clients have said what they want. are you ready to provide it?
by hitendra patil
client accounting services: the definitive success guide
understanding what advisory really is is only half the challenge. the real question is: “where is it all heading?”
what are the hard truths behind the excitement, and why do so many firms still feel like they are in the early stages when it comes to client advisory services? let’s take a closer look at what the data tells us about the exciting future of advisory services.
more by hitendra patil: the dna of advisory-cas | advisory is not consulting | what exactly is client advisory services? | review your cas offerings | cas prospects want proof? you’ve got that | what ai ceo’s warning means (and doesn’t) for accountants | ditch the sales pitch | how to get cas clients to blow your horn | four questions for choosing cas clients | what is your firm’s marketable value? | seven tips for cas marketing | twelve things that kill your cas profits
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the numbers don’t lie: cas is no longer just a trend. it is a fundamental shift.
let’s explore insights from one of the biggest cas research surveys ever done. this rich and meaningful data draws us in and inspires us to think more creatively about how advisory services can evolve in the years to come.
what research revealed about the future of advisory-cas
client advisory services (cas) has long been regarded as the “future of accounting.” however, if you have worked in firm leadership or selling to firms, you know this:
“cas still does not feel fully mature.”
it feels like a work in progress. a frontier.
why? although the accounting profession has enthusiastically embraced the idea of offering advisory services, many firms still find that their internal readiness – covering people, processes, pricing and positioning – needs to catch up.
i conducted the research “outlook: cas trends and realities” with 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间. this report draws on a detailed survey of more than 300 accounting firms, providing solid data to support that sentiment.
i have combined over two decades of experience and expertise in this profession to analyze and curate these insights.
the results are both revealing and somewhat uncomfortable.
survey focus areas
- cas adoption trends and maturity
- cas pricing models and profitability
- staffing and talent gaps
- client engagement expectations
- technology use and operational scalability
- forward-looking outlook on cas and firm service
respondent profile
- total responses: 316
- respondents offering cas: 59.3%
- respondents not offering cas: 40.7%
- firms offering cas for 5+ years: 73.2% of those who offer cas
firm sizes represented
- sole practitioners to top 100 firms
cas-specific metrics
- average annual revenue per cas client: six times the average annual revenue per non-cas client.
top client segments for cas growth
- small businesses (80.5%)
- professional services firms (41.5%)
- midsize businesses (39.0%)
top reported challenges
- hiring/training cas staff (29.5%)
- pricing cas services (28.7%)
- scaling advisory beyond bookkeeping and compliance
this dataset supports the strategic insights presented in this article and provides a real-world perspective on how firms are adapting to meet modern client needs, as well as where they are falling short.
this article offers a reality check on cas, providing data and insights. it examines what’s truly happening behind the hype and what firms and solution providers need to do next.
why firms are betting on advisory-cas
let’s start with a headline stat:
- over 59 percent of surveyed firms already offer cas.
- of those, 73 percent have been doing so for more than five years.
translation?
cas may no longer be a new concept. what’s changing, however, is the degree of seriousness and strategic focus it receives within firms.
“69.4 percent of firms believe cas is crucial for their firm’s future.”
that word, “future,” is important.
it indicates a shift from reactive add-ons to a core growth driver. cas is becoming a main part of how firms design and expand their business models, transforming from a service offering to a strategic pillar within the organization.
and the financials support that identity.
according to the data:
- average annual cas client fee income is six times higher than that from non-cas clients.
in an era when tax preparation is commoditized and audit work struggles to maintain margins, this shift to cas is promising and increasingly necessary for survival.
what cas clients want and what they are willing to pay for
understanding cas requires more than just listing your services; it involves a deep understanding of client thinking, values and decision-making processes.
cas clients today seek more than just routine bookkeeping or the delivery of financial statements. they want clarity, guidance and support to help them make decisions in a more complex world.
here’s what the data reveal about what cas clients want most:
- 76.4 percent want more frequent contact
- 60.6 percent want decision-making advice
- 59.8 percent want tax planning baked into the relationship
- 55.1 percent want proactive or deeper advice
- 45.7 percent want financial analytics like budget vs. actuals
cas clients are increasingly seeking support that extends beyond transactional tasks. they want guidance that helps them make informed decisions, similar to the strategic input a fractional cfo would offer.
these clients turn to their firms for more than just transactional support. they value firms that actively help them achieve their broader business goals as trusted strategic partners. the real worth for these clients isn’t in what is processed but in the confidence they gain knowing their financial journey is being actively managed. they are often willing to pay a premium.
numbers that redefine the value of advisory-cas
let’s talk about the numbers that truly matter, i.e., margins.
one of the most striking insights in the survey: “cas firms report superior profit margins compared to other service lines.”
why?
because cas done right creates:
- recurring, predictable revenue
- deep client relationships that reduce churn
- cross-service pull-through opportunities (e.g., tax, wealth, valuation, etc.)
when asked to identify the most critical success measure in cas, the top answer was:
“we have become more of a one-stop shop for our clients.”
this clearly demonstrates how firms are fostering long-term relationships with their clients and deepening their involvement, making it more authentic than a typical marketing message. growing revenue through existing relationships is simpler than constantly seeking new ones. cas is strengthening the core of the firm to transform it into a platform for higher-value services.
the cas client profile
what kinds of clients are driving this advisory-cas growth?
according to the survey, the top three niches seen as ripe for cas opportunities are:
- small businesses (80.5%)
- professional services – e.g., doctors, lawyers (41.5%)
- midsize businesses (39.0%)
and when asked why, respondents repeatedly said the same thing:
“these businesses want someone to bounce ideas off.”
