Auvenir is a Canadian technology company headquartered in Toronto. They are the creators of an innovative, cloud-based client engagement platform designed specifically for accounting and auditing firms. Auvenir’s mission is to empower practitioners with intelligent tools that enhance efficiency, improve accuracy, and elevate the client experience.
Auvenir’s platform has facilitated over 50,000 successful client engagements globally, empowering small to mid-sized firms and large enterprises alike to streamline their audit processes and improve client satisfaction.
The Challenge
Auvenir and its clients, who are primarily accounting and auditing firms, faced a number of critical challenges in their audit workflows that hindered efficiency, accuracy, and compliance:
- Time constraints and manual processes: Traditional audit procedures often involved time-consuming manual tasks, such as data entry, cross-referencing information, and updating documentation. This inefficiency led to increased costs and potential delays in project completion.
- Keeping audit procedures up-to-date: Accounting and auditing standards in Canada and the USA are constantly evolving. Maintaining compliance with the latest standards required significant effort and expertise to ensure audit procedures and documentation remained current.
- Decentralized documentation and data silos: Critical audit documentation was often scattered across various platforms and formats, making it difficult to access, manage, and maintain a single source of truth. This lack of centralization increased the risk of errors, inconsistencies, and version control issues.
- Lack of data integration: Auditors needed to access and analyze financial data from various client accounting systems. Manual data extraction and integration were prone to errors and created a significant bottleneck in the audit process.
- Data duplication and inconsistency: Repetitive data entry across different documents and forms led to inefficiencies and increased the risk of errors. Maintaining consistency across all documentation was a major challenge.
The Solution
Recognizing the diverse requirements of accounting and auditing firms, Stepmedia partnered with Auvenir to develop Auvenir Pro, a comprehensive suite of solutions designed to streamline audit workflows and enhance quality management. This collaboration resulted in two distinct offerings:
1. QMG Cloud: Standardizing Quality Management Processes
QMG Cloud provides a structured and standardized approach to quality management, enabling firms to establish and maintain their SOQM with ease. Key features include:
- Pre-built Content: Leveraging CPA Canada’s exclusive content and methodology, QMG Cloud provides pre-built audit procedures and templates, ensuring compliance with the latest standards and best practices. This content is seamlessly updated within the platform through Umbraco CMS.
- Compliance with Standards: QMG Cloud incorporates the requirements of the Canadian Standards on Quality Management (CSQM) 1 and 2, and Canadian Auditing Standards (CAS) 220, simplifying compliance and reducing risk.
- Efficient Setup: The platform allows for rapid implementation of an SOQM, enabling firms to quickly configure their system and begin conducting audits.
- Data Management: Data persistence features minimize redundant data entry and ensure consistency across all documentation. Information can be entered once and dynamically linked throughout the platform.
- Risk Assessment: QMG Cloud facilitates a comprehensive risk assessment process by enabling users to connect objectives, risks, and responses within the system.
- Centralized Documentation: All SOQM documentation, including policies, procedures, and monitoring activities, is stored in a central repository for easy access and management.
- Tailored Content: QMG Cloud offers content tailored to different engagement types, ensuring relevance for both assurance and related service engagements.
- Monitoring and Documentation: The platform supports effective monitoring and documentation of evidence throughout the audit process.
- Access Control: Role-based access control ensures that users have appropriate permissions based on their responsibilities.
2. Auvenir Custom/Enterprise: Flexibility for Unique Requirements
For firms with more specialized needs, Auvenir Custom/Enterprise provides a highly flexible and customizable solution:
- Customizable Content: Umbraco CMS enables the creation of custom-made content and workflows tailored to the specific requirements of individual firms or organizations.
- Content Management: The platform supports multiple content streams, allowing different teams within an organization to manage their own content and processes.
- Tailored Questionnaires: Users can design questionnaires with specific questions to gather the most relevant information for each engagement.
- Data Analytics: Auvenir Custom/Enterprise allows for the creation of visualizations and analytics from trial balance data, providing deeper insights into client financials.
- System Integrations: The platform can be directly integrated with client accounting systems to facilitate data access and analysis.
