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In this episode of The Diary of a CFO, host Wassia Kamon, CPA, CMA, MBA, sits down with Anna Sagan, Senior Principal Solutions Engineer at Insightsoftware, who brings over two decades of experience in financial software and strategic reporting. From early roles in bank advisory to helping companies simplify complex ERP data, Anna has seen firsthand how reporting tools and the people who use them can make or break financial decision-making.
Together, they unpack the critical challenges finance teams face with real-time data access, tool adoption, and reporting alignment. Anna shares her journey into tech, the evolution of Excel as a strategic tool (not just a spreadsheet), and why understanding your users is more important than chasing flashy solutions. They also discuss AI’s role in reporting, the risk of underutilized tools, and how finance leaders can drive meaningful change without burning out their teams.
Whether you're a controller frustrated by ERP reports or a CFO aiming to future-proof your reporting stack, this episode delivers sharp insights and real-world advice.
Key Takeaways
Excel as a Strategic Tool: Why finance professionals still rely on Excel and how to maximize its potential
ERP Limitations: The real reason most ERP-native reports fall short for finance teams
Implementation Playbook: How to drive adoption, not just installation, of new reporting tools
AI + Human Touch: Why future-ready reporting still needs people to interpret and steer insights
Underutilized Tech Risk: How to recognize when your tools are going unused, and what to do about it
Noteworthy Quotes
"Everyone's favorite BI tool? The one that gets data into Excel the fastest." – Anna Sagan
"Reporting tools don’t fail because of the tech, they fail because no one uses them." – Anna Sagan
"You can’t deliver strategy from a spreadsheet you don’t trust." – Anna Sagan
"If you're still asking 'how can we do this better?' You're doing it right." – Anna Sagan
Episode Breakdown with Timestamps:
[00:00] Introduction to Anna Sagan’s background and career journey
[05:47] The evolving expectations from finance teams: speed, data, and usability
[07:30] Why Excel is still the most loved BI tool in finance
[10:47] Reporting limitations in ERPs and the case for specialized tools
[15:33] Why companies underutilize the tools they pay for
[18:25] Key questions CFOs should ask to assess reporting effectiveness
[22:35] A step-by-step playbook for successful reporting tool implementation
[24:40] The future of reporting: AI, automation, and the human touch
[29:17] Personal insights: Parenting, tennis, and how software shapes her worldview
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📬 Get Involved
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🔗 Connect with Guest Anna Sagan on:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annasagan/
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Insightsoftware: https://insightsoftware.com/
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Don't forget to download the free guide on AI prompts every finance leader needs:
00:00:00 --> 00:00:02 What would be your playbook for helping teams
00:00:02 --> 00:00:05 get the most out of their reporting, too? Like,
00:00:05 --> 00:00:07 what would be the best way to make sure they
00:00:07 --> 00:00:09 can either pace themselves, select the right
00:00:09 --> 00:00:11 solution, but really get the most out of it?
00:00:11 --> 00:00:16 Yeah, so things like... Today's guest is Anna
00:00:16 --> 00:00:18 Sagan. She is a senior principal in solution
00:00:18 --> 00:00:21 engineering at Insight Software, where she works
00:00:21 --> 00:00:23 with finance and accounting leaders to simplify
00:00:23 --> 00:00:26 reporting, transform data into insights, and
00:00:26 --> 00:00:29 improve automation with spreadsheet server. What
00:00:29 --> 00:00:32 do people misunderstand about the kind of reporting
00:00:32 --> 00:00:35 they can do with their ERP versus an accounting
00:00:35 --> 00:00:38 system compared to a specialized tool like spreadsheet
00:00:38 --> 00:00:41 server or BI tool? These ERPs, they are very
00:00:41 --> 00:00:43 good at the general legend. And then the reporting
00:00:43 --> 00:00:46 out of it sometimes can be second, right? And
00:00:46 --> 00:00:48 so this is our lane. This is our gold star. This
00:00:48 --> 00:00:52 is what we do. And so inherent in ERP system,
00:00:52 --> 00:00:56 sometimes for folks can feel not as customizable,
00:00:56 --> 00:00:58 they can't get to all their data, and that is
00:00:58 --> 00:01:01 is frustrating. And so this is something that
00:01:01 --> 00:01:04 really is such an easy implementation. All the
00:01:04 --> 00:01:06 easy things that can just be put right in there,
00:01:06 --> 00:01:08 connect right to the data, get to all the data,
00:01:08 --> 00:01:11 customizable, all of those things. You know,
00:01:11 --> 00:01:13 a friend of mine in high school, her dad, he
00:01:13 --> 00:01:14 always used to say, are you working smarter?
00:01:14 --> 00:01:17 Are you working harder? Where do you see reporting
00:01:17 --> 00:01:19 tools going in the next few years? And what should
00:01:19 --> 00:01:22 finance leaders be thinking about now to stay
00:01:22 --> 00:01:24 ahead? Yeah, I mean, they definitely need to
00:01:24 --> 00:01:28 be. I would say it's knowing. Today's episode
00:01:28 --> 00:01:32 is brought to you by Inside Software. which provides
00:01:32 --> 00:01:35 AI -powered financial reporting solutions that
00:01:35 --> 00:01:37 can save you from spreadsheet sludge and give
00:01:37 --> 00:01:40 you time back for weekend fun. With Spreadsheet
00:01:40 --> 00:01:42 Server, before they become problems and make
00:01:42 --> 00:01:45 faster, smarter decisions, visit insightsoftware
00:01:45 --> 00:01:47 .com slash reporting. I will drop the link in
00:01:47 --> 00:01:49 the show notes. Welcome back to the Diary of
00:01:49 --> 00:01:52 a CFO Podcast, the podcast where finance leaders
00:01:52 --> 00:01:54 share the lessons, challenges, and wins that
00:01:54 --> 00:01:57 shape their careers as well as their organizations.
