KPMG's AI-Powered Clara Platform Transforms Auditing for 100+ Countries
Big Four accounting firm, $36B+ revenue, 265,000+ employees
The Challenge
KPMG's audit teams worldwide were drowning in manual processes — extracting data from contracts, testing expenses, generating workpapers, and verifying compliance documents. With thousands of audit engagements across 100+ countries, inconsistency in process quality was inevitable. The firm needed to fundamentally rethink how auditors spend their time, shifting from data gathering to applying professional judgment.
The Solution
KPMG developed Clara, a global cloud-based AI audit platform that uses machine learning to automate the most time-consuming audit tasks. Clara identifies expenses for testing, ingests source documentation electronically, extracts data, generates workpapers, and automatically runs audit tests. The platform is continuously updated via the cloud. Separately, KPMG deployed AI-powered Contract Lifecycle Management (Workday CLM) to manage its internal contract repository, using AI to identify key clauses and flag contracts for review.
The Results
AI-powered document review reduced processing time by 50% or more
CLM investment paid for itself in month one after identifying two unused service contracts
AI trained in 2 days identified 150 vendor contracts with force majeure clauses for renegotiation
Auditors freed from manual prep can focus on judgment-intensive review and analysis
“Clara transforms the auditor's role. Instead of spending time on manual preparation, our teams can focus on reviewing outcomes and applying their professional judgment — that's where the real value lies.”
Key Takeaways
Even the largest professional services firms are deploying AI to automate manual financial processes
AI-powered contract analysis can deliver immediate ROI by surfacing overlooked cost savings
Cloud-based platforms ensure consistent AI capabilities across global offices
The winning strategy is augmenting human expertise with AI, not replacing professional judgment
Sources: Based on publicly reported data from KPMG, CFO.com, Emerj, Workday customer stories, and OnlyCFO
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