Today’s demands have outpaced yesterday’s finance model. Discover the new AI-enabled approach that helps finance lead with impact.
Why the old finance model no longer works
Explore the challenges holding finance back—and the AI-enabled operating model that is helping leaders move faster, sharpen insights, and create more value.
Finance isn’t broken. But the way it operates is.
The traditional finance model—built for control and consistency—wasn’t designed for the cycles of disruption that dominate business today. Yet many teams still cling to outdated structures and “we’ve always done it this way” processes.
Meanwhile, the pressure keeps building: higher costs, growing risks, and demands for faster and more value-driving insights. AI and automation are transforming every corner of the enterprise—but these capabilities are moving faster than many finance teams can adapt. The result? Finance looks stuck while the rest of the business moves ahead.
What’s needed isn’t just new tools. Finance requires a new operating model—one designed for speed, agility, and intelligent decision-making. And the time to act is now.
CFOs and their teams continue to face persistent operating barriers, and these issues don’t exist in isolation—each reinforces the other. The most stubborn challenges include:
1 | Reimagining the model while running it:
Daily business demands leave little bandwidth for rolling out operating model improvements.
2 | Data is more chore than asset:
Fragmented, inconsistent data and legacy systems drain staff time and undermine trust in reporting and forecasting.
3 | Systems are multiplying, not integrating:
Disconnected tools create sprawl instead of scale, with new systems added on top of old silos.
4 | Falling behind on AI and automation:
AI is delivering real results at scale in many parts of the business, but finance often remains stuck on pilots or proof-of-concepts, unable to unlock value.
5 | Stuck in neutral:
Outdated cycles create gridlock, slowing decisions and eroding finance’s impact.
These challenges share a common root: an operating model built for a different era.
Overcoming these barriers requires more than process tweaks. It means rethinking how finance works. The AI-enabled finance operating model is a connected, insight-driven approach that aligns people, processes, data, and technology to deliver speed, accuracy, and impact. It reimagines finance’s three core functions:
AI agents and automation sit at the core—flagging anomalies, generating insights, and enabling real-time decision support. With clean data and a connected tech foundation, finance can move from reactive reporting to shaping the future.
Forward-looking companies aren’t waiting for perfect systems or all-in-one shifts from the old model to the new. They’re moving step by step, anchored by strong governance, bold leadership, and a clear roadmap.
Why the old finance model no longer works
Explore the challenges holding finance back—and the AI-enabled operating model that is helping leaders move faster, sharpen insights, and create more value.
Download PDFTransforming the finance operating model may feel like a leap too far, especially when leadership is already stretched thin. But waiting for steadier ground isn’t an option—the pace of change is only accelerating. The question isn’t if finance needs a new model, it’s how to get started.
The good news: Most organizations are further along than they think. You don’t need to rip and replace everything at once. Progress comes step by step:
Set a clear operating model anchored in Intelligent Finance—built for speed, agility, and end-to-end integration.
Clean, trusted data is the baseline for AI, automation, and sharper insights.
Move beyond pilots—make them core to how finance works.
Align data, systems, and AI workflows across the enterprise.
Target a high-impact pain point, prove the value, and build momentum.
Redefine roles and culture to embrace change, with CFOs leading the charge.
In a recent survey of clients by Source, KPMG was ranked the #1 firm for quality of work and recognized as the leading authority in risk consulting in the US. The firm was also named one of America’s best management consulting firms by Forbes.
1: Source Perceptions of Consulting in the US, 2025
2: Forbes Media LLC, 2025
3: Source Perceptions of Risk Firms in 2024
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KPMG LLP helps finance leaders prepare for the future of finance—where AI is embedded at the core of how work gets done. Our AI-powered approach unites deep experience in finance operations, enterprise transformation, and next-generation technologies. From automating core processes to modernizing data foundations and deploying AI at scale, we help clients build a finance model that is faster, more agile, and ready for the changes ahead. If you’re ready to shape the next generation of finance, we’re here to help. Let’s take the first step together.