00:01:57 --> 00:01:59 I'm your host, Waseea Kamani, and today I'm super
00:01:59 --> 00:02:02 delighted to have with me, Anna Sagan. Welcome
00:02:02 --> 00:02:05 to the show, Anna. Thank you so much for having
00:02:05 --> 00:02:07 me. Of course, I'm curious to hear about your
00:02:07 --> 00:02:10 story and what actually drew you into the software
00:02:10 --> 00:02:14 space. Yeah, so my parents have always been in
00:02:14 --> 00:02:16 tech. So it's always been something that I've
00:02:16 --> 00:02:20 been around for a long time growing up, had one
00:02:20 --> 00:02:23 of the massive computers growing up, you know,
00:02:23 --> 00:02:27 since I was little. You know, a friend of mine
00:02:27 --> 00:02:29 in high school, her dad was a very successful
00:02:29 --> 00:02:31 businessman out of Cincinnati. He always used
00:02:31 --> 00:02:35 to say, Rod Molnar, he used to say, are you working
00:02:35 --> 00:02:37 smarter? Are you working harder? You know? And
00:02:37 --> 00:02:41 so that's always stayed with me. And I've always
00:02:41 --> 00:02:44 been one of those people that have said, how
00:02:44 --> 00:02:46 can we do this better? If I'm doing something,
00:02:46 --> 00:02:47 I was like, how can we do this better? How can
00:02:47 --> 00:02:50 we do this in a way that is not going to take
00:02:50 --> 00:02:54 so much time or be so frustrating or... you know,
00:02:54 --> 00:02:57 all those things that take a long time to get
00:02:57 --> 00:02:59 to the end result, which is either an answer
00:02:59 --> 00:03:02 or something else. It's always kind of intrigued
00:03:02 --> 00:03:05 me or frustrated me enough to find out, you know,
00:03:05 --> 00:03:07 how to do, how to do things better. And I love
00:03:07 --> 00:03:10 a puzzle. So, you know, software is a bit like
00:03:10 --> 00:03:14 that. Oh, wow. So you went to college for software,
00:03:14 --> 00:03:16 like when you went out of out at high school.
00:03:16 --> 00:03:19 I actually got a business marketing degree. So
00:03:19 --> 00:03:21 I got a business marketing degree. As you can
00:03:21 --> 00:03:24 see, I'm a little chatty. So I got a business
00:03:24 --> 00:03:28 marketing degree and then just started, but then
00:03:28 --> 00:03:33 got my first job in sales within software after
00:03:33 --> 00:03:37 college. And then as any... kind of life learner
00:03:37 --> 00:03:40 like I feel like I am is you just learn what
00:03:40 --> 00:03:44 you have to learn. So I dug in and I mean, I
00:03:44 --> 00:03:47 was in sales mostly, but I also wanted to understand
00:03:47 --> 00:03:50 it. And I wanted to understand what I was doing
00:03:50 --> 00:03:53 and understand the people I was talking to and
00:03:53 --> 00:03:56 all of that. So went back and took, you know,
00:03:56 --> 00:03:58 additional accounting classes, additional SQL
00:03:58 --> 00:04:00 classes, things like that, that really helped
00:04:00 --> 00:04:05 me have a better conversation, understand. what's
00:04:05 --> 00:04:06 happening behind the scenes and that's always
00:04:06 --> 00:04:10 intrigued me too. So I think it's been doing
00:04:10 --> 00:04:13 that and been in the roles that I was in early
00:04:13 --> 00:04:17 on in my career. There weren't solutions engineers,
00:04:17 --> 00:04:20 which is what I do now. You did soup to nuts,
00:04:20 --> 00:04:24 right? You did A to Z, you were calling and you
00:04:24 --> 00:04:27 were presenting and you were all the things,
00:04:27 --> 00:04:30 right? So you had to do it and you had to learn
00:04:30 --> 00:04:33 it and that's what you did. So you just... dig
00:04:33 --> 00:04:37 in and figure it out. And that kind of led me
00:04:37 --> 00:04:40 into the next software role, which is in that
00:04:40 --> 00:04:44 lane of solutions engineers and doing that. So
00:04:44 --> 00:04:47 that's what led me into that. And then from there,
00:04:48 --> 00:04:51 I had a great mentor, Sherry Puckett, and kind
00:04:51 --> 00:04:55 of latched onto her and learned everything that
00:04:55 --> 00:04:59 she knew. She's an excellent CPA and technical
00:04:59 --> 00:05:02 wizard. You know, again, you learn what you have
00:05:02 --> 00:05:05 to learn and you dig in and get the answers you
00:05:05 --> 00:05:07 need. I really like your story here because you
00:05:07 --> 00:05:10 mentioned two things that I've really seen, you
00:05:10 --> 00:05:12 know, with other people I have on my podcast
00:05:12 --> 00:05:14 is that lifelong learning, like learning what
00:05:14 --> 00:05:17 you have to do to really go to the next level,
00:05:17 --> 00:05:19 but also having your right mentor, because there's
00:05:19 --> 00:05:22 not a lot of women in tech. really in the segment
00:05:22 --> 00:05:24 that you're doing. So it's really impressive
00:05:24 --> 00:05:26 to hear that and how we helped you to where you
00:05:26 --> 00:05:28 are now. So thank you so much for sharing. Yes.
