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Finance Transformation Intelligence › Research Themes

Research Themes

Research Themes

Fifteen questions this pillar exists to answer. A theme is not a keyword or a category — it is a question a finance leader actually asks, that will still be live in five years. Themes cut across the nine finance domains: an article has one domain, but may speak to several themes.

IndependentEvidence-backedReviewed Jul 2026Methodology

AI in the Office of the CFO

AI Strategy in FinanceWhere does AI genuinely belong in our finance function — and where is it theatre?Research themeAI Adoption & ReadinessAre we ready — and how do we roll this out without breaking the close?Research themeAI Governance, Risk & ControlHow do we stay in control — auditable and defensible to the audit committee?Research themeAI Value & ROIWhat is this worth, how do we fund it, and how do we prove it landed?Research themeAgentic FinanceWhat changes when software acts rather than assists — and what must never be delegated?Research theme

Operating & organisational

Operating Model DesignHow should the finance function be shaped, sourced and governed?Research themeFinance Talent & SkillsWho do we need on this team, and what must they be able to do?Research themeProductivity & Cost of FinanceHow do we carry more without adding headcount?Research themeData Foundations & TrustCan our numbers carry the weight we are about to put on them?Research theme

Decision & change

Decision Making Under UncertaintyHow should a finance leader decide when the evidence is incomplete?Research themeTransformation Delivery & ChangeWhy do these programmes fail, and how do we avoid it?Research themeBusiness Case & Value RealisationHow do we fund the change and prove the value was real?Research themeCapability Maturity & BenchmarkingHow good is good — and where do we actually stand?Research theme

Horizon

The Future Finance FunctionWhat does this function — and this job — look like in five years?Research themeRegulatory & Reporting ChangeWhat is being forced on us, and how do we get ahead of it?Research theme

Browse by finance domain

All domains →
Finance Operating ModelHow the finance function is organised, resourced and governed — the home of every change that is not a software purchase.Publishing in progressRecord-to-ReportAccounting, close and consolidation — the reporting engine of the finance function.4 decisions · 7 capabilitiesProcure-to-PaySpend and payables — from how commitments are made to how they are paid.9 capabilitiesOrder-to-CashRevenue and receivables — how cash is earned, recognised and collected.Publishing in progressPlan-to-PerformFP&A, strategic and corporate finance — how the organisation plans, decides and steers.3 capabilitiesTreasury & Cash ManagementLiquidity, funding and financial risk — the balance-sheet side of the finance function.7 capabilitiesTax & Statutory ComplianceTax determination, filing and statutory reporting across jurisdictions.Publishing in progressGovernance, Risk & ControlsThe control environment — how the finance function proves it is trustworthy.1 capabilityFinance Data, Systems & IntelligenceThe enabling substrate — ERP, data and the AI layer every other domain now depends on.1 capability

One connected journey — Understand, Assess, Implement

Three questions, in the order finance leaders actually ask them — understand the change, assess your own position, then find the partner who can deliver it. Each step answers one and hands you to the next.

1 · Understand · you are here

Finance Transformation Intelligence

What is changing in the finance function, and what the best organisations do about it.

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2 · Assess

Finance Executive Assessment

What that means for your organisation specifically — your position, your highest-impact move.

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3 · Implement

Finance Transformation Marketplace

Who helps you actually deliver it — a curated network of finance transformation partners.

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Executive Finance Assessment

Benchmark your finance organisation.

Research explains the market; the Executive Finance Assessment personalises the decision. Before you commit budget to software, consulting or transformation, benchmark your finance organisation and see where the highest-impact opportunities are.

Start your Executive Finance Assessment →

Begins with a free Executive Brief — about five minutes, anonymous, no account. Full assessment €59, one-time. It complements the research; it does not replace it.