Dates and location
Pricing
Hours
Dates and location
Pricing
Hours
Description
Repetitive client emails consume hours of billable time every week. In this hands-on session, you will build a working AI-powered email assistant that monitors your inbox, identifies common client inquiries, and drafts accurate replies automatically. Using a visual, no-code automation platform, you will walk through each step of the build - from connecting your email to configuring AI responses and logging every interaction for oversight. You will leave the session with a functional automation you can deploy at your firm immediately.
Technical Details:
- This session will introduce practitioners to n8n, a workflow automation platform commonly used to create AI agents and automated workflows. This tool is a common, easier to use alternative to tools like Zapier, Power Automate, or Make.com
- The platform has a 14-day trial period which will be used during the session – sign up instructions to be provided 1 week before the session. Do not sign up for the trial until you receive the instructions.
- The platform has a SOC 2 and 3 report available, and is completely secure with on-premises options, SSO SAML, and LDAP – conforming to all the latest security and compliance requirements for any tool that ingests client data.
No technical or programming background required.
Key Takeaways
Upon completion of this course, learners will be able to:
- Identify the most time-consuming, repetitive email tasks in a small or mid-size accounting practice and evaluate which are best suited for automation.
- Build a complete AI email automation from scratch using a visual, drag-and-drop workflow tool - no coding or programming experience required.
- Configure AI models to read incoming client emails, interpret the request, and generate accurate, professional draft responses.
- Implement oversight controls including response logging, human review steps, and fallback handling so the AI never sends something you haven’t approved.
- Understand cost and reliability considerations when using AI services, including how to set up backup models to keep your automation running 24/7.
- Leave with a working automation you can connect to your firm’s email account and start using the same week.
Who Will Benefit
CPAs at small to mid-size firms including sole practitioners, partners, managers who are looking to reduce time spent on routine client communications. No technical or programming background required.
How to Access the Course
This course is a live webinar. You must attend the live course to receive verifiable CPD hours. We recommend you join five minutes prior to the scheduled starting time. To get the full experience of this interactive course, use a computer that has video and microphone capabilities.
If available, course materials can be accessed 2 business days prior to the course and should be downloaded in advance.
Registration, cancellation, withdrawal and all other CPA Ontario PD policies can be found here.
Speaker(s)
Haaris Mian, M.Sc, is an Assistant Professor at the University of Waterloo’s School of Accounting and Finance, where he teaches, artificial intelligence, data analytics and accounting information systems. He holds postgraduate credentials in Computer Science with a specialization in Artificial Intelligence and is a member of various international AI governing bodies such as the International Association for Safe and Ethical AI (IASEAI) and has even been invited as a speaker to events like Canadian Tax Policy Symposium and the Paris AI Action Summit. Beyond the classroom, Haaris runs Blackframe AI Consulting, an AI and automation consulting practice that helps small and mid-size accounting firms streamline operations from client onboarding to fulfillment. His career spans software engineering, management consulting at Deloitte, and entrepreneurship, giving him a practical, hands-on perspective on how technology can solve real problems in public practice.