What CBIZ Means for PE, Starbucks Kills Off AI Inventory Counting
From The Accounting Podcast by Blake Oliver & David Leary
June 5, 2026 · 1h 7m · Episode 490
About this episode
Blake and David discuss the implications of CBIZ's stock slide, the role of AI in accounting, and Starbucks' decision to eliminate AI inventory counting.
Is private equity betting on the wrong accounting firms? Blake and David break down CBIZ’s stock slide, why investors may be losing faith in the traditional firm model, and how AI could help smaller firms compete far above their size. They also cover Starbucks ditching AI inventory counts, Microsoft reining in AI tool costs, and what all of it means for accountants navigating automation, pricing, and the future of firm growth. Sponsors Canopy - http://accountingpodcast.promo/canopy OnPay - http://accountingpodcast.promo/onpay C&R Consulting - http://accountingpodcast.promo/cnr Maxima.AI - http://accountingpodcast.promo/maxima Chapters (00:00) - TAP 490 (02:53) - CBIZ Stock Slide (06:13) - AI Threat to Firm Models (11:32) - EisnerAmper Anti AI Take (15:42) - Livestream Shoutouts (16:13) - New England CPA Society Merge (20:42) - Starbucks Kills AI Inventory (23:34) - NASBA Exam Data Mess (26:34) - Phoenix Call Center Jobs and AI (28:36) - Will AI Really Kill Jobs (31:09) - Spreadsheets Then AI Now (33:07) - Automation Enables CFO Services (35:08) - Microsoft AI Token Shock (36:31) - Managing Token Spend (39:27) - AI Architect Role (43:36) - Trump IRS Settlement Reopened (45:04)…
People in this episode
Hosts: Blake Oliver, David Leary
Topics covered
- private equity
- accounting firms
- AI in accounting
- automation
- firm growth
- inventory management
- financial technology
Keywords
- CBIZ
- Starbucks
- AI inventory counting
- private equity
- accounting firms
- automation
- Microsoft AI
- EisnerAmper
- KPMG
- Xero
Sponsors
Canopy, OnPay, C&R Consulting, Maxima.AI
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: CBIZ, Starbucks, Microsoft, EisnerAmper, NASBA, KPMG, Xero
More episodes of The Accounting Podcast
- AI Beats Humans at Bookkeeping & Powers Finance Team of One · June 10, 2026 · 1h 3m
- Intuit Stock Gets Hammered & Trump's Wild IRS Settlement · May 29, 2026 · 55 min
- Is GAAP Inflating the AI Bubble? · May 26, 2026 · 58 min
- SEC Prepares for Semi-Annual Reporting & the True Cost of the Iran War · May 18, 2026 · 1h 6m
- An AI-Powered Firm of One, KPMG Shuts Down Fed Audits · May 7, 2026 · 1h 6m
- KPMG Lays Off 10% Audit Partners, Best AI Still Fails 1/5 Accounting Tasks · May 2, 2026 · 52 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the The Accounting Podcast podcast page.