sperry also examine how AI could accelerate micro-vertical specialization in industries such as construction and nonprofit organizations, while integrations and Model Context Protocol connections may reduce dependence on traditional middleware and point solutions. The episode closes with Sage’s broader platform strategy, including Sage Intacct, Sage HCM, and acquired products, and with a clear message for firms: advisory growth will require both AI-enabled productivity and disciplined governance, security, accountability, and human oversight as firms redesign workflows and deepen trusted relationships with clients today. Key Takeaways Trust is the gating factor for accounting AI. Explainability, auditability, approval workflows, security, and accountability matter as much as model capability.Advisory becomes more practical when the mechanical work shrinks. Automation can move professionals away from manipulating data and toward interpreting what the numbers mean.Finance will not become autonomous overnight. Sperry notes that only a small portion of finance functions are autonomous today; confidence must be earned through reliable results and controls.Agents create a new partner opportunity. Sage partners may be able to build agents for specific client problems and then distribute reusable solutions through a broader marketplace.Industry specialization can get much deeper. AI and agent builders may allow firms to move beyond broad verticals such as construction into highly specialized micro-vertical workflows.MCP and cross-system agents can change the technology stack. Agents that work across systems such as CRM, payroll, and ERP could eliminate some traditional integration layers—but also introduce new security concerns.Advisory becomes forward-looking. The opportunity is to spend less time looking through the rearview mirror and more time helping clients see through the windshield.Human oversight remains essential. The accountant, CFO, or advisor remains responsible for consequential decisions even when AI performs more of the underlying work.Sage is broadening the platform around finance, HR, payroll, expenses, construction, forecasting, practice management, and other adjacent workflows.The strategic opportunity is bigger than efficiency. AI can change the relationship between the accounting professional and the client by making interpretation, specialization, and continuous advice economically feasible.Catchy Quotes and Video Locations Times are based on the supplied transcript and may shift slightly if the published video contains a different intro, edit, or advertising insert. 00:55 — Nancy Sperry: “AI is the most exciting and really going faster than either of those two kind of major changes.”04:34 — Nancy Sperry: “Anything that is explainable and that I can click through and see the result… gives a lot of confidence.”06:48 — Brian Tankersley: “When the math’s not mathing, it’s not good for anybody in accounting.”08:24 — Nancy Sperry: “I see it being a really big revolution in the relationship.”10:37 — Nancy Sperry: “Turn the headlights on and see into the future.”13:36 — Nancy Sperry: Partners can “solve real business problems that are really critically important to that client.”15:58 — Randy Johnston: Advisory is “looking out the windshield as opposed to looking in the rearview mirror.”20:44 — Nancy Sperry: “Partners are the intersection of that for us at Sage.”26:26 — Nancy Sperry: Sage’s “glass box approach” is designed to provide confidence, control, oversight, and accountability.31:39 — Nancy Sperry: AI creates an opportunity for partners “to just create amazing outcomes.”

    ATL273 Reinventing Your Practice With Advisory (Guest: Nancy Sperry of Sage)

