First, start with clarity about what’s real, and what’s hype

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

For example, companies are using AI to detect anomalies in expense reports or analyze millions of invoices to pinpoint process gaps. AI is tailor-made for this kind of strategic analysis of giant 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 get results with AI, you also need to build trust into every step

Especially in finance, where trust is your currency, it’s 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 an afterthought. Make it foundational. You’ll move faster in the long run because your teams—and your stakeholders—will be confident in what your AI is doing.

Let AI agents solve complex problems

AI agents aren’t just chatbots, which only answer questions or demonstrate skills like crunching numbers. Agents are proactive digital assistants that help you accomplish end-to-end tasks. As a finance leader, if you want to gain a competitive edge, you need to jump in 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 human-approved resolutions to quickly close disputes, improve cash flow, and enhance customer satisfaction (demo video).

• The SAP Accounts Receivable Agent processes data related to overdue receivables and performs appropriate follow-up tasks with customers. It saves time by analyzing open items, minimizing bad-debt write-offs, and reducing the number of days sales are outstanding.

Also, with our new Joule Studio, your organization can tailor agents to reflect your specific business processes and data, while staying grounded in our trusted AI framework. It’s all about making AI not just smart, but relevant to your unique organizational 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 start with questions like: What tasks take too much time? Where are the biggest compliance risks? What insights could help us drive more strategic decisions? Then look for AI tools that align with those opportunities.

As you do that, it’s important to avoid common pitfalls. A big one I see 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 tech side to work together. Also, don’t underestimate change management. AI changes how people work, so bring them along early and often.

And finally, the most important advice that brings everything you’ve read so far together: Focus on outcomes, not just innovation. That's what matters. Stay grounded in your business goals and choose trusted vendors and solutions targeted 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 get started in transforming your finance outcomes. Our goal is to help you not just revolutionize your finance function but become a transformational hero within your organization who unlocks new opportunities for business growth.