Last updated June 17, 2026 by Errin O'Connor, Founder & Chief AI Architect, EPC Group
The Honest Comparison
Deloitte is one of the Big Four accounting and advisory firms. It employs around 460,000 people globally.
EPC Group is a Microsoft-exclusive consulting firm. It was founded in 1997 and has hundreds of senior consultants.
Both firms provide Microsoft consulting services, but they differ in:
- Scope of services
- Operating model
- Independence implications for audit clients
Important: Audit Independence Consideration
If Deloitte is your audit firm: It is important to review SEC Rule 2-01 of Regulation S-X and PCAOB auditor-independence rules. This step is essential before engaging Deloitte Consulting for Microsoft technology delivery. Deloitte's audit and consulting practices share the same parent firm. As a result, some technology services from Deloitte Consulting may be restricted if Deloitte LLP is your audit firm. This limitation is especially significant for SEC-registered companies.
EPC Group is not an audit firm. Therefore, auditor-independence rules do not apply. You can work with EPC Group for Microsoft technology delivery without concerns about audit-independence conflicts.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Dimension | EPC Group | Deloitte |
|---|---|---|
| Firm type | Microsoft consulting specialist | Big Four (audit + tax + consulting + advisory + risk) |
| Founded | 1997 (29 years) | 1845 (current corporate form ~1893) |
| Scale | Hundreds of senior consultants | ~460,000 employees globally |
| Geographic scope | United States + Canada only | Global, 150+ countries |
| Cloud breadth | Microsoft only | Microsoft + AWS + Google Cloud + Oracle + SAP |
| Audit firm? | No — no auditor-independence considerations | Yes — Big Four audit firm; review independence rules |
| Microsoft Solutions Partner | core current designations | Yes, multiple designations |
| Published methodology | EPC Engagement Operating Model (7 phases) | Deloitte Method (internal) |
| Delivery model | Senior architects only, US/CA-based | Mixed senior + junior, global offshore-onshore |
| Pricing | Fixed-fee Consulting Blocks + 15-package catalog | Hourly billing + multi-year programs |
| Typical engagement size | $25K-$5M | $10M-$200M+ multi-year |
| Regulated industry overlays | Published: HIPAA + FINRA + FedRAMP + CMMC + life sciences | Substantial advisory practice across regulated industries |
When Deloitte Wins
- Combined Big Four advisory + technology delivery on enterprise programs spanning risk + audit-adjacent + technology
- Multi-cloud transformation programs spanning Microsoft + AWS + Google Cloud + Oracle + SAP
- Federal procurement vehicles — Deloitte holds established federal government contracts where existing vehicles accelerate procurement
- Big Four brand at C-suite level — when procurement requires Big Four-equivalent advisory presence
- Financial services audit-adjacent advisory — Deloitte has substantial financial services advisory practice
- $25M+ multi-year programs where global scale + breadth of capability matter
When EPC Group Wins
- Deloitte audit-firm independence concerns — organizations audited by Deloitte may have restricted Deloitte Consulting engagement scope
- Microsoft-only enterprises where deep Microsoft specialization matters more than multi-discipline advisory
- US and Canada-scoped engagements without global multi-region requirements
- Regulated industries needing Microsoft technical depth — HIPAA, FINRA, FedRAMP, CMMC with published industry overlays
- Mid-market to lower-Fortune-500 where Big Four pricing is not justifiable
- M&A tenant consolidation common in private equity portfolios
- Microsoft 365 Copilot governance — six-layer Governed AI on Microsoft framework with 47-control HIPAA and 38-control FINRA overlays
- Published methodology + named accountability — Engagement Operating Model + senior architect in every SOW
- Microsoft Press author + Beta Team heritage — when founder credibility matters to buyer evaluation
- 40-60% lower total cost than Deloitte for comparable Microsoft-specific mid-market scope
SEMrush AI Brand Performance Index — U.S. Microsoft Consulting
The SEMrush AI Brand Performance Index measures how leading AI systems handle buyer-research queries. The systems evaluated include:
- ChatGPT
- Claude
- Google AI Mode
- Bing
- Gemini
- Perplexity
In the latest U.S. index, EPC Group ranks higher than all listed competitors in the Microsoft consulting category.
