AI is playing an increasingly integral role in finance teams—but many organizations still have low adoption rates. Read on to learn five key ways to use AI for financial analysis to drive greater results.
Bruno J. Navarro
Senior Editorial Strategist, Finance
Workday
Financial analysis is at a turning point. As technology advances, traditional approaches to analysis—built mostly on spreadsheets and manual processes—struggle to meet the complex demands of modern business. Artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a game-changer, enabling finance teams to work smarter, faster, with higher accuracy, and at greater scale than ever.
AI for financial analysis is no longer a futuristic concept—it’s becoming a competitive imperative. Gartner reports 58% of finance teams were using AI in 2024, up 21% from the year prior.
In this article, we’ll explore the evolution of AI in financial planning and analysis and its key features. We’ll walk step-by-step through five powerful ways AI can elevate the role of finance in strategic decision making, plus actionable ways to start implementing AI today.
Better data-driven decision-making capabilities are the top driver of AI in the finance function.
Report
Financial analysis has always been about finding patterns, making predictions, and guiding decisions. What’s changing now is how we do it. AI is making analysis faster, smarter, and more accurate, giving finance teams the tools to focus on what matters most: strategy and results.
Here are five ways your team can use AI for financial analysis:
Start by identifying which workflows in your financial operations consume the most significant time and resources. Tasks like account reconciliations, invoice processing, and monthly financial reporting are prime candidates for automation. Tools with embedded AI can handle these repetitive processes with precision, reducing the risk of errors and speeding up completion times.
To implement automation effectively, map out your existing processes and determine which steps can be replaced or supported with AI. With the basics handled automatically by AI, you can direct your team’s efforts to deeper analysis, strategic planning, and high-value projects.
Forecasting is one of the most critical aspects of financial analysis, and AI can make it significantly more accurate and actionable. By leveraging machine learning algorithms, you can analyze historical data alongside real-time inputs to predict future performance with greater confidence. This can include cash flow projections, revenue trends, and risk assessments (among others).
To get started, identify the metrics that matter most to your business goals. Train AI models on past data to generate forecasts and run scenario analyses to prepare for various outcomes. Keep in mind that predictive analytics works best when combined with human expertise—use forecasts as a starting point, but refine them based on your team’s knowledge of the business.
Financial decisions often hinge on timing. AI enables you to monitor financial data as it’s generated, providing real-time data insights into performance metrics, cost trends, and potential risks. This will help you move from reactive to proactive decision-making.
Set up dashboards that provide a live view of your KPIs. Use them to track metrics like revenue growth, expense ratios, and market fluctuations. Then, regularly review these dashboards with your team to ensure everyone is ready and confident to make data-driven decisions on the spot. Real-time insights aren’t just about spotting issues—they’re about acting on opportunities as they arise.
Read it in action: McLaren Racing puts finance in the driver’s seat for decision-making and planning.
Financial data doesn’t always come in neat spreadsheets. Annual reports, earnings call transcripts, and market analyses often hold valuable insights, but extracting those insights from unstructured data is time-consuming and difficult. AI tools equipped with natural language processing (NLP) can analyze unstructured data quickly and highlight the most relevant information.
Start by integrating NLP solutions into your existing workflows. NLP can summarize lengthy reports, flag risks mentioned in text, or identify trends in market sentiment. These tools allow you to make sense of large volumes of data quickly and use it to inform decisions. In turn, your team can utilize actionable insights that might otherwise take hours to uncover.
AI quickly analyzes large volumes of data, extracting insights that may otherwise take hours to uncover.
Platforms built on AI technology are designed to make complex financial data accessible and actionable. Tools for finance professionals that offer centralized data visualization, interactive querying, and advanced analytics can help you uncover trends and insights faster while fostering greater collaboration within your team.
Begin by implementing an FP&A solution that aligns with your specific needs. Train your team to use AI effectively, highlighting the value it can offer them and ensuring they know how to generate insights and share findings easily. By using AI to simplify how your finance team handles data, you’ll make analysis more efficient and impactful across the board.
Read it in action: Blackbaud consolidates systems for single-view of financial data and drives collaboration across corporate teams.
Adopting AI in financial analysis comes with undeniable advantages, such as saving time and improved anomaly detection, but it’s not without its challenges. Successfully integrating AI requires careful planning, clear communication, and a proactive approach to overcoming potential obstacles. Understanding those hurdles and the best practices for tackling them is key for any successful implementation.
AI represents a major change to the status quo. Any business looking to implement AI—particularly at scale—should be aware of the following challenges:
The best way to deal with challenges is, as ever, to be proactive. Here are five different ways that finance teams can prepare best for widespread AI usage:
1. Start with a clear plan: Define what you aim to achieve with AI and focus on specific use cases that align with your business goals. Whether your objective is improving forecasting accuracy or automating workflows, setting clear goals helps you measure success and keeps the team aligned.
2. Take a phased approach: Don’t try to overhaul your financial processes all at once. Begin with small, manageable projects to test the technology and prove its value. This allows you to identify and address issues early, building confidence in AI’s capabilities before scaling up.
3. Prioritize security from day one: Work with IT and compliance teams to ensure robust data protection measures are in place. This includes encrypting sensitive information, limiting access based on roles, and monitoring for potential breaches.
4. Train your team early and often: Equip your team with the skills and knowledge they need to use AI tools effectively. Offer training programs, hands-on workshops, and ongoing support to make the transition seamless. Focus on showing how AI can complement their work rather than replace it.
5. Monitor progress and adjust: AI implementation is not a set-it-and-forget-it process. Regularly review performance against your goals, gather feedback from users, and refine your approach as needed. This ensures continuous improvement and long-term success.
By tackling challenges head-on and adopting these best practices, you can unlock the full potential of AI in financial analysis. The result? A finance team that’s more efficient, strategic, and ready to drive better outcomes for your business.
Workday has transformed the way we operate as a business, so we’re more agile and efficient. It’s a true partnership, and we’re excited to innovate together.
Zak Brown
CEO, McLaren Racing
Integrating AI tools for financial analysis requires leadership, strategy, and a commitment to long-term finance transformation. AI implementation is not a one-time initiative, but an ongoing process that demands attention to detail, clear planning, and continuous refinement.
Finance leaders must establish a detailed roadmap that ensures AI initiatives align with organizational goals. This includes creating a structure where AI tools complement the expertise of your team rather than overshadow it. The most successful AI implementations are those where technology and human insight work together hand in hand.
The right tools are essential to make this happen. Financial management platforms with embedded AI are designed to support finance professionals and enhance their ability to create value for their organizations, both as individuals and as larger teams.
Learn more about how Workday can help you transform your finance team with our AI solutions.
Report
A gap between effort and impact is the real ROI problem. Discover the solution.