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CBIZ centralizes tech services post-merger

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1 year ago

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Following its acquisition of Marcum last year, Top 10 Firm CBIZ has begun centralizing its disparate technology services offerings under a single office, headed by Peter Scavuzzo who — after being CEO of Marcum Technology — has now become the firm’s national leader of technology, as well as its chief strategy officer. 

Prior to the acquisition, CBIZ had a decentralized approach to technology services. Different parts of the firm had their own technology offerings specific to their practice area, which would then be bundled as part of the larger advisory service. The idea to centralize these service offerings came up between when the acquisition was first announced in July and when the deal finally closed in November. During this time, the leadership of both firms discussed many possible ideas for improving efficiency and productivity in different areas of the firm, including this one, though it was not until the deal’s conclusion that the plan gained real momentum. 

“Come November 1, and shortly after, we had a lot of accelerated meetings, looking at what we workshopped and what we knew of each other. And we said, all right, let’s take action and let’s start making quick decisions and figure out where to go from here. And we formulated [the change] and, all right, this sounds good. We like this overall. So now let’s get this going,” Scavuzzo told Accounting Today. 

Peter Scavuzzo CBIZ

Peter Scavuzzo, national technology leader and chief strategy officer, CBIZ

The new office, focused more on technology-centered client service offerings than internal IT operations more associated with the CIO, was formally established at the beginning of this year, and started integrating groups into its structure in February; the very first action was bringing together the data analytics groups from both firms, so they could operate as a single team.

The model the firm decided upon was that if the deliverable is rooted in technology, it will be aggregated into a single portfolio of technology services. Doing so allows CBIZ to offer a wide range of technology services. This includes the obvious areas such as IT infrastructure management as well as cybersecurity, including governance, risk controls, penetration testing and managed security. 

Outside typical operational IT functions, the new office acts as a strategic advisor to a company’s executive leadership when it comes to technology-aligned decisions. This means providing “thought leadership at a high level” on things like business transformation, AI implementation, or the enterprise system selection process. Professionals can theoretically go past even that by actually doing the implementation of these systems themselves. 

And finally, the office includes an emerging technology section that offers things like AI solutions, blockchain, data analytics or automation. 

“A company reads the news every day, and looks at how AI is having an impact. The CEO says, ‘Well, how is it going to impact me?’ [Say] I’m a health care CEO and I don’t want to just play, I want real, tangible use cases. I need someone to bring me through a journey quickly, because my IT team is traditionally operational, and they don’t have the depth of expertise, and I don’t want to miss out on the opportunity. We could step in and bring them through that, or anything else in the portfolio,” said Scavuzzo. 

He said that both CBIZ and Marcum had made heavy technology investments over the years, but that their particular specialties varied slightly, such as Marcum leaning a little more heavily on AI technology. By combining the firms’ different expertise in different areas, their new technology office became capable of offering services CBIZ could not offer before, leading to a wider variety of client offerings. One of the firm’s divisions, he noted, had been servicing a prominent client for a few years; this client noticed the new capacities under the combined office and wanted to learn more, so they brought his team onto the call. 

“Now, this is one division bringing in another division. We go in there and we win something CBIZ traditionally could not win. And then we’re getting a little deeper on the technology side, and we identify something to flip to a third division … The combination created a much more powerful offering,” he said, adding that “this win demonstrates what I think CBIZ intended to do by bringing Marcum into the portfolio: to be able to go into a client, a single service deliverable client, and now we’re going to be able to cross-sell and add more value to what we’re offering this client through multiple divisions of the company because of this combination,” he said. 

Getting to this point did require some change management, as it was a significant reordering of the firm’s structure, but Scavuzzo said that both CBIZ and Marcum already had a significant amount of M&A integration experience, having done hundreds of mergers between them. While no two transactions are exactly the same, he said there is a certain playbook that develops on how to execute integrations properly. While technology is part of it — noting that they need to integrate systems and data — he said that the people aspect is much more important. 