00:05:29 --> 00:05:32 I've had some amazing women mentors in my life
00:05:32 --> 00:05:35 and a lot of it started with my mom who was in
00:05:35 --> 00:05:39 tech and all of that. Wow. Very successful and,
00:05:39 --> 00:05:42 you know, traveled around the world and did all
00:05:42 --> 00:05:46 those things. Yeah, that is so awesome. So right
00:05:46 --> 00:05:48 where you are now What's the main solution you
00:05:48 --> 00:05:51 are working on and what kind of problems does
00:05:51 --> 00:05:54 he help companies solve? Yeah, so, you know companies
00:05:54 --> 00:05:56 are nowadays especially I mean we live in a market
00:05:56 --> 00:05:59 that's we're in a world really that's that they
00:05:59 --> 00:06:01 need the answers now or yesterday even right
00:06:01 --> 00:06:06 so and so CFO specifically who I talked to around
00:06:06 --> 00:06:08 the country, you know, they are looking for ways
00:06:08 --> 00:06:13 to Help their people be more efficient get to
00:06:13 --> 00:06:15 those answers quickly and those answers being
00:06:15 --> 00:06:19 data driven decision the answers right because
00:06:19 --> 00:06:22 They need to make decisions cash is king. They
00:06:22 --> 00:06:25 need to know what's going on Instantly in their
00:06:25 --> 00:06:29 business and so people to get those answers They
00:06:29 --> 00:06:32 need a better way or a ways to get to the get
00:06:32 --> 00:06:36 to the data get to see what's happening So spreadsheet
00:06:36 --> 00:06:42 server is what I work with today and we've worked
00:06:42 --> 00:06:44 with for quite a while. And that is what this
00:06:44 --> 00:06:49 does. This allows for accountants, finance operations
00:06:49 --> 00:06:53 folks to see and get to all their data, but see
00:06:53 --> 00:06:56 it and get to it in a place that they're comfortable
00:06:56 --> 00:07:00 and happy, which is Excel. And for most folks
00:07:00 --> 00:07:04 who are... running companies, Excel is a little
00:07:04 --> 00:07:07 bit like a warm blanket, right? And so it helps.
00:07:08 --> 00:07:11 They're comfortable and happy there. And so this
00:07:11 --> 00:07:14 solution is in Excel and allows them to leverage
00:07:14 --> 00:07:17 skills they already have, but give them a quick
00:07:17 --> 00:07:20 and easy way to see their data, get to their
00:07:20 --> 00:07:22 data, drill down, see those answers, find out
00:07:22 --> 00:07:26 what's happening in a company in that real time
00:07:26 --> 00:07:30 type of space where they could get to answers
00:07:30 --> 00:07:33 quickly. Wow. And I like the fact that you said
00:07:33 --> 00:07:35 Excel is comfortable. I see every now and then
00:07:35 --> 00:07:39 on LinkedIn, error, RIP Excel, Excel is dead.
00:07:39 --> 00:07:42 But when I think about software, we tend to go
00:07:42 --> 00:07:44 see the information somewhere and dump it in
00:07:44 --> 00:07:47 Excel and then slice and dice, right? Absolutely.
00:07:48 --> 00:07:50 I mean, it's something where I always joke. I
00:07:50 --> 00:07:53 mean, look, a spreadsheet server runs right along
00:07:53 --> 00:07:55 any BI tool because you have different people
00:07:55 --> 00:07:57 in your organization. You have some that are
00:07:57 --> 00:08:00 going to maybe look at a certain view and be
00:08:00 --> 00:08:03 able to say, all right. It's, uh, here's the
00:08:03 --> 00:08:05 big picture, right? All of that. And then you,
00:08:05 --> 00:08:08 and, and, and then you have folks that then are
00:08:08 --> 00:08:12 doing that tactical data day to day. They do
00:08:12 --> 00:08:15 that in Excel. That happens in Excel. And I always
00:08:15 --> 00:08:17 joke, you know, what's everyone's favorite BI
00:08:17 --> 00:08:20 tool is, you know, how to get the one that gets
00:08:20 --> 00:08:23 it. So you Excel the fastest. And so that's what
00:08:23 --> 00:08:26 people are doing, especially those folks. who
00:08:26 --> 00:08:29 are doing that work on a day -to -day basis,
00:08:29 --> 00:08:31 they're taking it to Excel, just like you said.
00:08:31 --> 00:08:34 They're slicing and dicing. They're doing all
00:08:34 --> 00:08:36 the things. So yeah. And there are a million
00:08:36 --> 00:08:41 things that can pull something into Excel. That's
00:08:41 --> 00:08:43 the easy part, getting data into Excel. It's
00:08:43 --> 00:08:47 what that individual does after it's in Excel.
00:08:47 --> 00:08:51 That is the part that takes a while and can be
00:08:51 --> 00:08:55 inefficient and have more mistakes. All of that.
00:08:55 --> 00:08:58 That's the hard part, and that's what we automate.
00:08:59 --> 00:09:01 That is what Spreadsheet Server then says, we
00:09:01 --> 00:09:05 got you, and we're going to make it easy for
00:09:05 --> 00:09:08 you to slice and dice, to get to the details,
00:09:08 --> 00:09:11 and not have to go to 16 places to get that.
00:09:11 --> 00:09:14 You are in Excel. Yeah, so you don't need like
00:09:14 --> 00:09:16 20 times that you have to copy, paste, and
00:09:16 --> 00:09:21 remember formula on tab number 105. That's right.
00:09:21 --> 00:09:23 That's right. It's a single version of the truth.
00:09:23 --> 00:09:25 We've done the mapping. We're pre -configured
00:09:25 --> 00:09:31 to 140 plus general ledgers and ERPs. So we are
00:09:31 --> 00:09:35 very, very agnostic as far as that goes. And
00:09:35 --> 00:09:41 so we're able to really help a company who maybe
00:09:41 --> 00:09:45 feels like they're more boutique or companies
00:09:45 --> 00:09:49 that have data in different places. No problem.
00:09:49 --> 00:09:51 We can connect to multiple places simultaneously
00:09:51 --> 00:09:54 or maybe as a company that's growing, right?
00:09:54 --> 00:09:57 They're growing and they have one general ledger,
00:09:57 --> 00:10:01 but they are acquiring companies and that accounting
00:10:01 --> 00:10:05 group, right, has to, you know, it's like, it's
00:10:05 --> 00:10:07 great. Well, okay, so the vision and the mission,
00:10:08 --> 00:10:09 they're growing and acquiring more things. Those
00:10:09 --> 00:10:11 are all good things. But then the accounting
00:10:11 --> 00:10:13 people are like, whoa, okay, we got to consolidate.
00:10:14 --> 00:10:15 We got to find out what's going on. How are we
00:10:15 --> 00:10:18 going to get to the data and all of that. is
00:10:18 --> 00:10:22 something that we make a whole lot easier. We
00:10:22 --> 00:10:24 can be connected to multiple places at the same
00:10:24 --> 00:10:27 time using the same tool and process, right?
