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The Crunch time series for CFOs
Practical guides to modernizing the finance function
Whatever your interest, one thing is clear: From cloud computing and robotics to analytics, cognitive technologies, and blockchain, a new class of digital disruptors is transforming how the work of Finance gets done.
Explore Content
- Finance Digital World and Innovation Lab series
- Crunch time 9:Tax in a digital world
- Additional crunch time reports
- Digital transformation - video
- Digital tools for CFOs
Deloitte + HighRadius deliver autonomous finance of the future
What if Finance delivered more value and demanded less attention? That’s the vision – going beyond automating task-specific processes to a state where automation helps drive an entire enterprise function—not with comparable results, but with better ones.
Discover “Turn out the lights – and turn on the power of AI”
The NExT frontiers in technology transformation
Generative AI, language models, machine learning, augmented reality, quantum computing: These hot topics are everywhere, and they likely aren’t going away. Everywhere you turn, it seems like someone is testing the abilities of consumer-facing generative AI applications and learning their limitations … and potential. And everyone—including Finance leaders—could be wondering what these technologies mean for their work and for the future.
It's time to get serious about data
It seems fundamental: Of course, data is vital. No finance leader would say differently—until you ask about other priorities. There’s cost management and performance. Growth. Talent. Compliance. And on goes the list. But can you master those areas if you don’t have your data under control? No matter what people say or do, data really is central. Do you treat it that way? It’s time for CFOs to get serious about data.
Lights Out Finance™
Lights Out Finance™ is about working smarter. It’s time to take a lights out approach to your back-office finance operations with touchless processes and intelligent automation. You might even be surprised to learn that you have many of the resources to become truly digital—it’s just a matter of fine-tuning the dials. Ready to flip the switch?
The finance workforce of now
What do finance workers want? We asked them about topics like flexibility, compensation, and meaningful work. Their answers reveal trends that are forging the workforce of the future. Creating a truly dynamic finance function will require the effective management of this future workforce. It will take an understanding of what they really do—and why.
The future of Finance is Dynamic
External forces like market shocks, industry consolidation and convergence, technology acceleration, and new regulatory requirements are shaping the future of Finance, requiring organisations to adapt. As a Finance leader, how can you prepare the Finance function to thrive in the face of these disruptions? Our Crunch time report takes an in-depth look at how CFOs can transform their Finance function into a resilient, integrated organisation that adapts quickly for the future.
Untangling capital allocation
Allocation of capital can be complex. Shifting priorities, external pressures, trade-offs, and stakeholder interest show no signs of abating. A changing world means more complexity, not less. Our Crunch time report takes an in-depth look at how CFOs can understand, simplify, and improve their organisation’s capital allocation process.
Finance 2025 revisited
Change in the business world is nothing new, but today’s realities do indeed feel different. With so many potential investment opportunities—and so much in the market still left uncertain—CFOs are scrambling to make sense of it all. What do current trends suggest about the future of Finance? Where are technology and automation heading in the near term? What can finance leaders do now to seize emerging opportunities and mitigate risks? These are among the questions we examine in our new Crunch time report, Finance 2025 revisited.
Business Planning in a connected world
What if you, as CFO, could combine multiple business planning processes into one integrated approach—resulting in a plan all key functional leaders are committed to and measured against? And what if digital tools supporting that plan, combined with human insight, could show you in real time the impact of financial, operating, and commercial decisions? Our new Crunch time report examines how.
Revolutionising enterprise service delivery
What if you, as CFO, could combine multiple business planning processes into one integrated approach—resulting in a plan all key functional leaders are committed to and measured against? And what if digital tools supporting that plan, combined with human insight, could show you in real time the impact of financial, operating, and commercial decisions? Our new Crunch time report examines how.
The CFO guide to tackling data challenges
Faced with the challenge of connecting and analyzing data from multiple sources, you might think you need to overhaul your core technology platforms. A large-scale ERP implementation is one way to handle the problem. But it’s not your only option.
Revolutionizing enterprise service delivery
Faced with the challenge of promoting growth, efficiency, and agility in the midst of shrinking budgets, many CFOs are taking a fresh look at service delivery structures. Cost efficiencies are table stakes. Boosting enterprise resiliency and leveraging digital disruptors are the new frontier.