“Because while we’re integrating, we’re also forming new relationships and forming new bonds, and we are highly focused on accelerating that trust so that we both know, you know, we’re here to both make each other better,” he said. 

The benefits have been more people-oriented as well. Scavuzzo talked about how the data team, which before may have been siloed doing its own thing, is now in the same meetings as the AI leadership team, the strategic consulting group and other areas that, before, were not in the habit of regularly talking to each other. This has led not only to more relationship-building, but also the creation of new ideas and the identification of new opportunities. 

“Everybody’s just naturally engaging more, speaking more, in meetings, so when you’re dealing with a complex problem, you’re calling in all these people because you’ve built relationships with them. It’s a more natural collective service offering we could bring to our clients,” he said. 

Which, ultimately, is the goal: to provide clients equal if not better service than before. 

“To us, the client should either come out of it feeling no change or, if they do feel a change, it will all be on the positive side of the equation,” he said. 

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Accounting

AI-Driven Automation and Continuous Accounting Frameworks

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5 days ago

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August 15, 2026

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The accounting profession is undergoing a fundamental structural transition as enterprise finance departments shift from periodic month-end closes toward automated continuous accounting models. By integrating specialized machine learning algorithms directly into enterprise resource planning (ERP) platforms, chief accounting officers are transforming financial reporting from a retrospective exercise into a real-time operational asset.

The Shift from Periodic Close to Continuous Financial Reporting
Traditional accounting workflows heavily relied on manual data reconciliation, spreadsheet calculations, and multi-week closing cycles at the end of each fiscal period. In contrast, continuous accounting frameworks utilize automated software agents to process, validate, and post transactional data in real time as business activities occur.

Automated bank reconciliation tools cross-reference incoming bank feeds, invoice records, and purchase orders automatically. By resolving transactional variances instantly throughout the month, corporate accounting teams eliminate the traditional workload spikes associated with quarterly and annual closes.

Machine Learning in Audit Trails and Anomaly Detection
Advanced natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning tools are redefining internal audit and financial control environments. Automated systems analyze 100% of general ledger entries, identifying anomalous transactions, duplicate payments, and unauthorized journal entries in real time.

Rather than relying on random statistical sampling, corporate internal auditors can focus their attention on high-risk flags automatically surfaced by algorithmic monitoring platforms. This continuous risk assessment strengthens internal controls over financial reporting (ICFR) and significantly reduces fraud risk.

Evolving Roles for Accounting Professionals
As routine data entry and manual reconciliation tasks become fully automated, the skill set required for accounting professionals is shifting toward data analysis, system design, and strategic business advisory.
– Systems Governance: Accountants are increasingly responsible for monitoring algorithmic accuracy and managing data integration pipelines.
– Business Partnership: Finance professionals leverage real-time financial dashboards to advise operational leaders on margin management and working capital allocation.
– Regulatory Compliance Management: Accounting teams utilize automated platforms to ensure compliance with dynamic tax codes and international accounting standards.

Core Implementation Recommendations
1. Deploy Automated Reconciliation Tools: Integrate continuous transaction processing modules into existing enterprise ERP architectures.
2. Establish Algorithmic Governance Controls: Implement strict internal testing protocols to ensure automated accounting rules comply with GAAP/IFRS standards.
3. Reskill Accounting Teams: Invest in training finance staff on data analytics, workflow automation, and predictive financial modeling.

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Accounting

Global ESG Reporting Standards and Double Materiality Compliance

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2 weeks ago

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August 9, 2026

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Corporate accounting departments face expanding reporting expectations as international sustainability disclosure standards achieve regulatory enforcement across major global jurisdictions. Chief Accounting Officers (CAOs) and corporate controllers are establishing rigorous internal accounting controls to treat Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) metrics with the same data precision, auditability, and governance as traditional financial statements.

Regulatory Harmonization Under Global Sustainability Frameworks
The implementation of standardized sustainability reporting frameworks—notably rules established by international sustainability accounting boards—has created unified expectations for public and large private enterprises. Corporations must report standardized metrics covering greenhouse gas emissions (Scope 1, 2, and material Scope 3), energy utilization, workforce demographics, and supply chain governance.

