# EY Achieves 15% Productivity Gains Deploying Microsoft 365 Copilot in Professional Services

> The firm expanded its Microsoft alliance after initial Copilot rollout across 150,000 employees, modernizing finance processes with Power Platform and Copilot Studio to deliver faster lead times and lower operating costs while preparing to reach more than 400,000 staff.

*Published 2026-09-05 · By Samira Reyes*

EY is a multinational professional services firm that deployed Microsoft 365 Copilot to 150,000 employees and realized a 15% productivity gain.

## Executive Summary

EY, operating in the professional services sector, has implemented Microsoft 365 Copilot across 150,000 of its employees. This deployment resulted in a 15% productivity gain that the firm reinvested into client delivery and learning activities. The initiative marks a shift from experimentation to enterprise-wide transformation as described in reports from Microsoft.

The company is now extending the Microsoft 365 E7 Frontier Suite to its more than 400,000 global employees. This expansion incorporates agentic AI capabilities to further enhance operations. Finance operations have been modernized using Microsoft Power Platform and Copilot Studio agents.

These changes produced 95% faster lead times in general ledger posting and a reduction of more than 37% in finance operating costs. Savings came from reduced processing time and lower third-party license fees. Additional benefits include up to 90% reduction in manual workloads for processes such as tax document extraction with Azure AI Document Intelligence.

## What background led to EY's decision to scale AI with Microsoft?

Microsoft reports that EY moved AI from experimentation into enterprise-wide transformation after deploying Microsoft 365 Copilot to 150,000 employees. The firm recorded a 15% productivity gain from this initial rollout. This success prompted the expansion of the Frontier Suite across the global workforce of more than 400,000 people. The collaboration positions EY as Client Zero, applying the technologies internally before helping clients. This approach allows the firm to gain experience as an early adopter. The partnership aims to help customers move beyond pilots to full enterprise execution.

According to EY, the global initiative with Microsoft supports clients in unlocking value through rapid deployment of AI at scale. The integrated team combines Microsoft's engineering depth with EY's industry knowledge and change management capabilities. EY initially deployed Copilot to 150,000 Copilot users, recording a 15% boost in productivity that was reinvested into client delivery and learning.

## What specific AI tools and platforms formed the core of the deployment?

The primary tool deployed was Microsoft 365 Copilot, which was rolled out to 150,000 employees initially. This tool assists with various productivity tasks across the organization. The expansion includes the Frontier Suite, which adds advanced features for agentic AI. In finance operations, Microsoft Power Platform was used to enable real-time data entry. Copilot Studio integrated intelligent agents to automate processes. These tools contributed to the observed improvements in lead times and cost reductions.

Azure AI Document Intelligence supported up to 90% reduction in manual workloads for tasks like tax document extraction. The combination of these platforms allowed for modernization of key business processes. EY continues to embed these capabilities as part of its broader AI strategy. EY has already deployed Microsoft 365 Copilot to more than 150,000 employees and continues to expand the deployment worldwide.

## What quantified business outcomes resulted from the AI implementation?

The 15% productivity gain was realized across the 150,000 Copilot users. This gain was reinvested into client delivery and learning. Microsoft attributes this outcome to the deployment of Microsoft 365 Copilot. Finance operations saw general ledger lead times reduced by 95%. This improvement came from enabling real-time data entry with Power Platform. Additionally, 120,000 hours per annum were saved on payment clearing processes.

Finance operating costs were reduced by more than 37% through savings in processing time and third-party license fees. These results are detailed in Microsoft customer stories about EY's use of Power Platform. EY is also scaling Copilot through Microsoft 365 E7: The Frontier Suite to its more than 400,000 people around the world. Modernizing finance operations with Microsoft Power Platform, integrating intelligent agents via Copilot Studio, which resulted in 95% faster lead times and a 37%+ reduction in operational costs.

Performance metrics before and after EY's Microsoft AI deploymentMetricBefore DeploymentAfter DeploymentProductivityBaseline15% gainGeneral Ledger Lead TimesStandard processing95% fasterFinance Operating CostsBaselineMore than 37% reductionManual Workloads in Key ProcessesHigh manual effortUp to 90% reduction

## How did the deployment affect specific business processes at EY?

The modernization of finance operations with Power Platform and Copilot Studio agents led to significant efficiency improvements. General ledger posting now occurs with 95% faster lead times. Payment clearing processes benefited from substantial time savings. Document extraction in tax processes saw up to 90% reduction in manual workloads thanks to Azure AI Document Intelligence. This automation freed up employee time for higher-value activities. The overall effect supported the 15% productivity increase.

The savings in finance operating costs exceeded 37%. This reduction resulted from lower processing times and decreased reliance on third-party licenses. EY has applied these learnings to other areas of its operations. By enabling real-time data entry with Power Platform, EY has reduced general ledger lead times by 95% and saved 120,000 hours per annum on payment clearing processes.

## What do EY and Microsoft executives say about the results and future plans?

Janet Truncale, EY Global Chair and CEO, emphasized the value of the alliance with Microsoft for clients. She highlighted the combination of engineering depth and industry knowledge to realize the power of agentic AI. Judson Althoff, CEO of Microsoft’s Commercial Business, noted that AI is moving from experimentation to a core driver of business performance. Companies scaling AI Transformation are pulling ahead. The initiative combines Microsoft's platform with EY's capabilities as Client Zero.