this insight is pure gold.
these clients seek more than just task outsourcing and value a collaborative partner who actively helps them address challenges. what matters most to them is developing a relationship that supports smarter, faster and better decision-making.
that requires a shift not only in services but also in mindsets. firms must train their cas staff on how to provide practical advice. that’s a different skill set, and it’s not yet fully implemented at most firms.
where firms are still struggling
so, where’s the friction? when asked about the single most formidable challenge in building cas practices, here’s what firm leaders said:
- finding and training cas-specific staff (29.5%)
- pricing cas services accurately and consistently (28.7%)
- finding cas-fit clients (13.9%)
- turning cas into actual advisory work (11.5%)
- creating scalable processes (8.2%)
these challenges go beyond surface inefficiencies. they are rooted in the fundamental structures that firms rely on to deliver advisory services.
this is precisely where specialized solution providers can add significant value by helping to bridge the gaps that firms struggle to close on their own. whether you are selling software, consulting or staffing solutions, if your offering helps firms close one of these five execution gaps, you have achieved product-market fit.
cracking the advisory-cas operational code
let’s take a closer look at the operational layer, where cas either scales or stalls.
pricing
firms are still all over the map:
- 30.4 percent use monthly recurring billing
- 19.1 percent use value pricing
- 19.1 percent use a hybrid model
- 16.5 percent use hourly billing
- 14.8 percent use fixed or flat-rate pricing
no dominant model has emerged. that means confusion about how to price advisory-cas is still costing revenue.
even worse? only 9.6 percent of cas firms are very satisfied with their pricing strategy.
this is a clear signal: what the industry needs now goes beyond just better pricing tools. it calls for greater confidence in pricing decisions, which naturally grows as firms advance in their cas-pricing maturity. we haven’t reached that stage yet!
people
- just over 50 percent of cas firms have dedicated cas staff.
- only 35 percent have a practice leader exclusively focused on cas.
that means:
- clients may not be experiencing consistent delivery.
- teams may be juggling cas with compliance.
- the cas strategy may be reactive rather than proactive.
process
only 34 percent of firms have multiple service capabilities built into their cas offering.
providing limited service within cas is like opening a full-service restaurant that only serves coffee.
to scale, cas must evolve from a service line to a service platform.
the new cas trifecta
1. talent
- the staffing shortage is the most cited challenge in the entire survey.
- 42 percent of firms are turning away work because of talent gaps.
- 27 percent cite burnout.
in cas, these problems become even more severe.
you are not just hiring bookkeepers. you are bringing on forward-thinking professionals who can speak the language of advisory.
and they are rare.
if your firm is struggling here, remember: it’s not just about recruitment. it’s about redefining:
- what does a cas professional do?
- what mindset do they need?
- how do you train them?
there is a significant need for role clarity in the cas sector.
2. technology
cas without the right tech stack is like a formula 1 car with bicycle tires.
yet only about 20 percent of firms rank technology as a top cas priority.
this is a huge disconnect.
in the cas landscape, technology plays a more critical role in helping firms grow and succeed. it enables them to deliver scalable services filled with useful insights. this is the only way to:
- enable real-time data
- automate low-value tasks
- deliver proactive insight
in other words, it’s the only way to truly do advisory at scale.
firms need technology. but more importantly, they need clarity on which technology to choose and how to implement it.
3. trust
counterintuitive shocker:
“clients don’t buy cas services.”
what clients truly invest in isn’t just a list of deliverables. it’s the trust that you can help them move forward with clarity and confidence, and the trust that you can guide them to make better decisions.
your cas proposal might be strong. but if your client doesn’t believe you understand their business or can handle ambiguity, they won’t pay for your advice. trust is the cornerstone of your advisory-cas success. and advisory services like cas won’t grow until that foundation is strengthened.
what actions do these research insights suggest?
if you are managing a firm or selling to accountants, this data plays a more significant role than just informing; it provides clear guidance on the next steps.
here’s what it suggests needs to happen next:
for firm leaders:
- go beyond simple pricing tables. create pricing strategies that reflect the depth, complexity and outcomes of your advisory work.
- create a formal role for a cas practice leader.
- define your firm’s “ideal cas client” and say no to others.
- invest in cross-training staff for advisory conversations.
- automate the routine so you can charge for the real value cycle, i.e., hindsight-insight-foresight.
for solution providers:
- the focus should shift from what your product or service does to how it helps firms deliver impactful advisory services.
- demonstrate how your product boosts customer retention and increases average revenue per client.
- present your roi using staff hours and client trust.
- assist firms in making cas measurable because what gets measured gets managed.
building an advisory-cas practice that lasts
the greatest story the research data tells is this:
- firms believe in cas.
- clients want more from their firms.
- but the capability gap is wide and widening.
we are on the brink of a truly rare opportunity that favors those who not only react but also step up to lead and make a difference. that’s advisory-cas.
cas goes beyond compliance work. it is about helping clients understand the past, but more importantly, about assisting them in shaping the future. if you build an advisory-cas practice that solves real problems, builds trust and offers guidance that clients can’t get from artificial intelligence or automation, you succeed. and not just with better margins or recurring revenue each month. you succeed because you shift from being a service provider to an essential partner. in this economy, with these client expectations and this level of industry change, that’s what true, lasting success looks like.
as we discussed earlier, too, the numbers don’t lie! advisory-cas is far from being just an experiment; it’s becoming a firm’s identity. but if so many firms believe in it, why are so few scaling it successfully?
the data paints a compelling picture of opportunity, but also exposes the gaps that hold many firms back.