Download "The CFO guide to revolutionizing enterprise service delivery"
The CFO guide to Oracle Cloud
Digital platforms can make finance organizations faster and more effective than ever before. But the devil is in the details. What’s the right digital architecture for your company? When are you ready to begin implementation? How can new technology help you keep pace with expanding business and regulatory requirements—or even meet challenges posed by a global public health crisis? As you consider your options, you’ll want to take a look at Oracle Cloud.
The finance workforce in a digital world
The technology coming into finance is changing what humans do and how they do it, sometimes a lot. But that doesn’t necessarily mean wholesale workforce changes. CFOs need to align today’s finance talent to the promise of tomorrow’s technologies—while still maintaining a workforce that can fulfil all the company’s basic financial and regulatory requirements. That’s no easy feat. But those who get it right stand to benefit enormously.
Download "Crunch time XI: The finance workforce in a digital world"
The CFO guide to SAP S/4HANA®
For many CFOs, deciding when and how to implement SAP S/4HANA could be the most significant technology investment choices of their career. It’s a big deal. SAP HANA® is SAP's brand of in-memory computing, a technology that handles massive data sets without breaking a sweat. SAP® built its latest next-generation intelligent ERP (SAP S/4HANA) around this technology. SAP launched SAP S/4HANA in 2015 and plans to stop supporting older ERP versions on December 31, 2027. SAP reports more than 12,000 customers have committed to SAP S/4HANA.¹
Download "Crunch time X: The CFO guide to SAP S/4HANA"
Additional Crunch Time reports
Crunch time IX: Tax in a digital world
Organizations plow millions into upgrading their ERP systems. But when it comes to Tax, not a lot changes. Many tax departments have all but missed out on technology modernization—leaving the entire organization facing operational, fiscal, and managerial disadvantages.
When Tax is modernized, it shifts from being mostly a compliance function to a high-value planning and reporting function. The result? CFOs may find that they can have it all – a high-performing, efficient tax department that’s tightly integrated with Finance and the rest of the organization.
Crunch time VIII: The CFO guide to Cloud
At just about every organisation across every industry, the cloud is top-of-mind in the C-suite.
With 93 percent of organisations either adopting or considering the cloud, it is essential for CFOs to determine its value proposition and its implications for accounting, contracting, security/risk, and other areas of the business.
As CFO, you know cloud will be part of the future, whether driven by the need for innovation, cost reduction, or both. By making more effective cloud decisions, you may get a jump on competitors in terms of innovation, agility, and cost.
Crunch Time VII: Reporting in a digital world
Imagine a future where executives no longer rely on binders of static data to inform their decisions, and where reporting – both external and internal – is intelligent, interactive, and real-time. This guide looks at how companies are using today’s digital tools to upgrade their reporting processes to get better information distributed faster – and at a substantially lower cost.
Crunch time VI: Forecasting in a digital world
Organizations are shifting to forecasting processes that involve people working symbiotically with data-fueled, predictive algorithms. It’s all made possible by new technologies— advanced analytics platforms, in-memory computing, and artificial intelligence (AI) tools, including machine learning.
Today, these technologies in the hands of expert forecasting talent give companies the ability to discover things they’ve always wanted to know—as well as things they didn’t know they didn’t know—with more confidence and speed.
Crunch Time V: Finance 2025
Whether it’s phone apps, home automation, or cashless commerce, digital disruption is the new normal for consumers today. It’s changing what we do – and how we get things done – in countless ways.
What does this have to do with the future of Finance? Everything.
The technologies needed to reimagine Finance are here and will only get better. Plus, we can learn a lot from other business functions. Modern factories give us a glimpse of what automation can deliver. Smart contracts show us new ways of tracking assets. The lessons are out there, we don’t have to reinvent the wheel. We can focus instead on adapting and adopting.
Crunch Time IV: Blockchain for Finance—what CFOs need to know
"Blockchain for Finance" is a practical guide for finance organizations that want to understand options for blockchain and make effective decisions about moving forward. It features more than a dozen frequently asked questions finance teams can use to make sense of blockchain technology, as well as a high-level roadmap for adoption. It also includes a seven-point checklist for CFOs who are thinking about embarking on the blockchain journey.
