When the real work begins: Maximize finance automation ROI

I remember walking out of our final finance transformation project meeting and thinking, “We did it.” Months of requirements gathering, vendor demos, late-night testing and change management efforts behind us. 

We had gone live. Our systems were talking to each other. Teams weren’t buried in spreadsheets anymore. It felt like reaching the summit. But after the celebration faded, a quiet realization crept in: This wasn’t the finish line. It was the starting gate.

Once the systems are humming and close cycles are faster, the real question becomes: Now what?

You don’t invest in digital transformation just to do the same tasks faster. You do it to elevate the role of finance from task execution to strategic partner. Here’s how to make that shift — and realize the full return on your investment.

The dawn of a new finance function

Once automation is implemented, the most visible benefits come quickly: faster close cycles, streamlined reconciliations and a noticeable drop in manual errors. These are all crucial, well-earned wins, but they’re only the beginning.

With rote tasks off their plates, your Finance team finally has the time and mental space to think, analyze and engage. This is the moment to pivot from transaction management to strategic contribution. It starts with redefining what “value” looks like in the modern finance function.

No longer burdened by data wrangling and rework, your team can step into a more collaborative role. They can become internal consultants shaping the decisions that key numbers inform.

Imagine what’s possible when finance professionals are empowered to:

• Break down the financial impact of complex concepts like tax strategies, depreciation and regulatory credits instead of simply recording the results. They can help operational leaders understand the “why” behind bottom-line changes and where there’s room to optimize.
• Offer suggestions to reduce expenses, not just track them. Through detailed cost analysis, benchmarking and comparative reviews, they can identify areas of savings that directly support business health and profitability.
• Analyze the revenue effect of pricing changes before they roll out. Finance can help model what a small price adjustment means for revenue, customer churn and margins.
• Help business leaders understand customer-level profitability. Teams can then prioritize sustainable, high-margin growth.
• Equip product managers with unit economics insights. These help enormously with budgeting, product redesign and rationalization.

This is the kind of work that elevates the finance organization, but it won’t happen unless you have a structure, sponsorship and a plan after your new tech is in place.

Start with strategic pairing

Assigning Finance team members to support various departments takes more than a quick shuffle of names. Random assignments won’t work; you have to match business units and Finance team members intentionally. 

Some staff have natural communication skills. Others are more analytical. Align those competencies with the business strategy of each department. Got a Product team that’s working on a margin turnaround? Pair them with an FP&A professional who has deep data analytics skills. Is your supply chain under cost pressure? Assign someone who’s skilled in performance review and standardization.

Support from CFOs and senior leaders is critical here. When business partners see this shift as part of the broader operating model, they’re more likely to lean in and collaborate.

Set the stage with clear communication

Any transformation requires clarity. That’s especially true for cross-functional initiatives like this.

To your Finance team, communicate that this is about more than just expanding their scope. They’re going to have greater influence, stronger business relationships and more impact on the company’s direction.

To your operational teams, emphasize how this new model brings faster answers and better insights. This isn’t “extra finance.” It’s the embedded, ongoing expertise that helps them hit their goals.

Make data more accessible — and more useful

Even with automation, the path to insight isn’t automatic. The challenge is empowering your team to deliver information that supports real-time decision-making.

Here’s how to make that happen:

1. Train them to segment reports and move beyond surface-level metrics. Break down results by customer segment, region, channel or product line.
2. Focus on action, not just observation. What changed? Why? What can the business do about it? Delivering answers is far more valuable than just showing numbers.
3. Use visual tools to communicate. Dashboards, graphs and interactive visualizations simplify complex data and make it more digestible for non-financial stakeholders.

If your team doesn’t yet have access to customer data, campaign performance or supply chain inputs, now’s the time to open those doors. These insights are often what unlock the biggest contributions to business performance.

Provide a partnership playbook

Most finance operations are built around structured periods like close, review and report. Business partnering requires more dynamic interaction. To succeed, your team needs a roadmap. Give them tools and templates to launch effectively.

• Recommend an initial cadence (monthly check-ins work well) and flexible timing based on the partner’s role and current goals.
• Share templates for meeting agendas, forecast review and KPI updates.
• Offer reporting frameworks that include commentary, risk assessments and recommendations. 

Help your team transition from reporting outputs to driving business outcomes.

Coach by showing up

This is where leadership matters. If you want your team to shift their identity, they need to see you model that shift. Join early conversations and observe how your team interacts. Offer feedback in a supportive, mentoring tone. Are they asking the right questions? Are they tying insights back to what the business cares about?

Your involvement sends a clear message: This isn’t just a side experiment but part of your larger finance strategy and how the function will deliver business value in the future.

The transformation journey doesn’t end at go-live. It begins there.

By empowering your Finance team to move closer to the business, you turn process improvement into a strategic advantage and go from cost center to value driver.

If you’ve invested in digital technologies, automation and an updated finance operating model, now is the time to double down on how those tools get used and who gets to use them.

Want to see how others are doing it? Explore how real finance organizations are turning efficiency into influence: Read the case studies.