00:10:27 --> 00:10:33 So people, it's a familiar place that enables
00:10:33 --> 00:10:35 those folks that are doing that reporting and
00:10:35 --> 00:10:39 getting to that data. It enables them to be able
00:10:39 --> 00:10:43 to do that a lot quicker and easier. Nice. And
00:10:43 --> 00:10:46 so you've implemented, you know, in, you know,
00:10:46 --> 00:10:47 a lot of reporting tools as well. So in your
00:10:47 --> 00:10:50 experience, what do people misunderstand about
00:10:50 --> 00:10:53 the kind of reporting they can do with their
00:10:53 --> 00:10:58 ERP versus or an accounting system compared to
00:10:58 --> 00:11:01 a specialized tool like specialty server or BI
00:11:01 --> 00:11:03 tool? Cause I feel like sometimes we think we're
00:11:03 --> 00:11:06 going to get all the answers from one place.
00:11:06 --> 00:11:09 And it's often not the case. These ERPs, they
00:11:09 --> 00:11:12 have to have a reporting tool. They have to have
00:11:12 --> 00:11:15 something in -house, right? In their system.
00:11:16 --> 00:11:19 But that's not what they're, not always what
00:11:19 --> 00:11:22 they're best at. They are very good at the general
00:11:22 --> 00:11:24 ledger. They're very good at organizing the data
00:11:24 --> 00:11:27 for the customer. They're very good at being
00:11:27 --> 00:11:30 able to have that customer... you know, input,
00:11:31 --> 00:11:33 do all the things, manage all of their data,
00:11:34 --> 00:11:37 and then the reporting out of it sometimes can
00:11:37 --> 00:11:39 be second, right? And so, and this is where,
00:11:39 --> 00:11:41 this is our, you know, this is our lane, this
00:11:41 --> 00:11:44 is our gold star, this is what we do, right?
00:11:45 --> 00:11:49 So inherent in the ERP system, sometimes for
00:11:49 --> 00:11:54 folks could feel not as customizable, they can't
00:11:54 --> 00:11:57 get to all their data. they're, they feel a little
00:11:57 --> 00:12:01 stuck. And then what happens then is that they
00:12:01 --> 00:12:04 take that whatever they get out of their ERP,
00:12:04 --> 00:12:06 they put it into Excel and then they have to
00:12:06 --> 00:12:08 manipulate it even further from that because
00:12:08 --> 00:12:11 it's not giving them exactly what they want,
00:12:11 --> 00:12:14 right? Because they, they can't see it. It's
00:12:14 --> 00:12:17 not, you know, a focus. So that is really where,
00:12:17 --> 00:12:19 you know, it's something that they pay, these
00:12:19 --> 00:12:23 companies pay a lot of money for, you know, these,
00:12:23 --> 00:12:26 these ERP systems. and then have trouble getting
00:12:26 --> 00:12:29 the data out, right? And that is frustrating.
00:12:30 --> 00:12:33 And so this is something that really is such
00:12:33 --> 00:12:36 an easy implementation, all the easy things that
00:12:36 --> 00:12:39 can just be put right in there, connect right
00:12:39 --> 00:12:42 to the data, get to all the data, customizable,
00:12:43 --> 00:12:46 you know, all of those things. Okay. And so could
00:12:46 --> 00:12:48 you share a story, an example where a team had
00:12:48 --> 00:12:52 like that aha moment after they made the switch?
00:12:52 --> 00:12:55 Because I feel like, again, once you And I've
00:12:55 --> 00:12:57 used different ERP before. I've been in Sage
00:12:57 --> 00:13:02 and SAP and so many ERP systems. And if you want
00:13:02 --> 00:13:05 an AR report, you get an accounts receivable
00:13:05 --> 00:13:08 report. But you cannot necessarily see the GL
00:13:08 --> 00:13:10 side. You have to go to another module to see
00:13:10 --> 00:13:13 it. But I can only imagine how having all these
00:13:13 --> 00:13:16 in one place is super helpful. So maybe you have
00:13:16 --> 00:13:19 a story or an example you want to share about
00:13:19 --> 00:13:21 someone that made a switch. I think it goes back
00:13:21 --> 00:13:24 to, again, they implemented a new ERP. They were
00:13:24 --> 00:13:27 getting going. And, and that, and that in itself
00:13:27 --> 00:13:30 is a lot of change management for an organization.
00:13:30 --> 00:13:33 So this organization was switching from one ERP
00:13:33 --> 00:13:37 to the other. And so, you know, there was a,
00:13:37 --> 00:13:40 there was frustration there and then having to
00:13:40 --> 00:13:43 learn one old reporting and another, and not
00:13:43 --> 00:13:45 just seeing all, not being able to reconcile
00:13:45 --> 00:13:48 the data. it just caused a lot of problems. And
00:13:48 --> 00:13:53 so when they brought in spreadsheet server, they
00:13:53 --> 00:13:56 were able to connect to both their old system
00:13:56 --> 00:13:58 and their new system right next to each other
00:13:58 --> 00:14:01 in Excel, drill down into both balances, validate
00:14:01 --> 00:14:04 the balances. And then, so not only did it help
00:14:04 --> 00:14:07 in that change management process to make things
00:14:07 --> 00:14:12 a lot... you know, easier, comfortable. But again,
00:14:12 --> 00:14:15 for those accountants and finance folks and operations
00:14:15 --> 00:14:17 folks who need to see that data regardless of
00:14:17 --> 00:14:19 whether they're in from lending an ERP or not,
00:14:20 --> 00:14:23 right? This made things just happier for them
00:14:23 --> 00:14:25 because they were able to, they weren't able
00:14:25 --> 00:14:27 to, they didn't have to go again to 16 places
00:14:27 --> 00:14:31 to get to that. So it helped a lot in that reconciliation
00:14:31 --> 00:14:34 process. And then in the new system, we have
00:14:34 --> 00:14:37 so many little ways that help them help that.
