RSM and Andera launch AI control testing platform for internal audit
RSM US LLP and Andera, an AI-powered audit and compliance software firm, have announced a strategic alliance to build and commercialise an AI-enabled control testing platform aimed at modernising internal audit functions. The partnership integrates Andera's AI technology into RSM's next-generation audit platform, with the stated goal of reducing the time auditors spend on manual evidence review and freeing capacity for higher-value risk analysis.
The platform is designed to ingest unstructured evidence regardless of file type or size, execute directed test steps, and produce annotated, source-traceable audit documentation without requiring lengthy configuration. Andera says its AI workflows were built by practising auditors, allowing the system to adapt to company-specific testing nuances in a manner comparable to onboarding a new team member. The company claims deployments across Sarbanes-Oxley, operational audit, Know Your Customer, Payment Card Industry, Anti-Money Laundering and cybersecurity compliance programmes at multiple Fortune 500 companies, though no named customers were disclosed in the release.
The deal
RSM, which focuses on consulting, tax and assurance services for middle-market organisations, positions the alliance as part of a broader strategy to bring enterprise-grade AI to clients whose internal audit functions are under pressure from talent shortages, rising regulatory complexity and expanding audit scopes. The release did not disclose financial terms, revenue-sharing arrangements, or the timeline for full platform availability.
No named RSM or Andera executives were quoted in the press release, though the PR firm indicated the founder of Andera and an RSM spokesperson are available for interview. The absence of a direct, attributable quote from either organisation is unusual for a partnership announcement of this type and limits the editorial substance of the release.
Market context
AI-assisted audit and compliance is a fast-developing niche within enterprise software, attracting investment from both specialist startups and large professional services firms seeking to defend advisory revenue as automation encroaches on manual testing work. Competitors operating in adjacent spaces include purpose-built GRC platforms and workflow-automation vendors that have added AI-powered evidence review to existing products.
The middle-market segment RSM targets is particularly exposed to talent-supply constraints: internal audit teams at mid-size organisations typically lack the headcount to run continuous controls testing, making automation an easier commercial proposition than at large enterprises with established audit infrastructure. Regulatory obligations, however, are converging upward, with SOX requirements, PCAOB inspections and sector-specific frameworks such as PCI DSS v4.0 and evolving AML rules applying pressure regardless of company size.
Regulatory read-across
For US-listed middle-market companies, SOX Section 404 compliance remains the primary driver of internal audit spending, and any platform claiming to accelerate controls testing will be scrutinised against PCAOB standards on documentation and evidence sufficiency. The platform's claim to generate "audit-ready documentation with full traceability" will need to satisfy external auditor review before buyers can rely on it for SOX sign-off. In the UK and EU, equivalent pressures arise under the Financial Reporting Council's audit quality frameworks and, for regulated firms, under DORA's ICT risk management requirements effective from January 2025.
The alliance is positioned as an ongoing commercial relationship rather than a one-time product launch, which suggests RSM intends to embed Andera's capabilities across its advisory workflows over time. Near-term milestones to watch include the naming of reference customers, any PCAOB or external-auditor endorsement of the documentation outputs, and whether the platform expands beyond the US middle market into international geographies where RSM also operates.