GT sells quality management platform to Tellen, will continue using it

Top 10 firm Grant Thornton has sold its quality management application qm.x to accounting AI software company Tellen, though under a multiyear commercial agreement, the firm will continue using the solution as it is integrated into the new platform, and will promote its use across the Grant Thornton International Limited network. The firm declined to disclose the specific terms of the deal. 

The solution was first launched by Grant Thornton in 2022 to help accountants meet the compliance requirements of the International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board's International Standard on Quality Management 1. The cloud-based application allows for the design and documentation of the quality management process, thereby creating a framework for quality management. The application had originally been designed in-house for Grant Thornton's own internal use before being released to the accounting community as a whole.

Following the transaction, Tellen will serve as the long-term product owner and primary technology partner for all existing qm.x users, including firms within and outside of Grant Thornton's network. As part of its roadmap, Tellen will rebrand the qm.x platform as Tellen QM and offer it within its own system. The company plans to expand the program's capabilities as well to better support firms during the audit process. At the same time, Grant Thornton will continue to utilize Tellen QM and provide ongoing input into the expansion of its capabilities on Tellen's platform.

J. David Ake/Getty Images

A spokesperson for the firm said Grant Thornton felt the tool would evolve faster and support a full range of firms—which had always been the intent with the solution—in the hands of a dedicated software development company. 

"Selling the platform to Tellen allows qm.x to grow at a pace and scale that's difficult to achieve when a firm's core business isn't software development," said the spokesperson. "Tellen brings focused engineering, a broad AI platform and the ability to innovate quickly for users worldwide. For us, this partnership is the best of both worlds: Tellen helps the tool evolve, and Grant Thornton continues to benefit from those advancements." 

Existing qm.x users will not experience any disruption in pricing or service as Tellen supports and enhances the platform, according to the company. This commitment applies to all current qm.x customers, regardless of network affiliation. 

"This partnership allows us to work directly with firms around the world as they modernize audit work and adopt AI in a practical way," said Deepak Lalit, CEO and co-founder of Tellen in a statement. "Our focus is on providing a single platform that supports AI-enabled workflows across audit quality and execution."