  3. Aug 31

    ATL272: The Gathering Storm: Open Source AI

    In ATL272, “The Gathering Storm,” Randy Johnston and Brian Tankersley argue that AI is changing cybersecurity faster than many accounting firms are changing their defenses. The issue is not simply smarter phishing or more malware. AI can automate reconnaissance, vulnerability discovery, exploit development, credential testing, and lateral movement at machine speed, while open-weight models and falling token costs may make those capabilities cheaper and more widely available. That matters especially for CPA firms because they hold an unusually valuable combination of tax data, identity information, client credentials, banking access, payment authority, and long-retained documents.The hosts also point to a dangerous mismatch: attackers are getting faster while many firms still rely on home-grade routers, unsupported operating systems, aging hardware, and definition-based security tools. Human error remains a major weakness, when convincing phishing messages land during stressful periods.Their recommendation is practical: harden systems now, eliminate unsupported technology, rehearse incident response, shorten detection-to-containment time, test backup restores, inventory every AI tool and agent in the firm, map where client data goes, inspect audit trails, and maintain control of firm data. The takeaway is caution without panic: this is not “Terminator and Skynet,” but waiting for certainty is not a cybersecurity strategy.Pull Quotes TimeSpeakerQuote00:01:07 | Randy Johnston | “We want you to start being proactive now on protecting your businesses.”00:02:32 | Brian Tankersley | “I think that security is going through a similar transition right now.”00:04:47 | Randy Johnston | “The time to first attack after a vulnerability is exposed is well below an hour now.”00:07:02 | Brian Tankersley | “We have pretty much the dream identity theft set of data.”00:11:58 | Randy Johnston | “We are trying to have you think about how you stand up your defenses and how the attackers are trying to defeat your defenses or guardrails.”00:16:59 | Brian Tankersley | “You really need to step up your cybersecurity posture now, because we’re going into a very bad neighborhood with very scary things going on.”00:17:35 | Randy Johnston | “The attackers’ tools are actually dropping in cost very rapidly.”00:18:17 | Brian Tankersley | “When these things are out, they’re out, and there’s no real coming back.”00:20:17 | Brian Tankersley | “We have cheaper attacks, we have more targets. We have the machine speed shrinking the response time.”00:21:09 | Randy Johnston | “It’s not Terminator and Skynet at this point.”00:22:27 | Randy Johnston | “Get the fundamentals right, including testing the backups.”00:23:33 | Randy Johnston | “If you’re waiting for things to be certain, that ain’t going to happen.”00:25:12 | Randy Johnston | “Pollyanna Randy is suggesting that you may well have some really ugly conditions in front of you, and I’m trying to keep you out of the storm.”

    ATL272: The Gathering Storm: Open Source AI

  4. Aug 21

    ATL271: Why Your WISP Is Essential in 2026

    Episode Summary: ATL271 - Why Your WISP Is Essential in 2026 Podcast Page/Subscription Links: https://podcast.cpate.chWiki Page: ATL271 - CPA Tech Wiki In ATL271, “Why Your WISP Is Essential in 2026,” Randy Johnston and Brian Tankersley explain why a written information security plan is no longer a compliance document that can sit on a shelf. Accounting firms hold concentrated stores of tax, financial, identity, and sometimes health information, making them attractive targets for phishing, credential theft, ransomware, fraudulent wire instructions, and AI-enhanced attacks. The hosts walk through the overlapping expectations of the IRS, FTC Safeguards Rule, and HIPAA, including written policies, multi-factor authentication, encryption, logging, incident response, training, governance, vendor oversight, and regular risk assessment. They emphasize that penalties can be severe, but the larger business risk may be client loss, reputational damage, litigation, and disruption during tax season. The episode also highlights practical governance: assign accountability, review the WISP regularly, connect security spending to risk, and report results to leadership. Randy and Brian close with five high-impact controls—MFA, full-disk encryption, tested backups, a written incident response plan, and vendor security questionnaires—plus a recurring calendar for log reviews, backup restores, phishing simulations, vulnerability scans, training, patching, and annual WISP updates. Their message: security is an operating discipline, not paperwork. For firms of every size, preparation now is cheaper than recovery. Key Takeaways A WISP should be an operating system for security—not shelfware. It needs ownership, periodic review, documented changes, and executive oversight.Accounting firms are unusually attractive targets because they aggregate tax, financial, identity, payroll, and other confidential information.Credential theft and phishing remain central risks, while AI is making fraudulent messages and attacks more convincing.Vendor management belongs inside the security program. Cloud applications, hosting companies, MSPs, AI services, and other third parties expand the firm's attack surface.Incident response must be planned before the incident. Firms should understand regulatory notification obligations, internal responsibilities, legal resources, and PR response.Security has a recurring calendar. Log reviews, backup restores, phishing tests, vulnerability scanning, access reviews, training, patching, and WISP updates need assigned frequencies and owners.Catchy Quotes Approx. TimeSpeakerQuote02:04 | Brian Tankersley | “The firms get hit because you and I are the Fort Knox of confidential data.”03:33 | Brian Tankersley | “The bad guys are getting better faster than the good guys are getting better.”07:40 | Brian Tankersley | “Anything that touches client data is a death sentence for a hard drive in my office.”12:10 | Brian Tankersley | “If you don't have an adequate WISP, you're in violation of the FTC safeguards rule.”18:20 | Randy Johnston | “You've got risk on any provider.”18:42 | Brian Tankersley | “As soon as you know something's happened, the clock is ticking.”23:11 | Brian Tankersley | “Multi-factor authentication, full disk encryption, tested backup strategies, written incident response plans, vendor security questionnaires.”24:55 | Randy Johnston | “Make sure that you've got your WISP … pulled out, dusted off, and updated for this year's regulations.” Note: Timestamps are approximate where the quote occurs inside a longer timestamped speaker segment in the transcript. Social Media Posts