00:14:38 --> 00:14:42 individual be able to see what all the accounts
00:14:42 --> 00:14:44 are, see where all these little things that help
00:14:44 --> 00:14:48 them. So it really helped them. You know, they
00:14:48 --> 00:14:51 were able to, you know, when they made the full
00:14:51 --> 00:14:54 move into the other ERP, they were already comfortable
00:14:54 --> 00:14:57 with the system and then keep going. And a lot
00:14:57 --> 00:15:00 of times what happens then, right, is people
00:15:00 --> 00:15:02 go through their career and go to the next company
00:15:02 --> 00:15:05 or whatever, and that next company doesn't have
00:15:05 --> 00:15:09 Spreadsheet Server, they're going. What is happening?
00:15:09 --> 00:15:12 And so and then that's how I reach out I mean
00:15:12 --> 00:15:16 I had people come up to me at Conferences and
00:15:16 --> 00:15:18 things like that like they're gonna have to pry
00:15:18 --> 00:15:21 this for my cold dead hands if they ever take
00:15:21 --> 00:15:24 this away, you know So it's something that just
00:15:24 --> 00:15:28 look it's it's it's helpful and it's it allows
00:15:28 --> 00:15:30 them to get home at the end of the day a little
00:15:30 --> 00:15:33 sooner, which is Yeah, what we all need to do.
00:15:33 --> 00:15:37 Yes. Now I've seen many cases where companies
00:15:37 --> 00:15:40 have the right tool, but I still don't use it
00:15:40 --> 00:15:42 to its full potential. It's almost like driving
00:15:42 --> 00:15:46 a Rolls Royce like a golf cart. So why do you
00:15:46 --> 00:15:49 think that happens a lot? Why do so many finance
00:15:49 --> 00:15:52 teams seem to underuse the technology that they
00:15:52 --> 00:15:54 have? Now let's take a quick break to talk about
00:15:54 --> 00:15:57 a problem most finance teams face. You spend
00:15:57 --> 00:16:00 hours wrestling with data from different systems,
00:16:00 --> 00:16:02 building reports manually, and by the time you
00:16:02 --> 00:16:05 are done, the insights are already outdated.
00:16:06 --> 00:16:08 That's where today's sponsor comes in. Insight
00:16:08 --> 00:16:11 software gives you financing AI power tools that
00:16:11 --> 00:16:14 automatically pull data together and deliver
00:16:14 --> 00:16:17 super fast insight. Don't leave your team stuck
00:16:17 --> 00:16:20 in spreadsheets. Let them flex their talents
00:16:20 --> 00:16:23 as strategic advisors who guide smart business
00:16:23 --> 00:16:27 decisions. I'm hosting a webinar in partnership
00:16:27 --> 00:16:30 with Inside Software this October 15th. It's
00:16:30 --> 00:16:33 called Get Out of the Reporting Rut. So visit
00:16:33 --> 00:16:36 insidesoftware .com slash October to register
00:16:36 --> 00:16:39 and transform how your finance team operates.
00:16:40 --> 00:16:42 I'll also drop the link in the show notes. I
00:16:42 --> 00:16:45 think because in the beginning when they first
00:16:45 --> 00:16:47 kind of look at the tool and deciding it was
00:16:47 --> 00:16:50 something, it looks... very flashy, like a Rolls
00:16:50 --> 00:16:53 -Royce looks very flashy and all of that, right?
00:16:53 --> 00:16:56 And they're like, oh wow, this is so cool and
00:16:56 --> 00:17:01 whatever. And then they buy it, right? But they
00:17:01 --> 00:17:05 don't realize how a, I'm sure again, a Rolls
00:17:05 --> 00:17:09 -Royce is just delivered, so kind of that comparison
00:17:09 --> 00:17:14 changes a bit there. But a lot of those types
00:17:14 --> 00:17:19 of tools can take three to six months to implement
00:17:19 --> 00:17:23 a ton of resources on the IT side, on the accounting
00:17:23 --> 00:17:26 side, time away from, again, what they have to
00:17:26 --> 00:17:31 continue to do, their real jobs, right? So it's
00:17:31 --> 00:17:34 a huge project. And then on top of that, they
00:17:34 --> 00:17:37 have to learn something that maybe requires them
00:17:37 --> 00:17:41 to be technical or more technical than they are.
00:17:42 --> 00:17:44 you know, unfamiliar, all of that. So all of
00:17:44 --> 00:17:46 that takes a long time. And then at the end of
00:17:46 --> 00:17:49 the day, if it becomes too hard or too in there,
00:17:49 --> 00:17:52 like I can't focus on that, I have to do my job.
00:17:53 --> 00:17:56 And they end up not using it because they have
00:17:56 --> 00:17:58 to, they go back to what they were doing. Even
00:17:58 --> 00:18:01 if that is, you know, riding a bike to work,
00:18:01 --> 00:18:03 right? Versus a Rolls Royce because it's something
00:18:03 --> 00:18:08 that they know how to do. Right? Wow. So that's
00:18:08 --> 00:18:10 really, you know, something that's frustrating
00:18:10 --> 00:18:13 probably on both the user side, the operational
00:18:13 --> 00:18:16 and finance folks and on the executive side that
00:18:16 --> 00:18:19 had to pay, make the investment for something
00:18:19 --> 00:18:22 that's probably expensive, but then. quite laborious
00:18:22 --> 00:18:26 to implement and to get that user adoption. Okay.
00:18:26 --> 00:18:29 And so if a CFL controller is listening today
00:18:29 --> 00:18:32 and is wondering whether they are getting the
00:18:32 --> 00:18:34 most out of their reporting setup. So hopefully
00:18:34 --> 00:18:37 they bought the Rolls Royce, they bought the
00:18:37 --> 00:18:39 Mercedes and it's driving like one, not a golf
00:18:39 --> 00:18:42 cart or a bike. What do you think is the first
00:18:42 --> 00:18:44 question you want them to ask themselves? Like
00:18:44 --> 00:18:48 how would they find out if they come in, they
00:18:48 --> 00:18:50 inherit a tool? They see how people are using
00:18:50 --> 00:18:52 it. What will be a good question or questions
00:18:52 --> 00:18:55 that you want them to, to start probing just
00:18:55 --> 00:18:58 to understand where they are in that setup. Yeah.
