AI is getting plenty of attention in accounting, but what does actually using it inside a modern firm look like?
At ConnectCPA, AI is being used for much more than automating routine tasks. Tom Sun, VP of Operations, shares how the firm is using AI to better understand capacity, improve pricing, streamline internal processes and support stronger client conversations—and what other bookkeeping and accounting firms can learn from their experience.
At ConnectCPA, AI isn't one big initiative. It's being used in two main areas: serving clients and running the firm.
Behind the scenes, technology helps the team analyze time, profitability, capacity and other operational data that previously required hours of manual work.
On the client side, AI can help practitioners organize information, respond more efficiently and prepare for higher-value conversations.
For bookkeepers, that's an important distinction. AI isn't just about processing transactions faster. It can potentially help you run a better business and deliver a better client experience.
One of the biggest changes isn't happening inside accounting firms at all. It's happening with clients.
Business owners can now ask AI questions about taxes, cash flow, financial statements and business strategy before they ever speak with their bookkeeper or accountant.
That changes the conversation.
Instead of asking, "What does this number mean?" a client might arrive with an AI-generated answer and ask, "This is what AI told me. Is it right for my business?"
That's where human expertise becomes even more important.
Knowing an answer is one thing. Understanding the client's circumstances, recognizing the risks and helping them decide what to do next is something entirely different.
One of ConnectCPA's biggest internal wins has been capacity planning.
Previously, understanding capacity meant bringing together information from different systems—time tracking, client revenue, staff hours and other data—to determine how much work the team could realistically handle.
Automation dramatically reduced the time required to bring that information together. AI then added another layer by helping analyze the data and explore different scenarios.
For example: What happens if the firm adds several new clients over the next few months? Does the team have enough capacity? What are the financial implications?
AI doesn't make the final decision. It helps provide the analysis needed to make a better one.
For bookkeeping business owners, that's an important use case. AI can become more than a production tool—it can help you make better decisions about your own business.
ConnectCPA is also using AI during its sales process.
AI can summarize discovery calls and pull out important information such as a prospect's revenue, transaction volume, number of employees, complexity and existing financial processes.
That information can then be considered alongside the firm's capacity and pricing data.
Instead of manually piecing everything together after a discovery call, the team can arrive at an informed quote much faster.
For bookkeepers struggling with consistent pricing—or wondering whether a new client will actually be profitable—this is another practical way AI can help.
It's important to understand the difference between automation and AI.
Traditional automation is excellent at predictable tasks: if this happens, do that.
Once the workflow is established, software can repeat those steps quickly and consistently.
AI adds another layer by working with context. Rather than simply moving information from one place to another, it can help analyze that information, identify patterns and explore possible outcomes.
The two work well together. Automation handles repetitive processes while AI can help make the resulting information more useful.
Despite all the attention surrounding AI, meaningful implementation isn't necessarily easy.
Established bookkeeping and accounting firms may have workflows they've relied on for years. Getting real value from AI can require rethinking those processes rather than simply adding another piece of software.
There's also a learning curve.
Firms need to determine where AI actually belongs, test what works, refine their processes and get their teams comfortable using it.
Simply buying an AI-powered tool doesn't automatically create a more efficient practice.
Perhaps the most important lesson from ConnectCPA's experience is that AI doesn't eliminate the need for the practitioner.
Bookkeeping and accounting are built on trust.
Clients don't just need someone—or something—to process information. They need someone who understands their business, can evaluate what the numbers mean and can help them make confident decisions.
As AI takes on more transactional and analytical work, the practitioner's role can increasingly become reviewer, interpreter and advisor.
That could make the human relationship more important, not less.
You don't need to transform your entire bookkeeping business overnight.
A better starting point is to look at where you're already losing time.
What tasks are repeated every week? Where are you manually moving information between systems? What slows down onboarding? Where does pricing take too long? What information do you wish you had when making hiring or capacity decisions?
Write those problems down.
Then ask: Can this be automated? Could AI make this easier or more useful?
Start where the potential payoff is obvious, test what works and involve your team in the process.
ConnectCPA's experience shows that getting value from AI isn't necessarily about using the most tools. It's about being deliberate about where AI can save time, improve decisions and ultimately help you run a better practice.
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