> Together with Microsoft, EY is supporting clients to unlock value through rapid deployment of AI at scale. With access to a single, integrated team, clients will have at their disposal both Microsoft’s market-leading engineering depth, alongside EY teams’ deep industry knowledge and change management capabilities. By combining people and innovation in this next phase of the Alliance, clients will be empowered to realize the transformative power of agentic AI within the enterprise.Janet Truncale, EY Global Chair and CEO

## What implications does EY's experience hold for other enterprises considering AI adoption?

The results demonstrate that scaling AI from pilots to enterprise-wide use can deliver measurable impacts on productivity and costs. Other firms in professional services and beyond may examine similar deployments of Microsoft 365 Copilot and related tools. The use of Power Platform and Copilot Studio for finance modernization offers a model for operational efficiency. The 95% faster lead times and cost reductions provide benchmarks for potential outcomes.

Integration with existing Microsoft 365 environments facilitated the rollout. EY's approach of acting as Client Zero allows for internal validation before client recommendations. This method may encourage other organizations to test AI tools internally first. The partnership model combines technology providers with industry experts for change management. AI is quickly moving from experimentation to a core driver of business performance, and the companies pulling ahead are those scaling AI Transformation.

## What steps is EY taking to expand its AI capabilities going forward?

EY is scaling Copilot through the Microsoft 365 E7 Frontier Suite to its more than 400,000 people around the world. This expansion embeds agentic AI capabilities across the firm. The goal is to support clients in scaling AI enterprise-wide. The global initiative announced with Microsoft aims to move clients beyond experimentation. It provides access to an integrated team for rapid AI deployment. EY continues to apply these technologies internally to enhance decision-making and delivering measurable impact.

Further modernization efforts are expected in additional business processes. The success in finance operations suggests potential for similar gains elsewhere. The firm plans to leverage the productivity gains for continued investment in client services and employee development. Our initiative combines Microsoft’s trusted AI platform and engineering teams with EY’s industry capabilities and experience as ‘Client Zero’—applying these technologies across their own organization—to help customers move beyond pilots to enterprise execution.

- Initial deployment of Microsoft 365 Copilot to 150,000 employees yielding 15% productivity gains.
- Expansion of the Frontier Suite to over 400,000 staff members.
- Modernization of finance operations using Power Platform and Copilot Studio agents.
- Application of Azure AI Document Intelligence for workload reduction.
- Announcement of global alliance to assist clients with AI scaling.

## How does this case illustrate the shift to agentic AI in enterprise settings?

The incorporation of agentic AI through Copilot Studio agents represents a move toward more autonomous systems in business processes. These agents handle tasks such as data entry and posting in real time. The 95% improvement in lead times reflects the effectiveness of this approach. EY's experience shows how agentic capabilities can be integrated into existing platforms like Microsoft 365. This integration supports broader transformation efforts. The results include both productivity and cost benefits that can be reinvested.

The case provides evidence that enterprises can achieve tangible outcomes by combining AI tools with process modernization. Professional services firms may find particular value in automating routine tasks to focus on advisory services. PowerPost has also cut operational costs by over 37% through savings in processing time and third-party license fees. To accelerate AI adoption, EY moved AI from experimentation into enterprise-wide transformation.

## Sources

1. [To accelerate AI adoption, EY moved AI from experimentation into enterprise-wide transformation. After deploying Microsoft 365 Copilot to 150,000 employees and realizing a 15% productivity gain, the firm is expanding the Microsoft 365 Frontier Suite across its global workforce of more than 400,000 people. The results include 95% faster lead times, a more than 37% reduction in finance operating costs and up to a 90% reduction in manual workloads across key business processes.](https://blogs.microsoft.com/blog/2026/07/28/looking-back-on-microsofts-fy26-from-ai-experimentation-to-frontier-transformation)
2. [EY initially deployed Copilot to 150,000 Copilot users, recording a 15% boost in productivity that was reinvested into client delivery and learning. EY is also scaling Copilot through Microsoft 365 E7: The Frontier Suite to its more than 400,000 people around the world. Modernizing finance operations with Microsoft Power Platform, integrating intelligent agents via Copilot Studio, which resulted in 95% faster lead times and a 37%+ reduction in operational costs.](https://www.ey.com/en_gl/newsroom/2026/05/ey-and-microsoft-announce-global-initiative-to-help-clients-scale-ai-enterprise-wide-value-creation-and-move-beyond-experimentation)
3. [EY has already deployed Microsoft 365 Copilot to more than 150,000 employees and continues to expand the deployment worldwide. By enabling real-time data entry with Power Platform, EY has reduced general ledger lead times by 95% and saved 120,000 hours per annum on payment clearing processes. PowerPost has also cut operational costs by over 37% through savings in processing time and third-party license fees.](https://www.microsoft.com/en/customers/story/25760-ey-global-services-limited-microsoft-power-platform)

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Source: https://aiintelreport.com/enterprise-ai/ey-microsoft-copilot-productivity-gains-enterprise-ai
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