KPMG transforms its global data analytics with Microsoft Fabric

As a leader in audit, tax, and advisory services, KPMG faced a daunting challenge: the need to manage and analyze data from a myriad of sources. All this data, ranging from a few million to billions of rows daily, required a robust solution for extraction, transformation, and loading for data management. KPMG, which serves a broad range of organizations including governments, industries, and not-for-profits, needed to move from data to insights quickly.

As with many large organizations, KPMG faced the sheer volume and complexity of its sprawling data landscape, coupled with the need for global accessibility and cost efficiency, demanding a solution that went beyond conventional data management tools. And, as Rajiv Phougat, Principal and CTO for Data and Analytics at KPMG US, says, “The challenge was more than stitching multiple components together. It was imperative that we quickly reduce the complexity of the footprint and deliver business value to our employees and clients.”

Choosing a software as a service solution

KPMG delivers data and analytic services to clients who face similar challenges. "With the breadth and quantity of data we were handling, it became crucial to find a solution that could simplify our processes and enhance usability for our teams," explains Phougat. KPMG selected Microsoft Fabric, an AI-powered analytics solution for enterprises that provides services ranging from data movement to data science, analytics, and business intelligence. After implementing Fabric internally, KPMG was ready to share its expertise and experience with clients to design, implement, and operate data and AI solutions using Fabric.

“Microsoft Fabric quickly emerged as a key component, seamlessly integrating various elements to create a comprehensive analytics solution for us and for our clients. Fabric provides the functionality needed to reduce data load times, ease the demands on IT personnel, and increase access to actionable information,” Phougat says. “We’re excited by the opportunity to use our in-house experience to help clients harness the capabilities of Microsoft Fabric to analyze data at scale, taking advantage of key features such as robust data governance and security capabilities, Microsoft OneLake for centralized data access, and Microsoft Power BI for reporting.”

In addition, the integration of Microsoft Azure Databricks within the Fabric ecosystem has enabled KPMG to tackle complex data challenges, further enhancing its service offerings. This combination of advanced analytics, cloud-based flexibility, and scalability underpins KPMG’s commitment to utilizing technology for delivering superior client value.

The synergy between Fabric and Azure Databricks has become a cornerstone of the KPMG data strategy, enabling the sophisticated data transformation and modeling essential for solving complex business challenges. "Azure Databricks is our standard way of building any transformation or landing pipeline. We use Azure Databricks regularly to help clients perform complex data transformations, and we also use it for specific use case modeling, such as peer benchmarking,” says Phougat.

“OneLake enables us to connect various sources without considering their location or storage mechanism,” Phougat continues. “We can see them in one place in a single pane of glass, then provision with the proper permissions and security to make the data available to our internal consumers. In this case, consumers may be technical or business teams, data concierges, data scientists, or data engineers. It’s all so much easier than it used to be.”

KPMG relies on Power BI for data visualization for analytics, dashboards, and reports. In addition, KPMG Power BI developers are using Copilot in Power BI in Microsoft Fabric to generate narratives and create simple questions and answers for prebuilt prompts. AI is helping to expedite the development of visualizations within Power BI, freeing up team members for other strategic priorities. “Now, we can use that expertise and what we’ve learned to help our clients to better visualize their data,” Phougat says. “With Copilot and Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service, we can help our clients generate agent-based interactive modeling, presentations, and more within hours—something that used to take days or weeks.”

Building on data-driven insights

For KPMG, the impact of Fabric has been transformative. The enhanced data analytics capability has enabled KPMG to offer new services and deliver deeper insights into operational efficiencies, market opportunities, and strategic planning. KPMG clients benefit from tailored, data-informed guidance that addresses their unique business demands. “The depth of insights we're able to provide has fundamentally revolutionized how we deliver value to our clients, optimizing their business and providing high-value, actionable analytics," Phougat says. “This has not only bolstered our service offerings but has also reinforced our market position by enabling the provision of data-informed guidance customized to the unique needs of each client.”

The deployment of Fabric at KPMG has ushered in an era of enhanced collaboration and innovation among employees, with the platform's unified approach to data analytics sparking a wave of creative solutions to business challenges. "Our teams can now rapidly analyze data at scale, deriving differentiating insights," Phougat says. The firm is adopting Fabric for specific use cases across its teams in Audit, Tax, and Advisory.

Fabric, integrated with Azure Databricks, is redefining the enterprise’s approach to data analytics. As Phougat says, "This isn’t just about technology; it’s about how we harness technology to drive business value, foster innovation, and enhance our client service. It demonstrates the power of aligning our technology with our business vision."

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