Dive Brief:
- CFOs who strategically deploy artificial intelligence alongside broader finance technology investments could unlock an additional 10 percentage points of margin growth by 2029, according to Gartner’s 2026 Finance Technology Bullseye Report.
- But Gartner warns that CFOs are operating in a complex, rapidly evolving finance technology landscape, where fragmentation and “intense AI vendor hype” can lead to costly missteps and wasted budgets.
- “Three quarters of CFOs are raising their tech budgets for 2026, with nearly half by 10% or more, as AI is reshaping core finance, process automation and analytics,” Mike Helsel, a senior director analyst in Gartner’s finance practice, said in a press release. “However, CFOs will not unlock margin gains from AI by chasing isolated pilots: the biggest returns will come from managing finance technology as a portfolio — strengthening proven applications, accelerating high-value automation and scaling AI where governance and integration are maturing.”
Dive Insight:
Finance teams are at a “watershed moment,” with CFOs facing mounting pressure to transform traditional workflows and taking on a more strategic role in shaping technology roadmaps across the enterprise, Gartner said.
While AI remains a central focus, CFOs are also managing a broader mix of tools with embedded AI capabilities, including cloud ERP, process automation, advanced analytics and key nonfinance systems that are “collectively reshaping the finance function,” according to the study, which examined more than 60 technologies.
Gartner said it surveyed 314 organizations worldwide in September and October 2025 to better understand finance teams’ technology portfolios and investment strategies.
Cloud ERP remains the “backbone of scalable, compliant finance operations,” with adoption rising 7% year over year, making it the most valued technology in the Bullseye report and a top area for future investment. Gartner said these systems are increasingly seen as both operational foundations and enablers of embedded AI capabilities with the potential to unlock new levels of insight across finance.
Generative AI shows the highest future investment interest among finance leaders, with rapid adoption, though most deployments are still in pilot phases.
AI agents and embedded AI also have high investment intent, “signaling strategic bets on autonomous finance and faster decision cycles, despite moderate current value and early adoption,” Gartner said.
Blockchain saw the largest positive shift in future investment ranking, reflecting growing interest in audit trails and compliance. Gartner found that extended planning and analysis technologies and accounting engines are declining in value and investment as organizations shift toward integrated applications.
Meanwhile, process mining and intelligent document processing are gaining momentum as enablers of scalable automation and optimization. Spreadsheets remain the most widely adopted, “highlighting persistent reliance amid modernization,” according to the research.
Among Gartner’s forward-looking projections, by 2028 finance organizations using cloud ERP systems with embedded AI assistants will achieve a 30% faster financial close, while by 2029, 40% of financial planning and analysis teams at large enterprises are expected to use AI-enabled simulation tools to replace bottom-up manual planning, up from 5% today.
“To capture the margin upside, CFOs need to align AI and technology investments to business outcomes, supported by strong governance, explainability and data readiness,” Helsel said.