    ATL271: Why Your WISP Is Essential in 2026

  5. Aug 14

    ATL270: Hardware Hullabaloo

    ATL270: Hardware Hullabaloo - Episode Summary Hardware is once again a strategic business issue—not merely an IT purchasing decision. In ATL270, Randy Johnston and Brian Tankersley examine how cybersecurity concerns, new processor families, and extraordinary component-price increases are reshaping technology plans for accounting firms and home offices. They begin with aging consumer routers, warning that an inexpensive or unsupported gateway can become the weak link for business data, remote access, and connected devices. Network segmentation, managed security hardware, and renewed use of VPNs are presented as practical safeguards. The conversation then surveys emerging hardware from Intel, AMD, Apple, Google, NVIDIA, and major PC manufacturers, with special attention to neural processing units and locally executed AI workloads. Brian shares his early experience with a TCL NXTPAPER tablet, while both hosts caution buyers against underpowered back-to-school systems. The sharpest lesson comes from current upgrade economics: Brian reports that the same 64 GB memory kit he bought for about $210 was listed near $979, while Randy describes a previously $18,000 server configuration approaching $74,000. Their advice is deliberately pragmatic: extend maintenance where sensible, scrutinize cloud operating costs, match purchases to measurable productivity, and avoid spending premium dollars merely to own the newest hardware. In a volatile market, disciplined technology governance matters more than specifications alone.Key Takeaways- Treat home-office routers and remote-access hardware as part of the firm’s control environment.- Segment business, household, and connected-device traffic so one compromise does not expose every system.- Specify processors, memory, and storage around actual workloads—especially local AI—rather than marketing labels.- Evaluate upgrades using measurable productivity and risk reduction, not hardware envy.- When server replacement prices and lead times are extreme, compare extended maintenance, cloud economics, and deferral. Wiki: https://wiki.cpate.ch/index.php/ATL270 Creators & Guests Brian F. Tankersley - Host Randy Johnston - Host _________________________

