PwC Australia launches agentic-powered managed services, signaling major shift in delivery model

Friday, 7 August 2026

PwC Australia launches new agentic-powered managed service, signaling major shift in delivery model

PwC Australia has today launched the first in a series of agentic-powered managed services, which will redefine how the firm delivers for its private and mid-market clients.

The new AI-powered finance managed service uses agents to perform parts of an organisation's finance function, overseen by PwC experts. It’s a significant step towards the firm’s goal of delivering end-to-end agentified managed services for its clients, and marks a major shift in how PwC advises, builds and operates solutions. 

While managed services have traditionally been designed for large enterprises, by building agentic workflows, using PwC’s responsible AI approach, the firm will be able to make these solutions available to smaller and mid-market businesses. This represents nearly 70 per cent of Australian businesses and more than a third of the nation’s GDP.  These organisations are navigating margin compression, growing regulatory complexity, a fast-changing technology landscape and persistent talent shortages, making it harder to build and sustain finance capability in-house.

The new service delivery model will provide enterprise-grade finance solutions to small businesses across Australia, without them having to absorb the cost and complexity of building the platforms themselves. The service gives businesses confidence that critical finance work is being completed consistently, securely and to a high standard.  

PwC Australia chief executive Kevin Burrowes said the launch represents a significant shift in the way the firm partners with its clients, moving towards an end-to-end model where PwC advises, builds and operates solutions in collaboration with business.

"AI does the necessary but repetitive tasks with speed and precision, while our people focus on what matters most for our clients – trusted outcomes and insights," he said.

“This is about giving small businesses access to the finance capability, technology and trusted oversight they need, in a way that is scalable, practical and cost-effective. For private and mid-market businesses in particular, it means they can strengthen their finance function, improve quality and transparency, and respond more confidently to operational, regulatory and technology pressures."

Operating on a fixed-fee model, the service increases price transparency and certainty for clients, while improving quality outcomes. The first phase agentic-workflows are currently in use, as the firm works to expand the service beyond the finance function, into areas such as cyber security, financial crime, HR, procurement and digital trust. 

Unlocking growth in the private and mid-market

The new offering pairs PwC's finance expertise with AI agents that perform routine finance workflows - from accounts payable and reconciliations to consolidation and management reporting - while PwC professionals provide the oversight, judgement and accountability clients expect. It’s backed by the depth of the firm's broader advisory, tax and technology capabilities and connected to PwC's global network for clients operating across borders. Responsible AI practices are fundamental to the offering, with governance, data protection and human oversight embedded in how the service is designed, operated and delivered.

Advisory Leader Rohit Antao said the new model opens opportunities that traditional consulting approaches could not.

“It's a holistic solution to what has traditionally been available to this section of that market - fragmented and inflexible approaches, built as scaled-down versions of enterprise offerings.” 

Proven results

The service has been developed and tested over the past year, with an initial 90-day pilot across accounts payable workflows delivering 93 per cent first-run accuracy and a 47 per cent reduction in processing hours - results that have informed the design of the broader platform.

The launch comes as businesses struggle to turn AI ambition into performance. PwC's 29th Annual Global CEO Survey found just 12 per cent of CEOs have realised both cost and revenue benefits from AI in the past year, a capability gap managed services are built to close. Separate PwC research shows 67 per cent of top-performing companies already use managed services to close capability gaps and build strategic advantage.¹ 

Responsible AI at the core

Jade Dixon, lead partner for PwC Australia's Finance Managed Services, said governance and accountability remain non-negotiable.

"Bringing AI into client financial data is not something we take lightly. We have spent time understanding the risks, and the workflows in operation are required to comply with all necessary technology, security and data protection standards."

Client data is protected under the firm's stringent data policies, and our agents are built and operate against PwC’s Responsible AI policies.

Find out more about Finance Managed Services here.

¹ Sources: PwC 2025 Global CEO Survey; PwC Global Advisory Thought Leadership Accelerator.