A new report by Celonis indicates that finance leaders are increasingly adopting artificial intelligence (AI) for task automation, but concerns remain about process transparency potentially limiting the full value of AI implementation.
The 2025 Process Optimisation Report by Celonis reveals that while 54% of Finance and Shared Services leaders currently use AI to automate routine tasks, 60% are apprehensive about the inefficiencies in their organisational processes which might restrict the benefits AI can deliver.
The survey also highlights a strong inclination towards AI-driven technologies for enhancing business efficiency, with 81% of leaders expecting AI to significantly improve business processes over the coming year.
Pascal Coubard, the APAC Lead for Celonis, emphasised the importance of AI's comprehension of business processes for effective deployment. "That is backed up by the fact that 90% say it's crucial that AI has the context of how their business runs, how they calculate KPIs, what their policies and procedures are, and how their organisation is structured," he said.
He further noted the proactive stance of the sector towards AI, with 54% already utilising the technology and an additional 41% planning to do so within the next year, leaving less than 10% not adopting AI.
This research is a part of a series by Celonis, surveying 1,620 business leaders globally, including representatives from Australia and across the Asia-Pacific region. Companies participating had a minimum annual revenue of USD $500 million, with 80% ranging between USD $2 billion to USD $10 billion.
The survey encompassed feedback from 400 senior leaders in Finance and Shared Services across countries including Australia, Austria, France, Germany, Japan, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, the UK, and the US for a diversified perspective.
Celonis, recognised as a pivotal player in Process Mining and Process Intelligence, has seen rapid growth in AI adoption, holding a significant market position with a valuation at USD $13 billion and working with one-third of Fortune 500 companies.
Mr Coubard highlighted the broad need for increased process visibility among respondents, with 88% expressing a greater necessity than other departments to enhance process improvements. "The survey fund that when Finance and Shared Services optimise their end-to-end processes, it has a positive impact on other departments, unlocking opportunities across the entire enterprise putting them in an ideal place to lead process improvement," he stated.
The report further noted the need for departments to operate cross-functionally, as indicated by 88% of responses, to enhance synchronisation with other business segments. A significant 91% of leaders believe there is untapped value within their departmental processes, with 40% describing the potential as 'massive'.
Stressing the strategic role of Finance and Shared Services in driving organisational change, Coubard said, "If they're equipped with the right technologies to make processes work, they can be true pioneers not just of process improvement, but business improvement at large."
Nearly all leaders (99%) are planning a review of their business processes over the next year, although there is heavy reliance (66%) on process mapping workshops, which are time-consuming and often provide inaccurate representations based on perceptions rather than factual process flows.
Although 59% use business intelligence tools for business insights, these tools do not necessarily enable corrective actions or provide a deep understanding of inefficiencies. On the other hand, the adoption of Process Mining, which is considered faster, more accurate, and actionable, has increased, with 41% of leaders currently employing this technology. This reflects an increase from the previous year's 31%, with another 50% planning to adopt Process Mining soon.
