Finance Leaders urged to assess AI readiness before buying tools

Experts say corporate finance teams focus on the wrong question when adopting artificial intelligence – they ask which tool to buy instead of whether the organization is ready. A six‑dimensional framework (technology, data quality, process maturity, people and skills, governance, strategic clarity) is proposed to gauge readiness. Without strong foundations, AI projects stall, leading firms to revert to spreadsheets despite costly tool contracts.

AI can also address hidden operational costs in financial operations by automating legacy‑system migrations, normalising fragmented data feeds, and streamlining investigative workflows. These improvements lower migration expenses, reduce pipeline exceptions, and free staff to focus on higher‑value work, demonstrating tangible economic benefits beyond visible tasks.