Sometimes, innovation success stories can be a bit myopic, focusing too narrowly on a single shiny campaign or headline-worthy results. But real innovation management at a large organization like Forvis Mazars is a long-term strategic journey. It requires a macro perspective to truly understand what’s needed to deliver sustainable, meaningful results.
In this ongoing case study, we’re sharing the full journey of Forvis Mazars’ innovation program—the good, the bad, and everything in between. Last year, we caught up with the team one year after the launch of their EUREKA! platform to explore how they established a strong foundation of engagement and participation.
Now, two years on, I reconnected with Denny Ard, John Yoo, and Emma Briley from the U.S.-based EDGE team, which runs the EUREKA! program. They shared how the program has evolved, built on its early successes, and achieved new milestones while continuing to foster a culture of innovation across the organization.
Setting the Scene: Laying the Foundation for an Innovation Management Program
A year ago, FORVIS was a new name in the professional services world, formed from the merger of BKD and DHG in 2022. With innovation as a key priority, the firm had already begun harnessing the power of its new EUREKA! platform, powered by Qmarkets’ idea management software Q-ideate, to gather ideas and drive improvements across the business. In our first interview with the team, we explored how they were building the foundations of their innovation program. If you missed it, you can read the first part of the story here.
Since then, FORVIS has had another significant rebirth. Following the formation of a $5B global network with Mazars, the organization now named Forvis Mazars is benefitting from greater opportunities for collaboration on a global scale. While the U.S. firm continues to navigate the complexities of integration within this newly established network, its innovation program has not only remained strong but has gained remarkable momentum.
Challenges & Opportunities: Post-Merger Integration
The past year has been a transformative one for Forvis Mazars in the United States. Following the integration of Mazars US and its employees into the organization in 2024, the firm has navigated the complexities of aligning systems, processes, and teams under a unified vision while continuing to adapt to its role within a newly formed global network. Yet, even amid these challenges, innovation was never sidelined.
While much of the organization’s energy was focused on integration, the leadership team made a concerted effort to keep innovation on the agenda. This culminated in a strategic declaration from the CEO naming FY2025 as the firm’s “Year of Optimization.” With integration efforts largely behind them, the focus shifted to streamlining operations and accelerating innovation across the business.
Through it all, Forvis Mazars has stayed the course, navigating the complexities of its transformation while reinforcing its commitment to innovation as a cornerstone of its strategy.
EUREKA! in 2024: Key Results
Over the past year, Forvis Mazars’ innovation program has delivered remarkable results, reflecting the firm’s dedication to fostering a culture of creativity and collaboration. With a growing number of engaged participants and a significant expansion in the platform’s scope, the program has made a measurable impact across the organization.
The integration of Mazars US added over 1,000 new users to the platform, bringing the total user base to more than 7,000. Despite this rapid growth, engagement has surged, with participation increasing from 48% to an impressive 58%. These figures underscore a growing enthusiasm for innovation, as employees actively contribute their ideas and collaborate on solutions.
The platform’s impact is further highlighted by its growing activity:
These numbers are a testament to the way employees across the organization have embraced the program as a key driver of innovation, even during a period of significant organizational change.
EUREKA! in 2024: A Recipe for Success
Behind these successes lies a series of strategic enhancements to the EUREKA! program that align perfectly with Qmarkets’ own best practices for maximizing participation and effectiveness. Forvis Mazars has focused on refining processes and expanding the platform’s capabilities in six key areas:
1. Leadership Buy-In & Engagement by Example
One of the most exciting developments during this period was the announcement of the firm’s first CEO-sponsored innovation campaign on the EUREKA! platform. Focused on identifying opportunities for optimization, this campaign is a clear signal of top-level leadership’s commitment both to innovation in general and to the company’s EUREKA! platform in particular.
2. Varied & Engaging Campaigns
Forvis Mazars has significantly broadened the scope of its innovation initiatives, introducing new types of campaigns tailored to specific needs. These include:
- Demographic-specific campaigns, such as those targeting interns or new hires, to engage diverse groups of employees in a safe and supportive environment.
- Committee-led campaigns, addressing topics like employee engagement and emerging technologies.
- Busy season debrief campaigns, which gathered thousands of ideas across six categories to capture valuable insights following the busiest period of the year. Traditionally handled through CRM tools, these insights are now centralized in EUREKA!, showcasing the platform’s flexibility and adaptability.
These varied use cases demonstrate EUREKA!’s potential to meet the unique needs of different teams and departments, making it a versatile tool for driving innovation.
3. Integrating for Enhanced Communication
One of the most impactful enhancements has been the integration of EUREKA! with Axios HQ, the firm’s communication platform. Weekly updates and nudges now keep participants engaged throughout the duration of each campaign, transforming them from isolated events into ongoing initiatives. This multi-touchpoint approach has maintained interest and momentum, keeping employees informed and motivated to participate.
