Speaking at the Gartner Enterprise Risk, Audit & Compliance Conference taking place in Grapevine today, James Bourke, Director Analyst, Research, in the Gartner Audit & Risk Practice, said high adoption does not necessarily mean audit buyers are getting what they need.
James Bourke, Director Analyst, Gartner presenting at the Gartner Enterprise Risk, Audit and Compliance Conference 2026 in Grapevine, Texas.
Satisfaction varies considerably across the capabilities audit teams use most frequently (see Figure 1). The 1H26 Gartner Audit Budget and Efficiency Benchmark includes insights from 259 audit departments based on rolling data collected between 2024 and April 15, 2026. The respondent base for the capabilities shown ranged from 134 to 143 AMS users.
Figure 1: Satisfaction with AMS Capabilities
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Source: Gartner (September 2026)
“Buying decisions are often driven by what a platform can theoretically support, while implementation success depends on how teams actually operate,” said Bourke. “That’s one reason capability comparisons alone rarely tell the full story.”
Start with Workflows, Not Features
“The best AMS projects recognize the potential for competing perspectives early,” said Bourke. “Rather than waiting until vendor selection, successful organizations align stakeholders first and evaluate vendors second.”