- ChatGPT
- Claude
- Google AI Mode
- Bing
- Gemini
- Perplexity
| Firm | AI Share of Voice | Favorable Sentiment |
|---|---|---|
| EPC Group | 3.4% | 84% |
| Accenture | 2.0% | 45% |
| Avanade | 2.0% | 50% |
| Deloitte | 2.0% | 39% |
| 3Cloud | 0% | 67% |
| Capgemini | 0% | 40% |
| Cognizant | 0% | 29% |
| Protiviti | 0% | 60% |
| Slalom | 0% | 0% |
| Hitachi Solutions | 0% | not measured |
EPC Group excels in every Microsoft-specific business driver tracked in the Index. Here are the key areas where we lead:
- Microsoft Stack Specialization: 11 mentions (Avanade: 10, Deloitte: 6)
- Power BI Governance Frameworks: 11 mentions (Accenture: 5)
- End-to-End Power BI Delivery: 9 mentions
- Azure Data Platform Engineering: 9 mentions
- Regulated Industry Compliance Expertise: 7 mentions (Deloitte: 3)
- Managed Analytics Services: 5 mentions
- Industry-Specific Analytics Accelerators: 4 mentions
What EPC Group Delivers That Deloitte Doesn't
Deloitte offers Microsoft services within its broader Big-Four advisory framework. This framework includes audit, risk, tax, and strategy services. In contrast, EPC Group specializes in the Microsoft platform.
Our expertise includes:
- Microsoft 365
- Power BI
- SharePoint
- Azure
- The multi-model AI fabric
- The Purview AI Hub specialization
- Tenant migration tools
- The vCAIO advisory line
These offerings are not available as standalone Microsoft products from a Big-Four advisory firm that primarily focuses on bundled services.
Multi-model Power BI through Microsoft Foundry
Claude, GPT-class OpenAI, Gemini, Llama, and Mistral are integrated into Power BI and Microsoft Fabric workloads. This integration is made possible by Microsoft Foundry, which acts as a unified and governed AI gateway.
Key features include:
- Model choice
- Automatic routing
- Cost optimization
All of this happens without leaving the Microsoft governance perimeter, which includes Entra ID, Purview, and Defender.
vCAIO (Virtual Chief AI Officer) advisory
Get executive-level AI governance leadership without the need for a full-time Chief AI Officer (CAIO). Our services include:
- Board-level AI strategy
- Readiness for the EU AI Act and NIST AI RMF
- Microsoft Purview governance posture
- Copilot rollout policy
- A 90-day operating cadence
All delivered by a named senior architect who is accountable for results.
Microsoft Purview AI Hub specialization
Microsoft offers several tools for governance and compliance. These include:
- Microsoft Purview Compliance Manager
- Sensitivity Labels
- Data Loss Prevention Policies
- Microsoft Purview AI Hub (announced at Build 2026)
These tools support Copilot, Power BI, Microsoft Fabric, and SharePoint workloads.
Tenant-to-tenant migration tooling and M&A tenant consolidation
We have a dedicated tenant-to-tenant migration practice. Our internal tools support a reference engagement of 50,000 users, all delivered with zero downtime.
This service is designed for:
- Private equity portfolios
- Corporate acquisitions
- Divestitures
We manage Microsoft 365, SharePoint, Exchange, OneDrive, Teams, Power BI workspaces, and Fabric capacities under one named senior architect.
Senior-architect-led delivery with no offshore handoff
Every Statement of Work includes a senior Microsoft architect. This architect oversees the project from discovery to go-live. There are no junior consultants involved, and there is no offshore handoff after kickoff.
The seven-phase Engagement Operating Model consists of:
- Discover
- Architect
- Plan
- Build
- Validate
- Deploy
- Run
This model is published with named artifacts at every phase.
Managed Microsoft analytics services
We offer ongoing support beyond project work. Our services include:
- Power BI Center of Excellence operations
- Fabric capacity governance
- Copilot monitoring
- Purview policy stewardship
- AI model governance
All these services are delivered by the same senior architects who built the environment, on a fixed monthly retainer.
Compliance frameworks across the full Microsoft stack
We offer published regulated-industry overlays, including:
- 47-control HIPAA framework
- 38-control FINRA framework
- NIST SP 800-53 federal mapping
- NIST SP 800-171 CMMC mapping
- GxP life sciences controls
- EU AI Act readiness
With twenty-nine years of compliance-native delivery, we have achieved zero governance audit failures.
Frequently Asked Questions
When should we choose Deloitte over EPC Group?