00:18:58 --> 00:19:01 So things like, um, do you, are you getting all
00:19:01 --> 00:19:04 the data now that you need? You know what I mean?
00:19:04 --> 00:19:06 Not just, just the ones, maybe what you have
00:19:06 --> 00:19:09 before or what, you know, are there things that
00:19:09 --> 00:19:12 you have trial? Is there data that you have trouble
00:19:12 --> 00:19:17 getting to now still? What is the process? What
00:19:17 --> 00:19:20 are the folks who are maybe providing that data?
00:19:21 --> 00:19:23 What does it look like under the covers for them?
00:19:24 --> 00:19:25 You know what I mean? Are they having to run
00:19:25 --> 00:19:29 around and still do a bunch of things on top
00:19:29 --> 00:19:33 of this? So it's really, are you getting everything
00:19:33 --> 00:19:37 you need as quick as you want it? Are you able
00:19:37 --> 00:19:41 to, as you kind of drive the business and...
00:19:41 --> 00:19:45 Um, execute on the mission of the company and
00:19:45 --> 00:19:49 the vision of the company is what you're doing
00:19:49 --> 00:19:53 now. Okay. For that or not, or is it, they're
00:19:53 --> 00:19:55 only going to be more chaotic over the years.
00:19:55 --> 00:19:59 And so it's like, okay, you need to. So it's
00:19:59 --> 00:20:02 asking yourself, okay, is this what, what we
00:20:02 --> 00:20:05 have today? Is that getting, giving me what I
00:20:05 --> 00:20:10 want. How hard is it still for my people that's
00:20:10 --> 00:20:12 you know, either giving me the information or
00:20:12 --> 00:20:16 myself right to do it and Are you still saying
00:20:16 --> 00:20:19 to yourself? How can we do this better? You know
00:20:19 --> 00:20:21 how there's got to be a better way to do this,
00:20:21 --> 00:20:24 you know Are you doing something but then not
00:20:24 --> 00:20:26 being able to get reports out to people? Are
00:20:26 --> 00:20:28 you you know all these little little things but
00:20:28 --> 00:20:31 it's think about the things that you say well,
00:20:31 --> 00:20:36 you know Is there still frustrations? Wow. And
00:20:36 --> 00:20:38 so what would be your playbook for helping teams
00:20:38 --> 00:20:42 get the most out of their reporting too? Like
00:20:42 --> 00:20:44 understanding that, you know, any tool could
00:20:44 --> 00:20:47 take time away from what they're doing every
00:20:47 --> 00:20:50 day. So what would be the best way to make sure
00:20:50 --> 00:20:53 they can either pace themselves, select the right
00:20:53 --> 00:20:55 solution, but really get the most out of it?
00:20:55 --> 00:20:58 I would say it's knowing the people and the resources
00:20:58 --> 00:21:01 and, and, and knowing like, okay, where, where
00:21:01 --> 00:21:05 is my My people, my resources that are going
00:21:05 --> 00:21:07 to be working with anything on a day -to -day
00:21:07 --> 00:21:11 basis, are they more technically inclined? Are
00:21:11 --> 00:21:17 they not as technically inclined? Where are they
00:21:17 --> 00:21:20 doing things on a day -to -day basis, like in
00:21:20 --> 00:21:23 the system, in Excel, or all those things? Understanding
00:21:23 --> 00:21:25 your people and what they want to do, because
00:21:25 --> 00:21:29 then if they're doing it, they're happier, all
00:21:29 --> 00:21:32 those things. Did I answer that question? I'm
00:21:32 --> 00:21:34 sorry, I feel like I didn't quite answer it.
00:21:34 --> 00:21:37 So you answer the part where, you know, you just
00:21:37 --> 00:21:40 said, think about the resources and the people
00:21:40 --> 00:21:41 that you have, right? Because at the end of the
00:21:41 --> 00:21:43 day, and it absolutely makes sense because they're
00:21:43 --> 00:21:46 the one that will be using the tool. Now, assuming
00:21:46 --> 00:21:48 that you have the right people and you are able
00:21:48 --> 00:21:52 to see that you have the right mix, if they're
00:21:52 --> 00:21:54 technical, it's good, or you maybe will supplement
00:21:54 --> 00:21:58 with a consultant to help them out. Yeah. How
00:21:58 --> 00:22:02 do you plan it? To the end like how do you manage
00:22:02 --> 00:22:05 the whole project till the end? Well, it's check.
00:22:05 --> 00:22:07 How are the folks learning the tool? Are they
00:22:07 --> 00:22:11 using it the tool? Are whatever it is, right?
00:22:11 --> 00:22:14 Um, are they or are they reverting back to what
00:22:14 --> 00:22:17 they used to do? So it's it's understanding are
00:22:17 --> 00:22:22 they Adopting this solution as a solution It's
00:22:22 --> 00:22:24 a solution, but they haven't quite fully adopted
00:22:24 --> 00:22:28 it that what's the point right? So and again,
00:22:28 --> 00:22:32 maybe the solution was adopt it more in a different
00:22:32 --> 00:22:34 sector of the company or different roles in the
00:22:34 --> 00:22:38 company. But it's understanding, okay, here is
00:22:38 --> 00:22:41 what we saw for this solution, where we saw when
00:22:41 --> 00:22:44 we made the investment, this is the three or
00:22:44 --> 00:22:47 four things that we saw that were gonna help
00:22:47 --> 00:22:50 us, again, achieve our mission and achieve all
00:22:50 --> 00:22:53 that, right? And are the people doing that? Are
00:22:53 --> 00:22:56 those three or four things happening, right?
