2021-08-10-Gartner-2021_CFO_Conference_Key_Takeaways_18页_675kb

Gartner CFO & Finance Executive Conference Key Takeaways - Summary

Key Challenges & Focus Areas

• CFOs face balancing cost reduction with growth acceleration in the post-pandemic environment.
• Critical challenges identified include strengthening financial positions, supercharging data/analytics/tech projects, reorienting organizational focus, and accelerating performance.

Major Transformations

1. Hybrid Workplace: Need to redefine office spaces for flexibility and sustainability, addressing employee expectations.
2. Digital Business: Democratization challenges; lack of visibility into digital investments and initiatives.
3. New Employment Deal: Focus on redefining employee expectations, leveraging workforce investments strategically.

Strategic Actions for CFOs

• Update governance/data analytics frameworks to support digital initiatives.
• Acquire foundational digital skills and leverage gamification for skill development.
• Establish scalable centralization models in finance activities by assessing operational homogeneity.

Data & Analytics Trends

1. Cloud enables innovation and connects ecosystems.
2. Augmentation drives data democratization.
3. Convergence of platforms facilitates cross-enterprise analytics.
4. Dynamic storytelling replaces static dashboards.

Finance Future Roadmap

Organize content into four agenda tracks:

• Track A: Strategic mandate for 2025
• Track B: Data/analytics/tech transformation
• Track Track: Performance acceleration
• Track D: Building future-fit organizations

Key Implementation Steps

1. Map KPIs to digital business models
2. Accelerate financial democratization through citizen data scientists
3. Develop blended skill sets (technical+social-creative)
4. Prioritize automation while preserving human judgment

Conference Impact

• 2,000+ finance leaders attended
• USA (68%) and UK (8%) represented the majority
• Top topics revolved around finance transformation (368 teams)