In Europe and other participating international jurisdictions, double materiality principles are mandatory. Under double materiality, organizations must report both how external sustainability risks impact corporate financial performance, and how internal corporate operations affect surrounding environmental and social structures.

Integrating Sustainability Metrics into Core ERP Systems
To provide auditable non-financial data, enterprise organizations are integrating specialized carbon accounting and ESG management platforms directly into core ERP systems. Automated data collectors capture energy utility invoices, logistics fuel consumption metrics, and vendor compliance records in real time.

Establishing automated, traceable data pipelines ensures that non-financial reporting is supported by clear audit trails. This structured approach allows external financial auditors to provide reasonable assurance on sustainability disclosures during annual corporate reporting cycles.

Financial Impacts and Capital Market Disclosure
Accurate ESG reporting directly influences corporate cost of capital and institutional credit ratings. Commercial lenders and institutional asset managers systematically incorporate sustainability metrics into risk pricing models. Companies that demonstrate transparent, verifiable progress in operational energy efficiency and climate risk mitigation benefit from expanded access to green bond markets and lower debt pricing.

Action Steps for Accounting Leadership
1. Implement Double Materiality Frameworks: Conduct comprehensive assessments to identify material financial and operational sustainability metrics.
2. Build Auditable Non-Financial Data Pipelines: Automate ESG data collection within core accounting software to ensure data integrity.
3. Align Sustainability with Annual Financial Filings: Prepare non-financial disclosures concurrently with financial statements to satisfy regulatory audit expectations.

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Accounting

Modernizing Internal Controls: Machine Learning and Continuous Monitoring in Auditing

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2 weeks ago

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August 5, 2026

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Internal audit departments and corporate risk managers are modernizing internal control frameworks by shifting from periodic sampling techniques to continuous monitoring and machine learning analytics. As operational data volumes increase across enterprise organizations, automated control testing ensures financial integrity, prevents corporate fraud, and streamlines annual audit engagements.

The Limitation of Periodic Audit Sampling
Historically, internal and external auditors evaluated internal controls by reviewing random samples of financial transactions—often analyzing less than five percent of total ledger entries. In complex enterprise environments, periodic sampling methods carry inherent risks of overlooking localized financial misstatements, unauthorized disbursements, or operational control breakdowns.

In 2026, progressive internal audit functions are utilizing automated continuous monitoring platforms that evaluate one hundred percent of financial transactions in real time. Continuous control auditing systems continuously monitor general ledger entries, procurement approvals, and expense reimbursements across all operating subsidiaries.

AI-Powered Fraud Detection and Anomaly Identification
Machine learning models trained on historical corporate financial data excel at identifying subtle transactional anomalies that indicate potential fraud or operational error. Automated systems instantly flag duplicate invoice payments, unapproved vendor creation, unusual journal entry timing, and unauthorized override of authority thresholds.

When an anomaly is detected, the automated auditing platform generates an instant risk alert, allowing internal audit teams to investigate root causes immediately. Early detection prevents minor operational errors from escalating into material weaknesses in financial reporting.

Streamlining External Audit Preparation
Continuous internal control monitoring delivers significant benefits during annual external financial audits. External audit firms can review continuous audit logs and automated control testing documentation, reducing the time required for manual field testing.

This integrated approach lowers overall audit compliance fees, reduces administrative burdens on corporate accounting staff, and provides senior management and audit committees with real-time visibility into the organization’s overall risk profile.

Core Implementation Guidelines
1. Transition to 100% Data Testing: Replace legacy sampling methods with automated continuous audit monitoring systems.
2. Deploy Anomaly Detection Algorithms: Implement machine learning models to identify unauthorized transactions and operational control overrides.
3. Align Internal and External Audit Workflows: Coordinate continuous control testing protocols with external auditors to optimize annual compliance cycles.

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