    ATL270: Hardware Hullabaloo

  6. Aug 7

    ATL269: Microsoft Agent 365

    ATL269 — Microsoft Agent 365 Program: Accounting Technology Lab Hosts: Randy Johnston and Brian F. Tankersley, CPA.CITP, CGMA Approximate runtime: 31 minutesResource: 100 Free AI Prompts for Accounting - https://cpate.ch/100-prompts-atl Primary topic: Governed deployment, monitoring, security, and economics of enterprise AI agents 200-Word Episode Summary In ATL269, Randy Johnston and Brian Tankersley examine Microsoft Agent 365 as a control plane for deploying, monitoring, governing, and securing AI agents. They frame the shift as a move from per-seat software licensing toward an AI token economy, where tokens function like staff time, prompts replace checklists, and agents perform repeatable work at speed. Practical examples include invoice extraction, email drafting, financial-statement analysis, and budgeting—tasks that may cost pennies in model usage while still requiring review and judgment. The hosts argue that Agent 365 gives accounting firms an alternative to “Wild West” experimentation by extending Microsoft 365 security, auditability, and governance over agents. They discuss Copilot, Agent Builder, Copilot Studio, Microsoft Foundry, Azure AI, Power BI, Defender, Purview, and the E7 licensing bundle. Privacy, records retention, e-discovery, intellectual property, and workflow ownership receive attention because firms may expose sensitive client data or proprietary processes when using public AI platforms. Their practical recommendation is measured experimentation: convert checklists into prompts, move tasks into agents, retain humans in the loop, establish token budgets, and evaluate results firsthand. The message is urgent but cautious: firms need not operate at the bleeding edge, but they must start learning before competitors pull ahead. Key Takeaways ·        The economic unit of AI is shifting from a user license toward token consumption and task-level cost. ·        Tokens can be managed like staff time, prompts like procedures, and agents like digital staff assignments. ·        Agentic workflows depend on steps, loops, exception handling, context, permissions, and human review. ·        Agent 365’s differentiator is governance: visibility, monitoring, security, auditability, and centralized control. ·        Public AI tools create material concerns involving PII, PHI, client confidentiality, retention, e-discovery, and vendor training practices. ·        Proprietary workflows may be valuable intellectual property and should not be surrendered casually to a model provider. ·        Model selection should balance quality and cost with privacy, security, regulatory fit, and data ownership. ·        Accounting firms should begin with controlled experiments and measurable use cases rather than enterprise-wide autonomous deployment. ·        Human reviewers remain accountable for conclusions, professional judgment, client context, and exceptions. ·        Firms need AI governance policies, token budgets, approved-tool lists, monitoring, and documented escalation procedures. Catchy Quotes and Video Locations ·        01:48–01:50 — Brian Tankersley: “Yeah, so it’s an F-150 and not a G-Wagon.” ·        04:22–04:30 — Brian Tankersley: “This is like sending it to staff first, and the staff costs three cents.” ·        09:35–09:51 — Brian Tankersley: “I’m seeing tokens as staff time on the schedule… We used to have checklists, and now we have prompts.” ·        10:09–10:22 — Brian Tankersley: “They get work done so fast that the human is now the logjam in the process.” ·        15:32–15:48 — Randy Johnston: “Microsoft Agent 365 is the control plane for agents… Is it perfect yet? No. Is it pretty doggone good? Yes.” ·        17:25–17:41 — Brian Tankersley: “We have the grown-ups in charge now, and we’re going to systematize this in a way that we can regulate and do the right way.” ·        28:02–28:13 — Brian Tankersley: “Take your checklists and turn them into prompts, and take tasks that are on the schedule and push them into agents.” ·        29:31–29:43 — Brian Tankersley: “The train is leaving the station… If you don’t get started on this stuff, you’re going to be behind, and so it’s time to go.” ·        30:19–30:30 — Brian Tankersley: “It is critical that you get your hands dirty with some of these things, because it’s the only way that you will be able to evaluate whether something really works or not.”