4. Embedding Gamification, Rewards, & Recognition
The integration of the BRAVO! points system has added a tangible layer of recognition and gamification to the program. Contributors earn points that can be redeemed for perks such as gift cards, while top contributors are celebrated through awards and recognition programs, including:
- Annual Awards: Honoring top contributors as Innovators of the Year.
- Quarterly Recognition: Highlighting standout performers across various campaigns.
- Campaign Manager Rewards: Empowering leaders to recognize and incentivize their teams.
This emphasis on acknowledgment has fostered a culture where contributions to innovation are both valued and celebrated.
5. Leveraging In-Person Events
Forvis Mazars embraced its new global network, unlocking opportunities for collaboration with colleagues worldwide. The EDGE team used the United Innovators conference in Paris and London, attended by representatives from 15 countries, as an opportunity to embrace its new global network. They performed demonstrations of the EUREKA! platform to their international colleagues, generating enthusiasm and highlighting its potential to support innovation efforts across the broader network.
6. Dedicated Training & Platform Inclusivity
Innovation has become a central component of employee development at Forvis Mazars. The EUREKA! platform is now embedded into training programs for new hires, managers, and rotational cohorts, equipping employees to engage with the platform effectively.
Demographic-specific campaigns have further strengthened inclusivity. For example, a campaign targeting the Kansas City office’s interns empowered participants to provide meaningful feedback on improving their experience at the firm. These efforts have reinforced the company’s commitment to fostering an environment where everyone feels encouraged to contribute.
What’s Next? Future Goals & Challenges
As Forvis Mazars looks to the future, it aims to build on its successes while addressing emerging challenges. A key goal is to make the EUREKA! platform an integral part of employees’ workflows. While the current engagement rate of 58% is already impressive, the firm envisions a future where most employees routinely interact with the platform as part of their regular activities on a weekly basis. This will help ensure that innovation becomes even more deeply embedded in the organization’s culture and processes.
We see the EUREKA! platform being a key component of Forvis Mazars US going forward. Our ability to leverage this platform to crowdsource ideas from our people is a key component for us to execute our mission to build remarkable careers for our people and to provide an Unmatched Client Experience®.
Another focus for the coming year will be consolidating ideas from various sources into the EUREKA! platform. Submissions often originate in places like Microsoft Teams or email, and centralizing these insights will be essential to ensure no valuable contributions are lost. Encouraging employees to use EUREKA! as the primary hub for idea collection will streamline the process and enhance the program’s impact.
One of the cool things that has happened is we now have global innovation resources to tap into.
Global collaboration is likely to play an increasingly prominent role. As mentioned earlier, a key highlight of the past year was Forvis Mazars’ United Innovators conference, where employees from 15 countries gathered to share ideas and explore opportunities for innovation. The U.S.-based EDGE team showcased the EUREKA! platform to their international colleagues, generating significant interest and sparking discussions about potential global adoption.
The opportunity to collaborate internationally is a game-changer for us.
These efforts align with the firm’s broader strategy of leveraging its global network to drive innovation across regions and explore shared challenges.
At the same time, the firm is focused on how the platform can align with strategic priorities, such as leveraging emerging technologies like AI, and contribute to broader innovation health metrics.
EUREKA! allows us to leverage the knowledge of our people to create road maps and think about future opportunities for emerging technologies.
These priorities reflect Forvis Mazars’ continued commitment to advancing its innovation journey, ensuring that the program not only drives operational excellence but also supports its vision of delivering exceptional client experiences and building remarkable careers for its people.
An Innovaton Journey Accelerating Forward
Reflecting on my conversation with Denny and his team, it’s clear that Forvis Mazars’ innovation program is going from strength to strength. A few key takeaways stood out during our discussion:
1. Leadership commitment to innovation is unmistakable.
From the CEO’s direct involvement in driving the upcoming EUREKA! campaign to the EDGE team’s dedication to fostering engagement, it’s evident that innovation is a core priority for Forvis Mazars. This top-down support has created an environment where employees feel empowered to contribute and collaborate.
2. The program’s adaptability is a critical strength.
The expansion of use cases—whether it’s targeted busy season debriefs, demographic-specific campaigns, or the integration of EUREKA! into training—shows that the platform is capable of addressing a diverse range of needs. This flexibility helps ensure the program remains relevant and impactful across the organization.
3. Building a culture of collaboration & recognition has been transformative.
Initiatives like gamification, the BRAVO! rewards system, and the increased use of communication tools like Axios HQ have turned innovation into a shared, engaging experience for employees at all levels.
Interested in finding out more about EUREKA!? Join Denny and the EDGE team on April 24th for an exclusive webinar when they’ll share valuable insights into managing a successful enterprise innovation program. Register today to secure your spot.
