Reinventing the work week: Grant Thornton Australia embraces 9-day fortnight using Microsoft 365 Copilot

Grant Thornton Australia is a leading audit, assurance, tax and advisory services provider, employing over 1,500 people across six offices nationwide.

The progressive firm is known for its approach to redefining flexibility and efficiency, and its latest innovation is no exception. In May 2024, after a successful 14-month trial, the company permanently adopted a 9-day fortnight working structure – allowing employees to enjoy increased flexibility and ‘recharge time’ while maintaining full remuneration.

“When you think about it, why do we have a five-day working week?” says Sandie Boswell, National Managing Partner – Tax at Grant Thornton. “It’s a cultural construct that hasn’t changed much in nearly 100 years. Our CEO wanted to give our people time to recharge and reset so they’re not burning out.”

This initiative is just one way the firm is reshaping the professional services industry. Equally important is its progressive adoption of technology. Under the guidance of Chief Technology Officer Ben Swindale, Grant Thornton has embraced a cloud-first strategy and generative AI.

“We’ve adopted Microsoft Azure as our platform, combined with an SD-WAN solution and a Zero Trust security model, enabling our people to work from anywhere,” explains Swindale. “Our leadership team has strongly supported our technology initiatives – especially around generative AI.”

Transformative time savings with Copilot

Starting its generative AI journey in August 2023, the firm initially adopted the web-based version of Microsoft Copilot before rolling out 300 licenses of Microsoft 365 Copilot in January 2024. Soon after, they expanded to 500 users due to high demand. This initiative aimed to improve efficiency by automating tasks and understanding the impact of generative AI on its 9-day fortnight.

The adoption of Microsoft 365 Copilot has already delivered impressive results for Grant Thornton’s workforce. In April 2024, users reported saving an average of 22 minutes per day, or 1.87 hours per week. By November, this figure had nearly doubled to 41.43 minutes per day, or 3.45 hours per week – just shy of the 3.75-hour target for supporting the 9-day fortnight. In fact, more than a third of Copilot users are hitting the 3.75-hour target and more than 18 per cent are saving 7.5 hours per week.  Additionally, in Q4 those with a Copilot licence reported spending 5.4 per cent less time on admin compared to the same quarter in 2023.

“At Grant Thornton Australia, we’re committed to leveraging cutting-edge technology to boost productivity and support our people. The adoption of Copilot has been a game-changer for us, with 81% of our team using Web Copilot and an impressive adoption rate remaining above 95% among those licensed with M365 Copilot,” said Greg Keith, Chief Executive Officer at Grant Thornton. 

Employees have identified various use cases, from drafting proposals and analysing client feedback to summarising industry research, preparing presentations, and fixing formulas in spreadsheets.  The focus has allowed individuals to be less focused on whether they remember obscure or seldom used formulas and allowed them to think more about what the data is telling them, or analysing the patterns in the data.

A management consulting director reports saving 45 minutes on proposal writing and reviewing which frees up more time for client deliverables, while senior risk consulting associates are saving up to two hours on report writing, providing more time to deliver remarkable experiences for clients. “It’s incredible to see the variety of ways our people use Copilot,” says the firm’s CTO, Swindale.

Guardrails for safe and secure AI adoption

Grant Thornton has prioritised the responsible and ethical use of AI by establishing a dedicated steering committee to oversee its data and AI projects. It has also set up a formal escalation path to its Enterprise Risk Committee to address any AI-related issues.

Additionally, the firm has integrated AI considerations into its supplier risk assessment process. “We ask suppliers critical questions about their use of AI, including how it’s applied, where data is stored and how they ensure their tools are free from bias,” explains Swindale.

“A key consideration for adopting Copilot was data security. When Microsoft introduced Copilot, a generative AI tool with enterprise data protection, it gave us the confidence to proceed,” he said.

Empowering employees and improving wellbeing

Beyond efficiency, Copilot is helping improve employee wellbeing by giving teams – and leadership – the confidence to embrace the 9-day fortnight structure. Boswell explains, “Copilot helps employees manage workloads more effectively, creating breathing room by reducing stress and improving work–life balance.”

Copilot has also allowed employees to access more time to recharge, with those who have a Copilot licence accessing 10.1 per cent more recharge time on average than those without a licence. Similarly, in 2024, people with a M365 Copilot licence recorded 15.63 per cent more recharge hours on average than in 2023.

Boswell also notes that Copilot has given junior team members a renewed passion for working in tax and professional services. “It’s exciting to see how naturally the younger generation adopts this technology, but we’re also ensuring their enthusiasm doesn’t come at the expense of critical skills like analytical thinking and professional judgement,” she continued.

“For example, Copilot can assist with drafting documents, performing analysis and comparing facts or cases, but it can only take you so far. Ultimately, analysis, commentary, forming opinions and applying judgement require a human touch,” said Boswell.

Grant Thornton also values Copilot’s inclusivity benefits. Employees for whom English is a second language have found it invaluable for drafting professional content, while neurodivergent employees have reported that they are more organised and focused.

It’s incredibly rewarding to see how Copilot is making a difference for our people,” says Swindale, who adds that Grant Thornton’s return on investment is undeniable. “If we were to convert the time savings into billable hours, Copilot would absolutely pay for itself. But our focus has been on time savings and quality of output. Seeing employees benefit from the technology and reclaim enough time for a half-day off each week has been fantastic.”

Change management and skilling

Jemma Hirst, Grant Thornton Australia’s Head of IT Training believes Copilot has also played a vital role in the firm’s effort to enhance digital skills by sparking interest, encouraging experimentation and fostering innovation.

“Leveraging Microsoft’s adoption kits, we’ve conducted workshops and lunch-and-learn sessions to upskill our employees, encouraging them to share their ideas and experiences,” says Hirst. “This collaborative approach has been instrumental in driving adoption and culture resulting in an adoption rate of licenced users remaining above 95 per cent for several months.”

As the Tax National Managing Partner, Boswell regularly integrates AI into her work and leads by example. “I think additionally the role of leadership cannot be understated. When leaders really get behind something, it has a big impact,” she says. “I’ve championed reverse mentoring within my Tax team, where junior members who are embracing Copilot to teach senior colleagues how to use it effectively. It’s fascinating to see this dynamic in action.”

“Our firm is dedicated to providing comprehensive training and tailored use cases to ensure our team can leverage Copilot effectively,” said the firm’s CEO, Greg Keith. “This approach not only drives productivity but also fosters innovation across the organisation. We’re proud to see how our people-first strategy, combined with robust AI tools like Copilot, is empowering our team to work smarter and more efficiently.”

Scaling and innovating for the future

Grant Thornton plans to continue scaling its use of Microsoft 365 Copilot while exploring more advanced AI use cases. “We’re experimenting with Azure OpenAI Service, Copilot Labs and Copilot Studio to tackle more technical challenges,” says Swindale. “This will allow our teams to prototype and innovate over the next 12 to 18 months.”

Looking ahead, Boswell sees generative AI becoming “just another tool in our toolbox, much like the computer when it was first introduced. It’s already transforming how we work and will continue to evolve rapidly. My vision is for Copilot to be used across all of our services, as it has the potential to enhance every aspect of what we do.”

Header image credit to Toby Peet.