Accounting Firms on a Single Connected Platform Are Four Times as Likely to Feel Ready for AI, Firm360 Research Finds

New survey of 209 firm leaders: 82% of fully integrated firms feel prepared for an AI-driven future, versus 21% of partially connected firms, even as AI tops the list of threats to growth

RALEIGH, N.C., Aug. 11, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Firm360, the all-in-one practice management platform for US-based accounting firms, today released the 2026 Firm Health and AI Readiness Report, which finds that no factor predicts a firm's AI readiness more strongly than how connected its systems are. Firms running on a single integrated practice management platform are roughly four times as likely to feel ready for AI as firms juggling several systems with manual data transfer: 82% versus 21%.

That gap matters because AI now tops the profession's threat list. 34% of leaders rank AI and automation disruption among the top two threats to their growth over the next three years, ahead of cybersecurity (32%) and increased competition (30%). But awareness isn't translating into readiness: firms that named AI as a top threat were actually less likely to feel AI-ready than firms that didn't (53% versus 61%), and only 22% of all firms say they are extremely prepared to compete in an AI-driven environment. The confidence gap is sharpest at the top of the firm. Just 49% of founders and owners feel mostly or extremely prepared for AI, against 70% of managing partners.

"For accounting firms, AI isn't a threat. It's an advantage," said Firm360 CEO Patrick O'Neill. "But AI is only as good as the data you give it. To take full advantage of it, the first step is making sure all your critical data lives in one place. That's why we're so passionate about building the best practice management platform for accountants: we take care of the heavy lifting so firms can focus on their people and their clients."

Additional findings from the report:

• A replacement wave is building, from strength rather than crisis. 71% of firms grew revenue last year and 76% are confident in their three-year prospects, yet 81% are at least somewhat likely to replace or upgrade their operational software within 12 months (52% very or extremely likely). Intent peaks at 68% among firms with 100–249 employees.
• Manual work is a multi-hour weekly tax. 38% of firms lose four or more hours per person, per week to re-keying data, chasing approvals, and reconciling disconnected systems. The loss concentrates at scale: 40% of firms with 250+ employees lose seven or more hours per person weekly, versus 4% of firms with fewer than ten.
• Firms want AI to fix the back office before it grows revenue. Operational efficiency (35%) and staff productivity (33%) top the list of what firms want technology and AI to improve; business development (17%) ranks last. Time relief outranks growth nearly two to one.
• Trust still flows through people, but AI is gaining. Peer firms (46%) and consultants (43%) remain the top sources of guidance, yet a quarter of leaders (25%) now reach for AI tools, ahead of conferences, vendor content, and trade media. Among AI users, ChatGPT leads at 61%.

You can read the 2026 Firm Health and AI Readiness Report here.

About Firm360's 2026 Firm Health and AI Readiness Report

Conducted by Centiment, a market research platform, on behalf of Firm360, the research surveyed 209 leaders at small to mid-sized accounting, tax, or CPA firms. The survey was fielded June 5–17, 2026.

About Firm360

Firm360 is the all-in-one practice management platform built for accountants, by accountants. Used by firms across the United States, Firm360 unites the three pillars of a well-run firm (Firm Health, Client Experience, and Work Management) into a single system for project management, document management, client management, time and billing, and advanced reporting, so firm leaders can act on their data instead of chasing it. Learn more at myfirm360.com.

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SOURCE Firm360