Amid global economic uncertainty, rising inflation, and trade volatility, AI investment has emerged as the top growth strategy for CFOs worldwide, according to Coupa’s latest Strategic CFO Report: Turning Global Market Uncertainty into Opportunity. The report, based on a survey of 500 CFOs across major markets, highlights how finance leaders are leveraging AI-driven total spend management platforms to enhance agility, visibility, and resilience in their organizations.
External Threats and Financial Pressures
- Geopolitics and Supply Chain Disruption: 46% of CFOs identify these as the greatest business risks.
- Tariffs Impact: New tariffs create additional challenges for 42% of CFOs, prompting 28% of US CFOs to increase inventory levels proactively.
- Margin Concerns: 69% of CFOs worry about meeting year-end financial goals, with 40% extremely concerned.
CFOs’ Response Strategies Amid Volatility
- Increasing inventory to mitigate tariff risks (22%)
- Automating processes to reduce operating costs (21%)
- Employing hedging strategies (19%)
- Raising product prices (19%)
- Restructuring supply chains (18%)
AI as a Growth Engine and Confidence Booster
- AI ranks as the top investment area for growth by 40% of CFOs.
- AI implementation confidence has risen, with concerns dropping 23% year-over-year.
- CFOs emphasize the need for strong AI governance frameworks to quantify financial benefits and prioritize high-value use cases.
- Empowering employees to adopt “AI-first” mindsets is critical for enterprise-wide success.
Data Challenges and Digital Transformation Barriers
- Only 28% of CFOs access spend data within a single system.
- Nearly 41% struggle to respond quickly to cost-cutting needs due to data silos.
- 33% have unified processes for comprehensive spend management.
- Data security concerns such as cyber threats, breaches, and fraud rank high on the risk list.
- Outdated systems and siloed data hinder digital transformation efforts for nearly 1 in 5 CFOs.
Coupa’s Strategic CFO Report underscores the pivotal role of AI-driven spend management platforms in helping CFOs navigate today’s complex economic landscape. By fostering cost discipline, supply chain resilience, and enterprise-wide AI adoption, finance leaders are charting a path toward sustainable growth amid uncertainty. Coupa’s AI-native platform positions CFOs to not only manage risk but also seize opportunities in an unpredictable global market.
