Browse Definitions :
Definition

Big 4

What is the Big 4?

The Big 4 are the four largest international accounting and professional services firms. They are Deloitte, EY, KPMG and PwC. Each provides audit, tax, consulting and financial advisory services to major corporations.

What is the history behind the Big 4?

The Big 4 firms have been around for over a century and are known for their high-quality services and deep expertise. Each of these firms has teams of experienced professionals who specialize in areas such as taxation, mergers and acquisitions (M&A), corporate restructuring, intellectual property protection, risk management, cybersecurity and more.

The Big 4 are known for their commitment to excellence and have earned a reputation for integrity and trustworthiness. They employ thousands of people around the world and attract top talent from universities, law schools and business schools. They also provide internship opportunities, which can help students gain valuable insights into the accounting profession.

What types of organizations work with the Big 4?

The Big 4 work with many types of organizations across industries, including technology companies, healthcare organizations, retail establishments, government entities, nonprofit organizations and financial institutions. Their clients include Fortune 500 companies and small and medium-sized businesses.

What services do the Big 4 provide?

Overall, the Big 4 is an important part of the global economy and provides important financial services to organizations worldwide. They play a critical role in helping companies manage risk, reduce costs, increase efficiency, maximize profits and remain competitive in today's market.

Auditing services

The Big 4 audits the majority of all publicly traded companies. This helps to ensure that these companies are accurately reporting their financial data and following applicable laws and regulations.

Financial services

In addition, the Big 4 firms provide a variety of other financial services, such as assisting with M&A, preparing tax returns, developing risk management strategies, providing legal advice and more.

7 principles of corporate government
The Big 4 assist organizations with accurately reporting their financial data and following applicable laws and regulations. Also, they have led several research initiatives on topics like sustainability and corporate governance.

Thought leadership

The Big 4 also has a presence in the media and often provides insight into current issues in the accounting profession. They are active contributors to industry publications, blogs, conferences and other outlets. They have led several research initiatives on topics such as sustainability and corporate governance.

quality assurance checklist
Big 4 firms offer quality assurance and consulting services to their clients.

Quality assurance and consulting

Finally, each of the Big 4 firms provides quality assurance and consulting services to their clients, which involve verifying that a company's processes are accurate and up to date. As consultants, they focus on helping a company improve operations or develop new strategies.

These services can be invaluable for businesses looking to become more competitive in their respective markets.

See three reasons why CISOs should collaborate more with CFOs, and learn three strategies for better finance-IT collaboration.

This was last updated in February 2023

Continue Reading About Big 4

Networking
  • port address translation (PAT)

    Port address translation (PAT) is a type of network address translation (NAT) that maps a network's private internal IPv4 ...

  • network fabric

    'Network fabric' is a general term used to describe underlying data network infrastructure as a whole.

  • loose coupling

    Loose coupling is an approach to interconnecting the components in a system, network or software application so that those ...

Security
  • total risk

    Total risk is an assessment that identifies all the risk factors associated with pursuing a specific course of action.

  • steganography

    Steganography is the technique of hiding data within an ordinary, nonsecret file or message to avoid detection; the hidden data ...

  • triple extortion ransomware

    Triple extortion ransomware is a type of ransomware attack where a cybercriminal extorts their victim multiple times, namely by ...

CIO
  • microtargeting

    Microtargeting (also called micro-niche targeting) is a marketing strategy that uses consumer data and demographics to identify ...

  • business process

    A business process is an activity or set of activities that accomplish a specific organizational goal. Business processes should ...

  • business process improvement (BPI)

    Business process improvement (BPI) is a practice in which enterprise leaders analyze their business processes to identify areas ...

HRSoftware
  • employee onboarding and offboarding

    Employee onboarding involves all the steps needed to get a new employee successfully deployed and productive, while offboarding ...

  • skill-based learning

    Skill-based learning develops students through hands-on practice and real-world application.

  • gamification

    Gamification is a strategy that integrates entertaining and immersive gaming elements into nongame contexts to enhance engagement...

Customer Experience
  • Microsoft Dynamics 365

    Dynamics 365 is a cloud-based portfolio of business applications from Microsoft that are designed to help organizations improve ...

  • Salesforce Commerce Cloud

    Salesforce Commerce Cloud is a cloud-based suite of products that enable e-commerce businesses to set up e-commerce sites, drive ...

  • Salesforce DX

    Salesforce DX, or SFDX, is a set of software development tools that lets developers build, test and ship many kinds of ...

Close