Crunch Time III: The CFO’s guide to cognitive technology
"The CFO’s guide to cognitive technology" provides a collection of examples based on currently available technologies we’ve seen companies begin to test and adopt, in addition to our experience working with many finance organisations that are devoting more resources—financial and human—to deploying new technologies in these early days of cognitive.
Download "Crunch Time III: CFO's guide to cognitive technology"
Crunch Time II: CFOs talk off the record
In the follow-up report, Crunch time II: CFOs talk off the record about finance in a digital world, 30 CFOs share their unfiltered thoughts and experiences around a broader discussion of finance and what it means to make the digital journey. Deloitte knows that one way to stay abreast of new developments is to join in focused conversations with other finance leaders, across multiple industries and geographies, so this is a good place to start.
Crunch Time I: Finance in digital world
Deloitte's original point of view, Crunch time: Finance in a digital world-based on extensive research with finance executives, including in-depth interviews with CFOs of global businesses - explores the various digital disruptors and may be the quickest way to understand what's in store for finance organisations as they hurtle toward the future.
Digital transformation
No matter what future you see ahead for your finance organisation, one thing is sure. If business leaders around you are going to compete in the digital world, they will need to process more information more efficiently, and turn that information into deeper insights faster than ever. It will likely require new technology—and a group of people who are curious and skilled in using it.
Digital tools for CFOs
Some of the new digital tools available to finance focus specifically on updating core systems and existing capabilities. Other tools, "exponentials", are designed to deliver new and different capabilities. Together, they form a toolset finance can use to improve its own performance and serve the business more effectively, especially when they are used together.
Our research suggest that seven technologies have growing interaction and relevance for how the work of finance get done:
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Cloud Cloud is a kind of computing that uses scalable, elastic technology to deliver services over the internet. Instead making large investments up front, finance can get the full stack of finance functionality “as-a-service,” delivered through public, private, or hybrid clouds. |
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Process robotics Process robotics automates transaction processing and communication across multiple technology systems. Robots perform recurring processes just like humans, but with less risk of errors and fatigue. |
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Visualization Visualization refers to the innovative use of images and interactive technology to explore large, high-density data sets. Visualization suites complement business intelligence and analytics platforms, offering rich graphics, interactivity, and usability on par with leading consumer experiences. |
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Advanced analytics Analytics has long been part of the finance arsenal, but new techniques are helping business people tackle the crunchy questions with insightful answers. Often that means combing through big data to see patterns that suggest future opportunities. |
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Cognitive computing Cognitive computing and artificial intelligence (AI) simulate human thinking. This technology includes machine learning, natural language processing, speech recognition, and computer vision. |
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In-memory computing In-memory computing refers to storing data in main memory to get faster response times. And because the data is compressed, storage requirements are reduced. The result? Speed and access to quantities of data that were previously unimaginable. |
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Blockchain Blockchain is a digital distributed ledger, where transactions are verified and securely stored on a network of distributed and connected nodes, without a governing central authority. |
"CFOs can leverage digital transformation tools to improve finance operations’ performance and provide better insight to the business—faster."
Talent essentials for digital transformation
The growth of digital business is already reshaping the talent marketplace, far beyond finance. As organisations seek to upgrade their workforces in all areas, they are placing a premium on people with relationship and analytical skills, who can also understand the business. Talent essentials for digital transformation includes:
- Leadership: A sharp view into the future and a clear roadmap for getting there
- Culture: Less predictability, more experimentation and innovation
- New skills: Technology savviness combined with business understanding
- Engagement: An opportunity to learn, grow, and innovate for digital natives or Millennials
“Digital transformation is fundamentally human-centric because it’s about imagining new ways of value creation. For that to happen, people have to be digital enablers as well as users of new digital capabilities.”
Framing the future
Which path makes sense for you? What kind of roadmap will you need to realise the benefits of digital transformation? In the end, organisations will need to chart their own courses. But no matter which future you envision, the leaders will likely be those who figure out how to make digital work for finance—and for the whole business, too.
“Not having a roadmap would be really dangerous these days because the pace of transformation is speeding up in every industry. Be on the lookout for quick wins and use them to validate your direction.”
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Hoping for growth, but more cautious
The Deloitte CFO Survey Switzerland – second half-year 2024