    ATL269: Microsoft Agent 365

  7. Aug 4

    Scaling New Heights 2026, Part Two

    ATL268 — Scaling New Heights 2026, Part Two is an episode of the Accounting Technology Lab podcast hosted by Randy Johnston and Brian F. Tankersley, CPA.CITP, CGMA. In Part Two of their Scaling New Heights 2026 recap, Randy Johnston and Brian Tankersley examine what the conference revealed about artificial intelligence, accounting platforms and the profession’s readiness for change. They describe an unusually divided AI adoption curve: a relatively small group is experimenting aggressively with agents and advanced workflows, while many accounting professionals have done little or nothing with the technology. The hosts review keynote speakers, educational sessions and the conference’s AI-enabled general-ledger tour. Products discussed include Campfire, SoftLedger, Kick, Xero, Puzzle, Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, Sage, Digits, Zoho and Acumatica. They also observe growing dissatisfaction with Intuit and uncertainty about replacements for QuickBooks Desktop. A central lesson is that firms should not select technology merely to reproduce today’s processes. Instead, they should define how services, pricing and workflows should operate three to five years from now and choose platforms that support that future. Johnston and Tankersley also warn that an overcrowded accounting-technology market will produce additional vendor failures and discontinued products. Firms therefore need careful due diligence, realistic implementation plans, data-export procedures and a viable Plan B—even when buying from established publishers._________________________________KEY THEMES AI adoption is highly uneven - Brian estimates that approximately 10% of conference participants were actively working with agents and advanced AI, another 10% had experimented with prompts, and a much larger group appeared to have done little with the technology. Randy compares the pattern to a K-shaped economy rather than a traditional bell-shaped adoption curve.Compliance still dominates - Despite years of discussion about client advisory services, many firms remain heavily dependent on compliance work. The transition to advisory, alternative pricing and technology-supported higher-value services continues more slowly than industry advocates expected.Accounting platforms are entering a transition period - The exhibit floor showed renewed competition among traditional accounting systems, AI-native ledgers and broader ERP platforms. Several offerings emphasized automated transaction coding, reconciliations, close management, reporting and real-time financial information.Firms must buy for their future operating model - A replacement platform should support the firm that management intends to operate in three to five years—not simply recreate existing workflows. Strategy concerning pricing, advisory services, staffing and automation should precede product selection.Every firm needs a technology exit plan - Vendor shutdowns, acquisitions and product discontinuations affect both startups and established publishers. Firms should understand data ownership, export formats, contractual terms, conversion options and the operational consequences of replacing a core application. Notable quotes 03:34 | Brian Tankersley | “The tool’s ready to be used… The challenge is pulling along those laggards that are out there.”04:41 | Randy Johnston | “You’ve got the really early adopters, and you’ve got the other people that aren’t moving—and there’s a big gap in the middle.”10:29 | Brian Tankersley | “It felt like there were a lot of people that were in the middle of a divorce with Intuit right now.”17:43 | Randy Johnston | “There’s too doggone many products trying to get to too small of a market.”20:58 | Brian Tankersley | “You need to have a Plan B in your workflow for what’s going to happen if your product is discontinued.”21:41 | Brian Tankersley | “Pick the tools that are going to enable not how you run the firm today, but how the firm’s going to run in three years—five years.”22:39 | Brian Tankersley | “We’re seeing an increasing rate of failures because they’re trying to buy products that solve the old workflow.” Episode information Episode: ATL268 — Scaling New Heights 2026, Part TwoPublication date: July 31, 2026Recorded: July 2, 2026Hosts: Randy Johnston and Brian F. Tankersley, CPA.CITP, CGMAProgram: Accounting Technology LabPresented by: CPA Practice AdvisorApproximate runtime: 23 minutes, 35 secondsPrimary topics: Scaling New Heights 2026, artificial intelligence, AI-enabled general ledgers, technology adoption, advisory services, software selection, vendor risk and accounting-platform migration

    Scaling New Heights 2026, Part Two

  8. Jul 24

    AI is the Ultimate Accounting Assistant, Part Two (with Guest Sasha Orloff)

