The Honest Comparison
Deloitte is one of the Big Four accounting and advisory firms with approximately 460,000 employees globally. EPC Group is a Microsoft-exclusive consulting firm with hundreds of senior consultants, founded in 1997. Both deliver Microsoft consulting, but at different scope, operating model, and (critically for audit clients) different independence implications.
Important: Audit Independence Consideration
If Deloitte is your audit firm: review SEC Rule 2-01 of Regulation S-X and PCAOB auditor-independence rules before engaging Deloitte Consulting for Microsoft technology delivery. Deloitte\'s audit and consulting practices share a parent firm. Certain technology services delivered by Deloitte Consulting may be restricted if Deloitte LLP is your audit firm — particularly for SEC-registered companies.
EPC Group is not an audit firm. No auditor-independence considerations apply. Engaging EPC Group for Microsoft technology delivery does not create audit-independence conflicts regardless of your audit firm.
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 | All six 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
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 all six 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.
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