- Advanced Features: In addition to core features like data persistence, Auvenir Custom/Enterprise offers advanced functionalities such as a dedicated risk assessment module and summary views for improved efficiency.
By offering these two distinct solutions, Auvenir Pro provides a comprehensive suite of tools to address the diverse needs of modern audit firms, enabling them to enhance efficiency, ensure compliance, and improve overall audit quality.
The Result
The collaboration between Auvenir and Stepmedia has resulted in the successful development and deployment of Auvenir Pro, a suite of solutions that has delivered tangible benefits to accounting and auditing firms:
QMG Cloud: Driving Efficiency and Standardization
- Enhanced Compliance: By leveraging CPA Canada’s continuously updated content and methodology, QMG Cloud ensures that firms adhere to the latest accounting and auditing standards. The integration of CSQM 1 and 2, and CAS 220 requirements further simplifies compliance efforts.
- Accelerated Implementation: The “instant implementation” capability of QMG Cloud has enabled firms to quickly set up their SOQM and begin conducting audits, saving valuable time and resources.
- Improved Data Management: Data persistence features have streamlined data entry and ensured consistency across documentation, reducing errors and improving overall data quality.
- Streamlined Risk Assessment: The integrated risk assessment module has facilitated a more comprehensive and efficient approach to identifying and mitigating potential risks.
- Enhanced Collaboration: The central repository for SOQM documentation has improved accessibility and collaboration among team members, fostering a more efficient and transparent audit process.
Auvenir Custom/Enterprise: Enabling Flexibility and Customization
- Tailored Solutions: Auvenir Custom/Enterprise has empowered firms to create bespoke content and workflows that precisely align with their unique needs and processes.
- Improved Efficiency: The ability to customize questionnaires and create targeted content has streamlined information gathering and improved the efficiency of audit engagements.
- Enhanced Insights: Advanced analytics and visualization capabilities have enabled firms to gain deeper insights from their trial balance data, facilitating more informed decision-making.
- Seamless Integrations: Direct integrations with client accounting systems have streamlined data access and analysis, further improving efficiency.
- Increased Adaptability: The flexible nature of Auvenir Custom/Enterprise has enabled firms to adapt the platform to their evolving needs and requirements.
Overall Impact
Auvenir Pro has enabled accounting and auditing firms to:
- Enhance efficiency and productivity through streamlined workflows, automated processes, and improved data management.
- Ensure compliance with professional standards by leveraging up-to-date content and integrated requirements.
- Improve risk management through a comprehensive and integrated risk assessment process.
- Increase client satisfaction by delivering faster turnaround times, improved accuracy, and enhanced communication.
The successful partnership between Auvenir and Stepmedia has resulted in a powerful solution that is transforming how accounting and auditing firms approach quality management and conduct audits. Auvenir Pro empowers firms to embrace digital transformation, optimize their processes, and achieve better outcomes for themselves and their clients.
Tech Stack
- Cloud Platform: Microsoft Azure
- Backend Framework: .NET Core
- Database Management: SQL Server
- Microservices Architecture:
- Architectural Patterns: Microservices, Layered Architecture
- Frontend Technologies: ReactJS, Sass, Webpack
- UI Components: Semantic UI
- Document Management: Syncfusion, DevExpress, SpreadJS, PSPDFKit, Open XML
- Content Management: Umbraco
- Financial Data Integration: Validis
- Real-time Communication: SignalR, WebSockets
- AI & Machine Learning: Azure OpenAI
- Authentication & Security: Azure Entra ID B2B, JWT, OAuth, OpenID, SAML, Token-based, Cookie-based authentication
- Security: Snyk
- Version Control: Git
- Package Management: Yarn, npm
- APIs & Integrations: RESTful services, messaging queues
- Design Principles: Object-Oriented Programming (OOP), SOLID principles
- Design & Prototyping: Figma
- Performance Testing: LoadRunner
- Automated Testing: Selenium
- User Onboarding & Engagement: Appcues
- Email Delivery: SendGrid
- CRM & Marketing Automation: HubSpot
- Subscription Billing: StaxBill
- Accessibility Compliance: WCAG 2.0 and 2.1 Level A and AA
