Finance teams trim software stacks as AI use rises

Research from Spendesk and CFO Connect suggests finance teams are using fewer software tools while adopting more artificial intelligence tools. The study surveyed 215 finance leaders across four countries.

Most respondents said their departments now run relatively compact technology stacks. More than 90% use six tools or fewer: 41% use between one and three, and 50% use between four and six.

That pattern looks set to continue. Nearly a quarter of respondents said they plan to consolidate further, while 67% expect to keep their current mix of tools or add only one or two over the next year.

AI uptake

The research found that 67% of finance teams now use at least one AI tool, up from 56% in 2025 and 31% in 2024. Claude was the most-used tool at 41%, ahead of Copilot, ChatGPT and Gemini.

AI use has also moved beyond trial projects. Respondents said they are applying the tools to financial analysis, reporting, modelling and forecasting, reconciliations, data queries and workflow automation.

The figures suggest AI is becoming part of day-to-day finance work rather than a separate software category. Teams are using it across spreadsheets, financial systems and documents, particularly to handle repetitive tasks and interrogate data.

Pauline Babel outlined the shift in how finance teams are approaching software choices.

"It's obvious that finance teams aren't chasing more software. They want a single, connected space that makes their work clearer and easier to manage. AI is really supporting that shift by blending into everyday workflows, taking care of manual tasks and giving teams more time to focus on those high-value decisions," said Pauline Babel, Chief Financial Officer at Spendesk.

Uneven digitisation

While overall software estates are shrinking, the research found large differences between finance functions. Some areas are now widely digitised, while others still rely heavily on spreadsheets or manual processes.

Financial Planning and Analysis stood out as one of the least specialised categories. Spreadsheets remained the main tool for 76% of respondents, and a further 7% said they had no dedicated FP&A system.

Cash and liquidity management showed a similar picture. More than half of finance teams, 55%, still rely on spreadsheets in that area, while 17% reported having no dedicated tool.

Procurement also remains under-tooled. The category appeared in the study for the first time, and 64% of respondents said they manage purchasing without a specific procurement system, often folding those tasks into their existing finance setup.

By contrast, payroll and human resources were the most established category, with 87% of companies using a dedicated platform. Invoicing and collections were more mixed, with 41% saying they had no standalone tool and instead relied on functions built into accounting software or enterprise resource planning systems.

Tool priorities

The findings point to a finance software market in which buyers are becoming more selective. Rather than adding a new application for each process, departments appear to favour a smaller number of connected systems and extend them with AI and automation where possible.

That trend may also reflect the differing needs of businesses by size. Smaller companies tend to choose accounting tools that meet immediate requirements, while larger organisations look for systems that can support multiple entities and currencies.

Spend management remains another area with mixed adoption. Dedicated platforms can centralise company cards, expenses, approvals and reimbursements, but 24% of companies surveyed said they still had no spend management tool, up from 10% a year earlier.

That increase suggests some businesses are still relying on older processes or absorbing spend controls into broader finance systems rather than using specialist products. It also underlines that, despite the push towards simplification, digital maturity is not advancing evenly across the finance function.

The survey covered finance executives in France, the United Kingdom, Germany and the United States. Respondents included Chief Financial Officers, Vice Presidents of Finance, accountants and other senior finance staff from startups, small and medium-sized businesses, and larger companies.

The study examined software use across nine categories: cloud accounting, enterprise resource planning, Financial Planning and Analysis, expense management, billing and accounts receivable, procurement, payroll and human resources, treasury and liquidity management, and AI tools.

Across those categories, the clearest pattern was a move away from software sprawl. More finance leaders said they wanted a tighter group of systems, while AI use rose sharply in routine work such as analysis, reporting and reconciliations.