AI ROI: Turning Investments into Financial Performance

Keys to AI ROI Success: Execution, Measurement and Storytelling

This gap between performance and proof has become a major pain point for CFOs. One study found that only 45% of executives were able to quantify ROI from their AI initiatives. Of that number, a third reported returns under 5%.

This gap highlights a critical truth: Technology alone does not create value. Organizations that succeed are those that can measure, manage and communicate how their technology investments drive financial performance. This makes financial storytelling and the right specialized finance talent essential to proving ROI. Finance professionals are critical enablers of execution, measurement and financial storytelling, making talent the key enabler of ROI realization.

Execution

While many CFOs remain bullish on the potential of AI for revenue growth, there’s a disconnect between the potential of the technology and the challenge of implementation.

Digital transformation isn’t as simple as introducing a new system into the workflow. Strategic deployment and integration require agile and savvy finance professionals who are trained to use these tools to the full extent of their capabilities. Without these professionals on your team, you may face delays during implementation and, ultimately, lack a deeper understanding of how to best use this technology. This can keep your digital transformation initiatives from progressing past the pilot phase. By operating using only the technology’s surface capabilities, you’ll neither produce a quantifiable ROI nor fully integrate the systems into your workflow, wasting time and resources.

It’s also important to recognize that implementations rarely go exactly as planned. Early disruptions can impact core financial operations — from how customers place orders to how invoices are generated and payments are processed. When customers struggle with new ordering systems, invoices contain errors, or accounts receivable lacks visibility into accurate data, the result is often delayed or lost revenue. These common implementation challenges can quickly become costly if not proactively managed.

Measurement

AI and ERP investments matter only if you can prove financial impact. You’ll need finance professionals on your team who can extract, validate and interpret large amounts of financial data. They will then need to identify quantifiable key performance indicators (KPI) that are tied to priority outcomes, connecting the data to these KPIs. KPIs may include:

• Accuracy improvements
• Labor cost reductions
• Operational efficiency gains
• Revenue growth

Storytelling

Having the data isn’t enough. You need professionals who can tell the story behind the numbers to make a case for success. Look for finance and accounting professionals who can build a narrative from the data that tells a coherent story and provides context for your stakeholders. By translating metrics into outcomes, you’ll be able to prove alignment between technology investments and greater business initiatives.

Building the Right AI-Literate Financial Team

Technology is nothing without a strong team utilizing it and championing its success. But one-third of financial services firms rank talent scarcity as the greatest barrier to scaling AI.

Building an AI-savvy finance and accounting team requires a mix of sourcing talent with previous ERP and AI experience and investing in training for your current workforce. Working with an experienced staffing partner can help you find the expert talent you need while supporting your existing finance and accounting professionals, helping to justify further technology investment.

Overcome the Finance Talent Shortage and Realize Your AI ROI With Aston Carter

Aston Carter can help you build a team of professionals who can translate your technology investments into measurable success. Aston Carter offers accounting and finance support at scale, with access to specialized AI and ERP finance talent. We can connect you with candidates with extensive AI and ERP experience, including:

• Business analysts
• Financial analysts
• Financial systems analysts and managers
• ERP analysts
• SEC accountants and managers

For companies in the early stages of a business transformation initiative, we can help support ERP system implementations and upgrades.

Contact us today to build your finance and accounting team and begin telling the success story of your technology investments.