AI and finance: a 90-day roadmap for a pilot
The 90-day objective is to test one financial process within a controlled scope and decide whether it warrants expansion. Timing depends on access, closing cycles and data quality. It guarantees neither productivity gains nor a close by day five.
Contents
- Key points
- Weeks 1 to 3: scope the project and measure the baseline
- Weeks 4 to 6: connect and compare
- Weeks 7 to 10: build reporting and test the assistant
- Weeks 11 to 13: decide, document and train
- Which indicators should you track and when should you stop?
- What is the Fractional CFO’s role?
- Frequently asked questions
English version published on 2 October 2026. Sources rechecked on the same date.
Weeks 1 to 3: scope the project and measure the baseline
Choose a frequent, observable task, such as reconciling one account or preparing a report. Time collection, processing and review. Record detected errors and correction requests.
Owner: CFO or management accountant, with process users. Deliverable: scope sheet, data dictionary, access list and baseline indicators. Stage gate: management validates the need and an owner can explain the reference result.
The Opti Digital case illustrates the ERP, reporting and closing structure that may precede an AI layer.
Weeks 4 to 6: connect and compare
Connect just one source in read-only mode or start with a controlled export. Compare the extraction with the reference file: row count, totals, periods and entities. Add an alert for incomplete loads.
Owners: IT or an integrator for the connection; finance for mapping. Deliverable: variance log and recovery procedure. Stage gate: discrepancies are explained and approved, access is restricted, and fallback to a manual export has been tested.
Prepare the questions from the tool and connector selection guide, including quotas, history and maintenance.
Weeks 7 to 10: build reporting and test the assistant
Produce the dashboard for the agreed scope. Display the data date and exceptions. Once the calculation layer is validated, test drafting commentary from approved variances alone.
Owner: finance, with the security lead for data entrusted to the assistant. Deliverable: reconciled report, test answer key and review time. Stage gate: no unexplained material variance, no fabricated cause accepted in the final document.
Use the prompts and fictitious dataset before testing internal figures.
Weeks 11 to 13: decide, document and train
Compare complete before-and-after time, errors, costs and actual usage. Define who handles exceptions and who may change the rules. Train a second user to avoid dependence on the designer.
Deliverable: continue, correct or stop decision, with procedure and budget. Stage gate: a user other than the designer can run the process and retrieve supporting evidence. For a monthly close, extend this phase if two comparable cycles have not yet been observed.
Which indicators should you track and when should you stop?
| Indicator | Measure | Stop or correction signal |
|---|---|---|
| Total time | Production + controls + corrections | Review eliminates the benefit |
| Reliability | Differences from the answer key and undetected anomalies | A material difference remains unexplained |
| Operations | Successful loads and recovery delays | Stale data without an alert |
| Adoption | Users can execute independently | Only the provider can produce the result |
| Economics | Net benefit and initial investment | Costs exceed the benefits used |
Agree thresholds during scoping with the finance owner. The reporting ROI calculation distinguishes released capacity from cash savings.
What is the Fractional CFO’s role?
The Fractional CFO defines indicators, validates controls and arbitrates scope. IT secures access and connections; the accounting team verifies rules; management decides objectives. Set out this cooperation before choosing a tool.
For scoping, bring an approved report, your software list and a time log. The documented cases provide comparisons to adapt to your volumes and organisation.
Frequently asked questions
What should you have achieved after 90 days?
An evaluated pilot, documented controls and a decision on next steps. A general rollout is not mandatory: stopping an uneconomic use case is a useful outcome.
Why extend validation beyond 90 days?
The closing calendar may not allow enough comparable cycles. Observe the necessary cycles instead of approving on an arbitrary date.
Who should lead the project?
A finance owner carries business rules, with IT, users, the accountant and data owners as relevant to the scope. Management decides budgets and objectives.
Scope your project with a CFO
Share your needs, tools and difficulties. We can clarify the scope, deliverables and controls for support.
Discuss my projectSources & references
- Introduction to the Pennylane APIs — Pennylane, source rechecked on 2 October 2026.
- Data analysis with ChatGPT — OpenAI Help Center, source rechecked on 2 October 2026.
- Business data protection — OpenAI, source rechecked on 2 October 2026.