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Function reinvention in the age of AI | Global Human Capital Trends 2026 | Deloitte Insights
Summary
Over half of executives believe that corporate functions like finance, HR, and IT need substantial reinvention to meet changing business demands. This sentiment reflects a growing recognition of the need for these functions to adapt in capability and mission.
The finance function is evolving into a business partner that drives operational efficiencies and provides strategic insights. AI tools are significantly reducing the time required to generate reports, transforming the role of finance professionals.
Finance teams are shifting from traditional stewardship roles to becoming integral parts of leadership teams. This transition necessitates a broader skill set for finance professionals, emphasizing strategic thinking and real-time data analysis.
The integration of AI into finance operations fosters a new dynamic in conversations between finance partners and business leaders. This evolution encourages finance professionals to focus on insights that can drive business strategy.
Perspectives
short
Proponents of Function Reinvention
- Highlight the need for substantial reinvention in corporate functions
- Argue that AI tools can drastically reduce report generation time
- Emphasize the shift of finance from stewardship to strategic partnership
- Propose that finance professionals require a broader skill set
- Claim that AI democratizes data access for business leaders
Skeptics of AI Integration
- Question the universal applicability of AI tools across organizations
- Warn about potential disparities in technology adoption
- Highlight concerns regarding data integrity with increased AI reliance
- Point out the skills gap among finance professionals as a barrier
- Suggest that not all companies will benefit equally from AI advancements
Neutral / Shared
- Acknowledge that corporate functions are increasingly working together
- Recognize the changing demands of the business environment
Metrics
efficiency
two weeks to pull a quarterly business report together with 20 people can now be done in 10 seconds
time taken to produce business reports
This drastic reduction in time allows finance teams to focus on higher-level analysis.
Something that could be done previously would take two weeks to pull a quarterly business report together with 20 people can now be done in 10 seconds utilizing some of the AI tools that exist.
Key entities
Timeline highlights
00:00–05:00
Over half of executives believe that corporate functions like finance, HR, and IT need substantial reinvention to meet changing business demands. The finance function is evolving into a business partner that drives operational efficiencies and provides strategic insights.
- Over half of executives believe that corporate functions like finance, HR, and IT need substantial reinvention in capability and mission to meet changing business demands. This shift is recognized as necessary for improvement as these functions work closer together
- The finance function is evolving from being the steward of the organization to becoming a business partner that drives operational efficiencies. This transition involves providing insights that inform the overall strategy of the business
- AI tools are significantly reducing the time required to produce business reports. Tasks that previously took weeks can now be completed in just seconds, allowing finance teams to focus on higher-level analysis