Digital world-class financial organizations operate with 45% lower costs as a percentage of revenue, deliver executive insights 74% faster, and generate forecasts 57% more efficiently, according to the Digital World Class® Finance 2025 research conducted by generative AI consulting firm The Hackett Group.
“As disruption accelerates, Gen AI offers financial leaders a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reinvent work and generate breakthrough business value,” said Martijn Geerling, Managing Director and Global Practice Leader at The Hackett Group. “Digital world-class financial organizations are already leading the way,” he added.
The Hackett Group defines digital world-class financial organizations as those that achieve top-quartile performance in both business value and operational excellence. These companies spend less time collecting data and more time generating analysis and insights, using Gen AI and data analytics to support faster, smarter business decisions.
The 2025 research is based on global benchmarks and highlights five key performance areas where these organizations outperform their peers:
Business Effectiveness
68% more time devoted to forward-looking analysis and strategic insights.
54% more likely to align business planning with the annual budget.
48% fewer days in accounts receivable and 83% fewer average delinquency days.
Digital Enablement
Twice as likely to allow cost center managers to input budgets online and generate ad hoc reports themselves.
Nearly 100% provide online access to customer accounts (six times more than their peers).
Suppliers use self-service portals seven times more often.
Customer and Stakeholder Experience
42% more stakeholders view finance as a valuable partner.
25% more likely to generate electronic invoicing, with 48% fewer errors, allowing nearly 100% of receivables to be collected on time.
Operational Efficiency
Closing cycles are 35%–57% shorter than those of their peers.
57% less spending on planning and forecasting, with greater investment in business analytics.
Up to 42% fewer full-time employees needed in key finance functions.
Process Automation
56% more likely to automate order-to-cash processes, including invoicing and payment application.
Approximately 80% of accounts payable workflows are fully automated.
Nearly 99% of journal entries are automated (versus 85% among peers).
The Finance Operating Model for the Gen AI Era
To achieve digital world-class performance, a redesigned finance operating model is required. The Hackett Group proposes six levers to build a Gen AI-enabled finance function:
Service Design: Redesign core processes for autonomous workflows and customer-centric experiences.
Technology: Streamline legacy systems, adopt cloud tools, and apply Gen AI to accelerate reporting, forecasting, and analytics.
Human Capital: Train teams to collaborate with AI, foster a culture of innovation, and build leadership and business partnership skills.
Analytics and Information Management: Drive enterprise-wide data governance and ensure the financial data foundation is AI-ready.
Service Partnership: Outsource transactional tasks and focus internal talent on strategic impact; collaborate with ethical AI partners.
Organization and Governance: Flatten hierarchies, establish AI centers of excellence, and adopt cross-functional, end-to-end service models.
“Digital world-class financial organizations are becoming trusted strategic partners by using Gen AI to automate routine work and elevate analysis,” said Vince Griffin, Practice Leader for Executive Finance Advisory at The Hackett Group. “They are transforming planning, forecasting, and decision-making to drive measurable business impact,” he concluded.
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