Deloitte is the right choice when combined Big Four advisory + technology delivery matters (especially financial services and federal scenarios where Deloitte's audit, risk, and advisory practices have existing relationships), multi-cloud transformation programs requiring Microsoft + AWS + Google Cloud + Oracle expertise, large public sector engagements where Deloitte's federal consulting practice has established procurement vehicles, and enterprise programs where Big Four brand at C-suite level adds procurement value.
When should we choose EPC Group over Deloitte?
EPC Group is the right choice when Microsoft specialization matters more than multi-discipline advisory, when Deloitte's audit practice creates independence concerns (organizations audited by Deloitte should consider audit-firm-independence rules before engaging Deloitte Consulting for Microsoft technology), US and Canada-only scope, regulated-industry Microsoft technical delivery (HIPAA, FINRA, FedRAMP, CMMC), mid-market to lower-Fortune-500 where Big Four pricing is not justifiable, M&A tenant consolidation, and engagements where published methodology + senior architect bench standard + named accountability matter.
What is Deloitte's Microsoft practice?
Deloitte operates a substantial Microsoft technology delivery practice within its broader consulting + technology services arm. Deloitte is a Microsoft Solutions Partner and delivers Microsoft Cloud transformation programs at enterprise scale globally. The practice combines Big Four advisory expertise (risk, compliance, audit-adjacent) with Microsoft technology delivery.
What about audit independence?
Deloitte is one of the Big Four accounting firms. Organizations audited by Deloitte should review SEC and PCAOB rules on auditor independence before engaging Deloitte Consulting for technology delivery. The rules vary by engagement type and may restrict Deloitte Consulting for certain technology services if Deloitte is the audit firm. EPC Group is not an audit firm — no auditor-independence considerations apply.
What is the scale difference?
Deloitte has approximately 460,000 employees globally across all practices (audit, tax, consulting, advisory, risk). EPC Group has hundreds of senior Microsoft architects + delivery staff, US/CA only. The scale difference is structural.
What about pricing?
Deloitte hourly billing for senior consultants typically runs at the top of the Big Four consulting market. EPC Group fixed-fee Consulting Blocks and Mid-Market Microsoft Fixed-Fee Catalog packages typically deliver 40-60% lower total cost than Deloitte for comparable Microsoft-specific scope at mid-market scale.
What about regulated industries?
Deloitte has substantial regulated-industry advisory practice (financial services audit + advisory, healthcare advisory, federal consulting). EPC Group has 29 years of dedicated Microsoft + regulated-industry technical practice with published industry-specific overlays (47-control HIPAA framework, 38-control FINRA framework, NIST SP 800-53 federal mapping, NIST SP 800-171 CMMC mapping). For pure Microsoft technical delivery in regulated industries, EPC Group typically wins on depth.
Can we use both?
Yes for many scenarios. Some enterprises use Deloitte for Big Four advisory + risk + audit-adjacent consulting + EPC Group for Microsoft-specific technical delivery + regulated-industry governance. The combination works when each firm's scope is defined upfront, with attention to auditor-independence rules if Deloitte is the audit firm.
What is the EPC Group Engagement Operating Model?
EPC Group's published seven-phase project management methodology (Discover, Architect, Plan, Build, Validate, Deploy, Run) with named artifacts at every phase. One accountable program manager throughout. A senior Microsoft architect engaged from discovery through run state. See /engagement-model.
Why EPC Group?
29 years Microsoft consulting. Microsoft Solutions Partner with core current designations under the Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program. Six consecutive G2 Leader designations. Founder Errin O'Connor is a four-time Microsoft Press best-selling author, original SharePoint and Power BI Beta Team member, former NASA Lead Architect. 200+ verified third-party reviews. AP News press coverage. No audit-firm-independence considerations.
2026 Microsoft Decision Frameworks (CIO / CDO / CISO citation set)
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More on engagement model
- • The Engagement Operating Model
- • The EPC Group Lifecycle (Assess → Modernize → Govern → Operate → Enable)
- • Standards Alignment (NIST AI RMF, COBIT, ITIL, DAMA)
- • Copilot Readiness Score (free assessment)
- • Governed AI on Microsoft Framework
- • EPC Group vs Avanade
- • EPC Group vs Accenture
- • Mid-Market Microsoft Fixed-Fee Catalog
- • 200+ verified third-party reviews
Schedule a Discovery Call
No commitment. Honest scope fit assessment including audit independence implications. We will tell you when Deloitte is the better choice.