00:22:56 --> 00:23:00 And kind of have check -ins. Three, you know,
00:23:00 --> 00:23:02 maybe a month two months three months or hot,
00:23:03 --> 00:23:05 you know, whatever that is to be able to say,
00:23:05 --> 00:23:08 okay Is this being leveraged in the way that
00:23:08 --> 00:23:11 we originally saw? Right because you don't want
00:23:11 --> 00:23:14 it to be renewal time for any software and then
00:23:14 --> 00:23:17 be like, oh wait Where you haven't used in six
00:23:17 --> 00:23:23 months? No, right So and that happens Right.
00:23:23 --> 00:23:26 So so it's it's checking in to say, okay are
00:23:26 --> 00:23:29 these three things? Are we helping our people,
00:23:29 --> 00:23:33 our company, all that? Are we doing those things?
00:23:33 --> 00:23:35 It's having a check -in to say, is this working
00:23:35 --> 00:23:38 or not? And then staying in touch with that provider
00:23:38 --> 00:23:41 of that solution to say, hey, look, this isn't
00:23:41 --> 00:23:43 working because potentially they might have a
00:23:43 --> 00:23:45 fix or they might be able to say, oh, well, this
00:23:45 --> 00:23:47 was missed during training. Let's get some more
00:23:47 --> 00:23:49 training in or this was, you know, or whatever
00:23:49 --> 00:23:53 it is, but staying in touch, you're checking
00:23:53 --> 00:23:55 those things and then stay in touch with the
00:23:55 --> 00:23:59 provider. then you know that you can protect
00:23:59 --> 00:24:01 your investment as much as you want it to be
00:24:01 --> 00:24:04 protected. I really like that approach because
00:24:04 --> 00:24:07 you mentioned something that I feel like we often
00:24:07 --> 00:24:09 miss is like, what are the three things we really
00:24:09 --> 00:24:13 wanted to do? And are we still, is it still delivering
00:24:13 --> 00:24:15 on those things? So that's really how you see
00:24:15 --> 00:24:18 if people are really adapting the solution. I
00:24:18 --> 00:24:19 really like the point about staying in touch
00:24:19 --> 00:24:23 as well with the provider and making sure we
00:24:23 --> 00:24:26 are using the technology. and getting that ROI.
00:24:26 --> 00:24:28 Yeah, because sometimes there's just a mismatch,
00:24:28 --> 00:24:30 right? There's some that are a miscommunication
00:24:30 --> 00:24:32 and they're like, oh, no, you, you know, you
00:24:32 --> 00:24:35 can, it will, you know, paint the walls for you.
00:24:35 --> 00:24:38 You just have to hit this button. But, you know,
00:24:38 --> 00:24:41 so, you know, that kind of thing. OK. And so
00:24:41 --> 00:24:45 with AI and technology, you know, evolving as
00:24:45 --> 00:24:47 fast as we've seen in the recent years, where
00:24:47 --> 00:24:50 do you see reporting tools going in the next
00:24:50 --> 00:24:52 few years? And what should finance leaders be
00:24:52 --> 00:24:55 thinking about? now to stay ahead. Yeah, I mean,
00:24:56 --> 00:24:59 they definitely need to be AI is coming, whether
00:24:59 --> 00:25:01 we all want it to or not, and it's coming fast.
00:25:01 --> 00:25:05 And that's kind of true to true to form for AI,
00:25:05 --> 00:25:09 right? I mean, it can do some amazing things.
00:25:09 --> 00:25:12 It's pretty cool. And we have a lot of AI. That's
00:25:12 --> 00:25:15 where our focus is, is building in a lot more
00:25:15 --> 00:25:18 AI just again, increasing that efficiency for
00:25:18 --> 00:25:24 that user. I think AI is something that is obviously,
00:25:24 --> 00:25:27 it's coming, it's coming fast. So I think it's
00:25:27 --> 00:25:29 people understanding and taking kind of baby
00:25:29 --> 00:25:32 steps to get themselves more comfortable with
00:25:32 --> 00:25:36 it. And then as far as the role of the reporting
00:25:36 --> 00:25:40 solutions or any software, it's making sure it's
00:25:40 --> 00:25:44 implemented in a way that people understand how
00:25:44 --> 00:25:49 to use it and understand... I know for myself,
00:25:50 --> 00:25:53 like when I've really dug into AI and the different
00:25:53 --> 00:25:56 tools and different things, it's understanding
00:25:56 --> 00:25:59 the prompts or the questions to ask and the things
00:25:59 --> 00:26:01 to do and understanding what you can ask. And
00:26:01 --> 00:26:03 you're like, you can't ask it that way. You probably
00:26:03 --> 00:26:05 can. You probably can. And it's going to help.
00:26:06 --> 00:26:09 So it's going to make things, you know, I think
00:26:09 --> 00:26:11 make certain things even more efficient and all
00:26:11 --> 00:26:15 that. But I still believe that there has to be
00:26:15 --> 00:26:19 that human piece alongside of it. So if that
00:26:19 --> 00:26:23 individual understands the AI, but then there
00:26:23 --> 00:26:26 has to be that piece with it, I still believe
00:26:26 --> 00:26:29 that there's instincts there that may not be
00:26:29 --> 00:26:31 in there with everything that comes out of AI.
