Finance insights toolkit (FIT): Put AI to work in finance transformation

A data-driven diagnostic that helps finance leaders identify inefficiencies, uncover automation opportunities, and build a practical transformation roadmap in as little as four weeks.

Finance teams are under increasing pressure to modernize operating models, reduce manual work, improve decision-making, and unlock value from AI. The Finance Insights Toolkit (FIT) helps leaders move from uncertainty to action by using real activity data to identify where time is spent, where friction exists, and which opportunities are worth pursuing first.

What is FIT?

FIT is a Clearsulting diagnostic platform that captures how finance work gets done across processes, roles, and teams. It combines structured survey data, proprietary analytics, and AI-enabled insights to help clients understand their current state and prioritize meaningful improvement opportunities.

FIT is not a traditional assessment based on interviews and assumptions. It uses real company data to create a quantified, actionable view of finance operations.

Finance leaders need better visibility before they transform

Many finance organizations know they need to modernize, but they lack the data to decide where to begin. Leaders often struggle to answer questions like:

• Where is the team spending the most time?
• Which activities are manual, repetitive, or low value?
• Where can AI, automation, or standardization create measurable impact?
• Which initiatives should be prioritized first?
• How can we build a transformation roadmap that stakeholders trust?

FIT helps answer these questions with a structured, data-backed approach.

What FIT helps leaders do

From activity data to actionable opportunities, FIT helps finance leaders:

1. Create transparency
   Understand how finance work is performed across processes, roles, regions, and activity types.
2. Identify AI and automation opportunities
   Surface high-impact areas where automation, analytics, workflow improvement, or AI-enabled solutions can reduce effort and improve outcomes.
3. Prioritize initiatives
   Link effort, value, and feasibility to identify short-, mid-, and long-term improvement opportunities.
4. Support transformation planning
   Develop a fact-based foundation for roadmaps, business cases, operating model changes, and technology modernization.

How FIT works

A simple, low disruption approach

Step 1: Rapid Deployment
Align on scope, objectives, participants, and success criteria. Configure the FIT taxonomy and survey design.

Step 2: Survey Execution
Finance participants complete a lightweight survey, typically requiring approximately 1–2 hours per participant.

Step 3: Insights and Roadmap
Clearsulting analyzes the data, builds dashboards, facilitates readouts, and helps prioritize opportunities.

A typical deployment can be completed in approximately four weeks, giving teams a fast path from data collection to actionable insights.

Where FIT can create value

FIT can be positioned across a variety of needs, including:

• Financial close modernization
• AI and automation opportunity identification
• Operating model transformation
• Finance systems optimization
• Shared services or service delivery redesign
• Process standardization and efficiency improvement
• Business case development for transformation investments

What clients receive

Clear outputs that support decision-making

Potential deliverables:

• Finance activity and effort baseline
• Process and role-based effort analysis
• Work composition and value stream insights
• Prioritized improvement opportunities
• Transformation roadmap
• Executive readout materials
• Business case inputs

FIT helps finance leaders see where work is happening today, where value is being lost, and where targeted transformation can make the biggest difference.

Strong signals that FIT could help

FIT may be relevant if you are:

• Beginning a finance transformation journey
• Exploring AI but unsure where to start
• Experiencing close, reporting, or reconciliation challenges
• Seeking cost reduction or productivity improvement
• Considering ERP, EPM, workflow, or automation investments
• Struggling to prioritize initiatives
• Looking for a fact base to support a business case
• Asking for a quick diagnostic before committing to a larger program

Ready to identify the highest-impact opportunities in your finance organization?

FIT provides a fast, data-driven view of how work is performed across your finance organization, helping you identify inefficiencies, uncover automation and AI opportunities, and prioritize initiatives based on potential impact and feasibility. 

Whether you’re exploring finance modernization, evaluating automation opportunities, improving close processes, standardizing operations, or building a broader transformation roadmap, FIT can help establish a clear, fact-based path forward.

Ready to understand where AI, automation, and process improvements can create the greatest impact in your finance organization? Contact us to discuss further.

FAQ

• How long does FIT take?
  A typical deployment takes approximately four to six weeks.
• How much effort is required from the client?
  Participants complete a lightweight survey, usually requiring about 1–2 hours per person, plus involvement in scoping and readout discussions.
• Is FIT disruptive?
  No. FIT is designed to be low disruption and can be deployed without slowing day-to-day finance operations.
• What makes FIT different from a traditional assessment?
  FIT uses structured activity data, analytics, and AI-enabled diagnostics rather than relying only on interviews, workshops, or assumptions.
• Can FIT support AI conversations?
  Yes. FIT is designed to help identify practical AI and automation opportunities based on how finance work is actually being performed.