Unit4 Poll Finds 69% of Professional Services Firms Are Using or Exploring AI to Win Back Time
Reducing administrative workload ranked as the greatest opportunity for AI, as firms look to protect margins and make better use of their people
Professional services firms are turning to AI to reclaim time, according to a poll of attendees at a Unit4 webinar on AI for professional services. Some 69% of respondents said they are using AI regularly, using it occasionally or actively exploring it.
The results point to strong momentum alongside significant untapped potential. Only 3% of respondents said AI is already embedded in their processes, and 12% said they are not using it today. A further 33% are currently exploring AI.
Administration is the biggest opportunity
In a business model where time is the core product, hours spent on administration rather than client work directly affect performance. Reducing administrative workload was named the greatest opportunity for AI by 41% of respondents, followed by improving employee productivity (28%) and providing better insights for decision-making (28%). Resource planning and utilisation was chosen by 4%.
Trusted data comes first
Unit4 said AI delivers the most value when it is grounded in trusted data, connected processes and clear governance. Layering AI over fragmented systems can make complexity move faster rather than reduce it, so firms need a consistent foundation connecting financial, project and people information.
On that foundation, AI can help firms in two ways: running more efficiently, through less manual administration, better resource decisions and earlier visibility into cost, cash, project performance and margins; and delivering better client service, by consolidating project updates and flagging delivery risks sooner.
Practical capabilities available today
Unit4 is applying AI to everyday processes, including invoice coding, task approvals, expense receipt recognition, payslip queries and support for performance conversations. Account prediction suggests coding for supplier invoices based on historical data while leaving users in control. Ava, Unit4’s virtual agent, supports tasks and approvals directly in Microsoft Teams.
The company sees the next stage as a move from automation to reasoning, with systems that understand business context and explain their answers. A CFO could, for example, ask which active projects are overdue, receive an explained response, and then link project status to unbilled revenue.
People remain in control
Unit4 stressed that AI must be trusted, explainable and governed, with organisations deciding what AI can do, which actions need approval and how decisions are reviewed or audited. [Insert approved Unit4 spokesperson quote.]
Availability
Existing Unit4 ERP customers can try selected AI capabilities commitment-free until August 31, 2027, by registering for the AI for Your World campaign by December 31, 2026. The on-demand webinar recording is available on the Unit4 website.