Professional services
How consulting, audit and tax firms use Microsoft technology: Copilot rollouts to very large workforces, client data platforms on Fabric with outbound controls, and CRM agents that keep relationship records current.
The problem
Professional services firms sell expertise, so time spent on research, drafting and administration is the core cost. Accenture, rolling Microsoft 365 Copilot out to about 743,000 people, had to keep training, data governance and access controls consistent across a very large global workforce.
Client data is both the product and the risk. KPMG's Digital Gateway, a shared platform where professionals and clients plan, exchange and analyze work, had its data foundation spread across many tools, which made preparation and onboarding slow, and any platform must stop data leaving governed boundaries.
Relationship data decays. At EY, manual CRM entry was time-consuming and often skipped, leaving sellers without current client information.123
The approach
There is no Microsoft Industry Solution for professional services on Learn; firms combine general products. Accenture phased its rollout: a pilot with senior leaders from August 2023, one-to-one training for leaders, attention to data governance and access controls, peer support on Viva Engage, and its brand kit inside Copilot. In a tranche of about 200,000 licenses, monthly active use reached 89 percent, according to Accenture data reported by Microsoft.
KPMG replatformed the Digital Gateway data warehouse and analytics layer on Microsoft Fabric with workspace isolation, central policy enforcement and outbound access protection validated with Microsoft; Microsoft reports client data onboarding about 87 percent faster, roughly 2 hours instead of 16. EY deployed 85,000 Dynamics 365 Sales licenses in 18 months and uses Sales Agent in Microsoft 365 Copilot to summarize Teams calls and offer CRM updates, plus custom Copilot Studio agents for leads and relationships. For project-based delivery, Dynamics 365 Project Operations connects sales, resourcing, project management and finance in one application.
Smaller firms often get most of the value from Copilot Chat, good document management and their existing practice management system. Fabric and custom agents matter when a firm hosts client data at scale or runs a CRM across many practices.12345
Conceptual architecture
Diagram as a list
Copilot & business apps
- Professionals in Microsoft 365 Copilot, Teams and Viva EngageDrafting, research and peer supportConnects to Client relationship records (Dynamics 365 Sales with Sales Agent)
- Client collaboration platformWhere clients and teams exchange workConnects to Client data platform on Microsoft Fabric with workspace isolation
Agents & automation
- Growth and relationship agents (Copilot Studio)Prompt sellers to advance leads and maintain contactsConnects to Client relationship records (Dynamics 365 Sales with Sales Agent)
Data & analytics
- Client relationship records (Dynamics 365 Sales with Sales Agent)Accounts, opportunities and call summariesConnects to Growth and relationship agents (Copilot Studio)
- Client data platform on Microsoft Fabric with workspace isolationOne governed source for engagement data and analyticsConnects to Outbound access protection and central policy
- Project delivery and billing (Dynamics 365 Project Operations)Resourcing, time, costs and invoices
Security, identity & governance
- Outbound access protection and central policyRestricts where engagement data can be sent
Technologies and their roles
Microsoft 365 Copilot1
Assistant for professionals
Accenture is deploying it to about 743,000 employees in tranches (the app is now named Microsoft Copilot).
Microsoft Fabric2
Client data platform
KPMG rebuilt the Digital Gateway data and analytics layer on Fabric with workspace isolation and outbound access protection.
Microsoft Dynamics 3653
CRM and project operations
EY runs 85,000 Dynamics 365 Sales licenses; Project Operations covers project-based delivery from quote to invoice.
Microsoft Copilot Studio3
Custom relationship agents
EY built the EY Growth Accelerator and EY Relationship Accelerator agents in Copilot Studio.
What you need first1
- Engagement-level access controls that agents and Copilot respect
- Leader coaching before broad rollout
- A peer community and champions for daily tips
- CRM data quality rules and a clear owner for each client record
Risks and how to reduce them
- Client data leaving governed boundaries2
- Use workspace isolation and outbound access protection, as KPMG validated with Microsoft, so data reaches only approved destinations.
- Self-reported productivity claims1
- Accenture's 15 times faster routine tasks is employee-reported; measure usage and outcomes such as pipeline or cycle time instead.
- Inconsistent rollout across a large workforce1
- Roll out in tranches, start with leaders and build peer support, as Accenture did.
Documented examples
Accenture (with Avanade, its joint venture with Microsoft)
ScalingAccenture: rolling out Microsoft 365 Copilot to about 743,000 people
89% (measured)
Professional services, Global (more than 120 countries)
KPMG
ScalingKPMG: rebuilding the Digital Gateway data layer on Microsoft Fabric
about 2 hours instead of about 16 (87% less) (measured)
Professional services, Global (138 countries and territories)
EY
ScalingEY: Dynamics 365 Sales with agents, and Copilot across the firm
85,000 in 18 months; goal 100,000 (measured)
Professional services, Global
Related
Sources
- Accenture is rolling out Copilot to a workforce the size of Denver. Here's how they're doing it (opens in a new tab)
- Customer story: KPMG (Microsoft Fabric) (opens in a new tab)
- Customer story: EY (Dynamics 365 Sales and Sales Agent in Microsoft 365 Copilot) (opens in a new tab)
- Microsoft industry documentation and resources (opens in a new tab)
- Microsoft Dynamics 365 Project Operations documentation (opens in a new tab)
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