    ATL267 – AI Is the Ultimate Accounting Assistant, Part Two Guest: Sasha Orloff, Co-founder and CEO of PuzzleHosts: Randy Johnston and Brian F. Tankersley, CPA.CITP, CGMAProgram: Accounting Technology Lab, presented by CPA Practice AdvisorEpisode length: Approximately 10 minutes Episode Summary In part two of the conversation with Puzzle co-founder and CEO Sasha Orloff, the Accounting Technology Lab examines how accounting professionals can begin adopting artificial intelligence without abandoning their existing knowledge, systems, or professional judgment.Orloff recommends starting with a difficult but low-risk problem rather than using AI only for trivial experiments. Accountants should remove client-identifying information, use personal or anonymized data, and practice explaining a task as clearly as they would to a highly capable new employee who lacks accounting experience. A prompt, in this context, becomes much like a detailed checklist: it defines the expected steps, safeguards, and outcome.The discussion also distinguishes helpful AI assistance from uncontrolled automation. Puzzle’s approach allows agents to prepare work while requiring human approval before anything is posted to the ledger. Randy Johnston emphasizes that the profession does not need technology that eliminates accountants; it needs technology that makes accountants more effective.Orloff argues that firms creating a safe culture of experimentation will improve productivity, profitability, and client service. Brian Tankersley closes with a challenge to accounting leaders: become sufficiently familiar with AI to evaluate solutions intelligently, guide employees, and lead clients through change. The central message is simple—AI adoption does not require reckless transformation, but it does require action. Key Episode Themes Begin with meaningful work. Testing AI on an authentic, complicated problem reveals more than asking it to perform a novelty task.Use low-risk information. Remove client names, confidential information, personally identifiable information, and other sensitive data before experimenting.Treat prompts as process documentation. AI performs better when instructions describe each step, decision, constraint, and expected output.Keep accountants in control. AI can draft transactions, reconciliations, analyses, and journal entries, but accountable professionals should review and approve the results.Create a culture of experimentation. Firm leaders should give employees permission and guardrails to explore AI safely.Leadership requires firsthand knowledge. Accountants do not have to adopt every AI product, but they need enough experience to distinguish practical capabilities from marketing claims.Suggested Episode Highlights Sasha Orloff explains why accountants should test AI on difficult, meaningful tasks.Detailed prompts function like checklists for accounting processes.Firms should experiment only with anonymized, nonconfidential information.Puzzle’s agents require approval before posting changes to the ledger.AI should enhance accountants rather than remove them from the process.Accountants retain responsibility for judgment, review, and accountability.Firm leaders must establish guardrails that make safe experimentation acceptable.Practical AI productivity in accounting is beginning to move beyond novelty.Professionals who learn now may gain improvements in margins, capacity, and service.Accounting leaders must develop enough firsthand knowledge to evaluate AI vendors critically. CPAFirmClientAccountingServicesCASMonthEndCloseProfessionalJudgmentResponsibleAIHumanInTheLoopDigitalTransformationPracticeManagementPromptEngineeringAccountingPodcastPuzzleProducts, Services, and Companies Mentioned Product, service, or companyContext in the episodeXFacebookLinkedInInstagramPuzzle | AI-native accounting platform and ledger discussed by Sasha Orloff; supports agent-assisted workflows with approval controls | @puzzlefin | No official account identified | Puzzle | No official account identifiedChatGPT | General-purpose AI assistant suggested for testing anonymized transactions and charts of accounts | @OpenAI | OpenAI | OpenAI | @openaiOpenAI | Developer and publisher of ChatGPT | @OpenAI | OpenAI | OpenAI | @openaiGemini | Google AI assistant suggested for controlled accounting experiments | @GoogleGemini | Google | Google | @googlegeminiGoogle | Developer and publisher of Gemini | @Google | Google | Google | @googleClaude | Anthropic AI assistant suggested for controlled accounting experiments | Anthropic | No official product-specific account identified | Anthropic | No official product-specific account identifiedAnthropic | Developer and publisher of Claude | @AnthropicAI | No official account identified | Anthropic | No official account identifiedX, formerly Twitter | Social platform referenced as a source of AI news and discussion | @X | Not applicable | X | @xCPA Practice Advisor | Presenter and sponsor of the Accounting Technology Lab | @CPAPracAdvisor | CPA Practice Advisor | CPA Practice Advisor | @cpapracticeadvisor Verification note: Social-media availability and account names can change. Puzzle’s website links directly to its LinkedIn and X accounts.

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About

In-depth, honest accounting software and technology reviews capturing the real-life experiences of using particular products and solutions - presented by CPA Practice Advisor and technology experts Randy Johnston and Brian Tankersley, CPA.

Information

  • Creator
    Brian Tankersley & Randy Johnston
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    40
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © (c) 2026 CPA Practice Advisor
  • Show Website
    The Accounting Technology Lab

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