00:26:31 --> 00:26:34 Okay, and one thing I saw too, you know beside
00:26:34 --> 00:26:37 you know, I also agree that the human touch still
00:26:37 --> 00:26:40 needs to be involved but I read a study recently
00:26:40 --> 00:26:45 that mentioned how a lot of AI implementation
00:26:45 --> 00:26:48 or AI Adventures that people to didn't become
00:26:48 --> 00:26:52 successful and one of the reason was that the
00:26:52 --> 00:26:56 data was bad Yeah Yeah, and that's where there's
00:26:56 --> 00:26:58 different tools. It's something that you sort
00:26:58 --> 00:27:01 of have to, in some ways, like force yourself
00:27:01 --> 00:27:05 to kind of explore the different things. And
00:27:05 --> 00:27:07 that's where understanding the prompts and things
00:27:07 --> 00:27:09 like that, prompts me and the questions to ask
00:27:09 --> 00:27:12 it, and be able to read those answers and be
00:27:12 --> 00:27:14 like, does this make sense? Is this something
00:27:14 --> 00:27:17 that's true or not? Different AI tools, again,
00:27:18 --> 00:27:22 that's where you have to have that human brain
00:27:22 --> 00:27:26 to say, Well, no green isn't red, you know what
00:27:26 --> 00:27:29 I mean or whatever right or whatever it is, you
00:27:29 --> 00:27:32 know, so, you know, I put Something on my calendar
00:27:32 --> 00:27:37 every morning Like from 8 to 8 30 is you know
00:27:37 --> 00:27:40 AI training where I just go out and I explore
00:27:40 --> 00:27:44 a little bit our amazing SC team here led by
00:27:44 --> 00:27:47 Natasha. I mean, she put this whole checklist
00:27:47 --> 00:27:49 of things that we can kind of go and explore
00:27:49 --> 00:27:52 and learn. And it's something that we are actively
00:27:52 --> 00:27:57 doing all the time to make sure that we are able,
00:27:57 --> 00:28:00 you know, we're up on it so that we're able to
00:28:00 --> 00:28:03 talk to our customers and those individuals even
00:28:03 --> 00:28:06 better as well. Oh, that is so cool. So 30 minutes
00:28:06 --> 00:28:09 and it's all dedicated to AI. So what's the coolest
00:28:09 --> 00:28:11 thing you've done? in AI so far, because I try
00:28:11 --> 00:28:15 to build a podcast manager kind of agent. It
00:28:15 --> 00:28:18 didn't work well. So I'm just curious now to
00:28:18 --> 00:28:22 hear what any AI adventure you mind sharing and
00:28:22 --> 00:28:25 what you found. Well, I'm going to share. I mean,
00:28:25 --> 00:28:28 I've done a lot of cool stuff. The coolest thing
00:28:28 --> 00:28:30 wasn't done by me. It was done by a colleague
00:28:30 --> 00:28:33 of mine. So but as I'll say, like they were able
00:28:33 --> 00:28:38 to just take a like dump in a transcript from
00:28:38 --> 00:28:42 a Gong call or whatever. And then it picks up,
00:28:42 --> 00:28:45 Gong will do some of it, right? But then this
00:28:45 --> 00:28:48 took it a next level and be able to, and then
00:28:48 --> 00:28:51 built out a whole like process of the cost of
00:28:51 --> 00:28:55 inaction, right? And what that means to that
00:28:55 --> 00:28:58 company and how to be able then to deliver on
00:28:58 --> 00:29:01 the value from our side of things. And so it
00:29:01 --> 00:29:03 was very cool. And you just kind of say, hey,
00:29:03 --> 00:29:06 built this out or put this in a table and all
00:29:06 --> 00:29:10 this stuff. And so it did that. So it was, it
00:29:10 --> 00:29:13 was, it was pretty cool. Oh yeah. Oh yeah. Just
00:29:13 --> 00:29:16 based on a few things. Yeah. Yes. Okay. Thank
00:29:16 --> 00:29:18 you so much for sharing. I know we're getting
00:29:18 --> 00:29:20 toward the end and I'm always curious to ask
00:29:20 --> 00:29:24 everyone, what's your favorite thing to do outside
00:29:24 --> 00:29:27 of work? Oh gosh. Well, I have kids who are getting
00:29:27 --> 00:29:30 older and going off to college soon. So it's
00:29:30 --> 00:29:33 being with my family, playing tennis, um, pickleball
00:29:33 --> 00:29:37 with my mom, you know, read. Um, things like
00:29:37 --> 00:29:39 that. So, you know, but spending as much time
00:29:39 --> 00:29:42 with my teenagers before they, as much as they'll
00:29:42 --> 00:29:44 let me before they fly the nest. So. Oh, that
00:29:44 --> 00:29:47 is awesome. Good for you. So I'm curious too.
00:29:47 --> 00:29:50 So me being with an accounting background, I
00:29:50 --> 00:29:52 feel like I see life from an accounting lens.
00:29:52 --> 00:29:55 Like every while I go, I wonder how much money
00:29:55 --> 00:29:57 are they making? What's the margin here? So you
00:29:57 --> 00:30:00 being in software, do you feel like it changes
00:30:00 --> 00:30:03 how you view the world outside of work? Well,
00:30:03 --> 00:30:06 sure, because again, you're always asking yourself
00:30:06 --> 00:30:09 again, how to do things better. And, and, you
00:30:09 --> 00:30:11 know, I see that a lot when getting involved
00:30:11 --> 00:30:13 with the school, let's make my kids school things
00:30:13 --> 00:30:15 like that, where you see stuff like what's happening,
00:30:15 --> 00:30:18 like why is, you know, this, it seems like it's
00:30:18 --> 00:30:20 things could be done a little better website.
00:30:21 --> 00:30:26 Yeah. And you're like, you know, and so you,
00:30:26 --> 00:30:28 but you sort of have to be careful about like,
00:30:29 --> 00:30:31 saying something because then you're then in
00:30:31 --> 00:30:37 charge of that so very true so So it's like how
00:30:37 --> 00:30:40 how much do I care? Okay, what it is, you know,
00:30:40 --> 00:30:42 but yeah, certainly I mean certainly it comes
00:30:42 --> 00:30:45 into play and everything that you do a little
00:30:45 --> 00:30:48 bit You know, so well, thank you so much for
00:30:48 --> 00:30:50 sharing and thank you so much for being on the
00:30:50 --> 00:30:53 show Anna Thank you so much for being here. Thanks.
00:30:53 --> 00:30:59 Take care. Thank you you too And that's it for
00:30:59 --> 00:31:02 today's episode of the Diary of a CFO. Thank
00:31:02 --> 00:31:05 you so much for tuning in. If you enjoyed the
00:31:05 --> 00:31:08 show, don't forget to like, review, subscribe,
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00:31:27 --> 00:31:30 the show. As always, if there is any topic you
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