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Europe's Audit Industry at a Crossroads

  • Why digital transformation still fails to be truly client-centric
  • Benchmarked insights from 150+ audit professionals (Benelux, Spain & Italy)
  • The real cost of fragmented tools: up to €6M in lost capacity per year
  • How to simplify workflows, improve client experience, and reclaim billable time

The State of European Audit 2025

The State of the Audit 2025 report is the most comprehensive look at how European audit firms are evolving in a rapidly regulated, client‑driven world. 

Produced by Alkmist in collaboration with Ghent University, the study surveyed 150 audit professionals and 100+ business leaders across Benelux, Spain and Italy. It reveals a striking gap between firms’ desire to be client‑centric and the reality auditors and clients experience every day.

Here's what we learned:

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Tools Aren’t Truly Integrated

73% of audit teams claim digital transformation, yet only 19% are satisfied with client-facing tools. 

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Email Still Runs Most Audits

Engagements generate thousands of emails, and 61% of clients resubmit files due to unclear receipt.

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Coordination Eats Audit Time

Auditors lose 15–35% of their time tracking and chasing (€1.2–6M capacity lost for a 100-person firm). 

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Client Experience Is Performative

81% of leaders claim client-centricity, but only 22% see client feedback drive change.

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Security Is Still Highly Porous

76% of auditors can access documents they don’t need. Data sovereignty risks continue to grow.

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High Cost With Low Insight

Only 12% of clients feel auditors deliver strategic value. Each year, 68% must re-explain context.

Ready to see the numbers?

Alkmist built this report to help the profession move beyond buzzwords and towards a client‑focused, efficient future.

State of the Audit 2025 Full Report

A data-driven benchmark of how audits are actually delivered today - and where time, capacity, and trust are being lost.

Includes

  • Key findings from 150 audit professionals
  • Client satisfaction metrics and insights
  • Digital transformation reality check
  • Executive recommendations
Download now

Audit Readiness Call

Exclusive access to the complete State of the Audit 2025 dataset plus a personalized consultation with our audit workflow experts.

Premium access includes

  • Review of your current audit workflow
  • Identification of capacity and efficiency bottlenecks
  • Discussion of report findings in your firm’s context
  • High-level view of a modern PBC workflow
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