First, begin with clarity about what is real, and what is hype

I often hear finance leaders ask, “Where is AI truly making a difference today?” It’s a fair question. With so much noise in the market, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. That’s why I refer to tangible use cases.

For example, companies are using AI to detect anomalies in expense reports or analyse millions of invoices to pinpoint process gaps. AI is custom-made for this type of strategic analysis of vast datasets. What also makes these examples powerful is that they automate manual work, solve real problems, and deliver outcomes that matter—faster processing, fewer errors, and better compliance.

To achieve results with AI, you also need to build trust into every step

Especially in finance, where trust is your currency, it is important to be transparent about how your models are trained, how decisions are made, and what data is being used. At SAP, we build responsible AI principles into our solutions from day one—including explainability, fairness, and data privacy.

I often tell leaders: Don’t treat trust as a secondary consideration. Make it fundamental. You’ll make progress more quickly in the long term because your teams—and your stakeholders—will be confident in what your AI is doing.

Let AI agents solve complex problems

AI agents are not just chatbots, which only answer questions or demonstrate skills such as number crunching. Agents are proactive digital assistants that help you accomplish end-to-end tasks. As a finance leader, if you wish to gain a competitive edge, you need to get involved with agents and start benefiting from what they can offer.

At SAP, our Joule agents are becoming more powerful across our applications and are increasingly interoperable across first- and third-party data and ecosystems. And we recently announced two new agents, coming in Q3, specifically for the finance function:

• The SAP Dispute Resolution Agent reasons through disputed details and relevant business records to validate cases and propose solutions. It also acts on resolutions approved by people to swiftly close disputes, improve cash flow, and enhance customer satisfaction (demo video).

• The SAP Accounts Receivable Agent processes data relating to overdue receivables and carries out appropriate follow-up tasks with customers. It saves time by analysing open items, minimising bad-debt write-offs, and reducing the number of days' sales outstanding.

Also, with our new Joule Studio, your organisation can tailor agents to reflect your specific business processes and data, while remaining grounded in our trusted AI framework. It’s all about making AI not just intelligent, but relevant to your unique organisational needs.

Start small—focus on a specific pain point or process, measure outcomes, and build from there

Next, for finance leaders looking to get started in scaling AI outcomes, I recommend you begin with questions such as: Which tasks take up too much time? Where are the greatest compliance risks? What insights could help us make more strategic decisions? Then look for AI tools that align with those opportunities.

As you do that, it’s important to avoid common mistakes. A major issue I notice is chasing shiny objects—adopting AI for its own sake, without a clear outcome in mind. Another is failing to align IT and finance. AI success requires both the business and the technology side to work together. Also, do not underestimate change management. AI changes the way people work, so involve them early and often.

And finally, the most important advice that brings together everything you have read so far: Focus on outcomes, not just innovation. That’s what matters. Remain focused on your business objectives and select trusted suppliers and solutions designed to deliver a measurable difference in your finance function and overall business. That’s how you’ll lead with confidence.

To hear the full conversation, listen to Beyond the Balance Sheet. I also invite you to explore how SAP Business AI can help you begin transforming your financial outcomes. Our aim is to help you not only revolutionise your finance function but also become a transformational hero within your organisation who unlocks new opportunities for business growth.