Top finance organizations use Gen AI to automate processes, accelerate cycle times and improve strategic decision-making across the enterprise

The Hackett Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: HCKT), a leading generative artificial intelligence (Gen AI) consultancy and executive advisory firm, today released its 2025 Digital World Class^® Finance research. The study highlights how top-performing finance organizations are redefining effectiveness and efficiency through Gen AI, automation, and digital modernization.

The Hackett Group^® defines Digital World Class^® finance organizations as those that achieve top-quartile performance in both business value and operational excellence. These organizations operate at 45% lower cost as a percentage of revenue, deliver 74% faster executive insights and provide 57% faster forecasts. They spend less time on data collection and more time generating analysis and insights – using Gen AI and analytics to support faster, smarter business decisions.

“As disruption accelerates, Gen AI gives finance leaders a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reimagine work and deliver breakthrough enterprise value,” said Martijn Geerling, managing director and Global practice leader at The Hackett Group^®. “Digital World Class^® finance organizations are already leading the way.”

Accelerating insight and value through Gen AI

The 2025 research draws from global benchmarks and outlines five key performance areas where Digital World Class^® finance organizations outperform peers:

1. Business effectiveness

• Spend 68% more time on forward-looking analysis and strategic insights.
• Are 54% more likely to align business planning with annual budgeting.
• Have 48% lower days sales outstanding and 83% lower average days delinquent.

2. Digital enablement

• Approximately 2X more likely to enable cost center managers to enter budgets online and provide self-serve ad hoc reports.
• Nearly 100% enable customer account access online – 6X more than peers.
• Suppliers are 7X more likely to use self-service portals.

3. Customer and stakeholder experience

• Approximately 42% more stakeholders view finance as a valued business partner.
• About 25% more likely to generate billing electronically, with 48% fewer billing errors – as a result, receiving nearly 100% of receivables within terms.

4. Operational efficiency

• Have 35%-57% shorter close cycles than peers.
• Spend 57% less on planning and forecasting, while investing more in business analysis.
• Require up to 42% fewer full-time equivalents across key finance functions.

5. Business process automation

• Are 56% more likely to automate customer-to-cash processes, including billing and cash application.
• Approximately 80% of accounts payable workflows are fully automated.
• About 99% of journal entries are automated (vs. 85% for peers).

Rethinking the finance operating model for the Gen AI era

The path to Digital World Class^® performance will require reshaping the finance operating model. To close the gap, The Hackett Group^® outlines six levers for building a Gen AI-enabled finance function:

• Service design: Redesign core processes to support agentic workflows and customer-centric experiences.
• Technology: Rationalize outdated systems, embrace cloud-first tools, and apply Gen AI to accelerate reporting, forecasting, and analytics.
• Human capital: Upskill teams for AI collaboration, cultivate a culture of innovation, and develop leadership and business partnership skills.
• Analytics and information management: Champion enterprisewide data governance and ensure the finance data foundation is AI-ready.
• Service partnering: Outsource transactional tasks while focusing internal talent on strategic impact; collaborate with ethical AI partners.
• Organization and governance: Flatten hierarchies, build AI centers of excellence and adopt cross-functional, end-to-end service models.

“Digital World Class^® finance organizations are becoming trusted strategic partners by using Gen AI to automate routine work and elevate analysis,” said Vince Griffin, principal and Finance Executive Advisory practice leader at The Hackett Group^®. “They are reshaping forecasting, planning and decision-making in ways that drive measurable business impact.”

A public version of the research paper, “Reimagine Finance Performance With Gen AI”, is available for free with registration.

About The Hackett Group^®

The Hackett Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: HCKT) is an IP and platform-based, Gen AI strategic consulting and executive advisory firm that enables Digital World Class^® performance. Using AI XPLR™ and ZBrain™ – our ideation through implementation platforms – our experienced professionals help organizations realize the power of Gen AI and achieve quantifiable, breakthrough results, allowing us to be key architects of their Gen AI journey.

Our expertise is grounded in unparalleled best practices insights from benchmarking the world’s leading businesses – including 97% of the Dow Jones Industrials, 90% of the Fortune 100, 70% of the DAX 40 and 51% of the FTSE 100. Visit us at www.thehackettgroup.com.

Trademarks

The Hackett Group^®, quadrant logo, and Digital World Class^® are the registered marks of The Hackett Group^®.

Cautionary Statement Regarding “Forward-Looking” Statements

This release contains “forward-looking” statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 as amended and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Statements including without limitation, words such as “expects,” “anticipates,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “seeks,” “estimates,” or other similar phrases or variations of such words or similar expressions indicating, present or future anticipated or expected occurrences or outcomes are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are not statements of historical fact and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the Company’s actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from the results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Factors that may impact such forward-looking statements include without limitation, the ability of The Hackett Group^® to effectively market its digital transformation, our ability to transition our capabilities to support generative artificial intelligence (AI)-related consulting services and solutions and other consulting services, our ability to effectively integrate acquisitions, including the Spend Matters acquisition into our operations, our ability to manage joint ventures and successfully cooperate with our joint venture partners, competition from other consulting and technology companies that may have or develop in the future, similar offerings, the commercial viability of The Hackett Group^® and its services as well as other risk detailed in The Hackett Group’s reports filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. The Hackett Group^® does not undertake any duty to update this release or any forward-looking statements contained herein.

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Digital World Class® finance organizations operate at 45% lower cost as a percentage of revenue, deliver 74% faster executive insights and provide 57% faster forecasts.