What we learned in 2025: five key takeaways for finance teams heading into 2026

It’s been quite the year for finance teams in 2025. Pressure on them to deliver has continued to mount: to adopt tools that make financial performance more visible, to bring budgets together across the business, and to keep up with AI developments in a way that genuinely supports wider goals. Reporting cycles became tighter, and expectations around speed and accuracy rose again. According to this year’s CFO Mindset Report 2.0, finance leaders continued to prioritise digitisation, with a noticeable shift towards tools that enable automation, real-time insight and stronger decision-making.

The right financial management software is essential to a stronger 2026. Finance teams need a connected, insight-led ecosystem that supports reporting, consolidation, forecasting and strategic planning, while also being clear, widely adopted and accessible.  

As we move into the new year, it’s worth reflecting on what was faced by finance professionals this year and the learnings they’ve taken away as a result.  

Here’s the top 5 that emerged:  

1. Manual, spreadsheet-driven processes still carry a real cost
   
   The first lesson was the cost of manual, spreadsheet-driven processes. Finance teams that were still relying heavily on spreadsheets faced slow month-end closes, version control issues and a lack of confidence in the numbers.  

What this means for 2026: reducing spreadsheet dependency is one of the fastest ways to improve close speed, accuracy and team capacity.

2. Real-time visibility has become a baseline expectation
   
   The second lesson was the rising importance of clear, visible and accurate data. This year’s CFO Mindset Report 2.0 highlighted that faster access to performance data is now one of the top priorities for finance leaders.

What this means for 2026: finance leaders need performance insight that is live, not retrospective.

3. Integrated finance ecosystems outperform siloed tools
   
   The third takeaway was the shift towards a more connected ecosystem. Instead of juggling siloed tools, finance teams moved towards environments that bring together automation, BI and forecasting into a unified financial management software platform.  

What this means for 2026: finance teams are better served by connected platforms than patchwork systems.

4. Financial performance management tools are now essential to planning
   
   Performance and analysis tools help organisations track, analyse and improve financial performance across reporting, budgeting, forecasting, consolidation and analysis. Instead of simply recording activity, financial management tools allow finance leaders to shift their time and attention from manual administration to meaningful analysis and guidance.

What this means for 2026: the teams that plan best will be those using financial performance management tools to connect insight to strategy.

5. Complexity and international growth require smarter financial management
   
   As organisations expand - whether through new markets, subsidiaries or revenue streams - financial complexity increases. That’s why the search for the best financial management software for international businesses gained momentum within the mid-market across 2025. Instead of collecting spreadsheets from each region and trying to reconcile them manually, finance teams can rely on a single platform that captures accurate, consistent data across the group.
   
   Automation also strengthens scenario modelling, giving CFOs the ability to explore expansion, restructuring or acquisition opportunities with far greater accuracy and speed, grounded in a reliable view of group performance.

What this means for 2026: scaling across entities or regions without unified tools creates unnecessary risk and drag on performance.

The role of dashboards in 2026 performance planning

With intuitive dashboards, teams can monitor performance continuously - from cash flow trends and revenue changes to margin movements and budget variances. Rather than waiting for static reports, CFOs and finance leaders can see issues or opportunities as they develop and respond sooner.

They also enable wider collaboration. When performance is visible and easy to interpret, teams across the business align more easily around shared KPIs and strategic priorities, reducing the gap between finance and operations.

Building more robust plans for 2026

The lessons of 2025 provide a strong foundation for more thorough preparation in 2026. Forecasting accuracy, scenario planning and cross-functional collaboration will be essential capabilities for finance teams looking to build resilience and agility.

The CFO Mindset Report 2.0 shows a clear shift towards more integrated planning processes. Finance leaders are increasingly automating routine tasks so they can spend more time influencing performance, supporting growth initiatives and responding to market changes with confidence.

And if you want to get ahead early, our “Road to a stress-free year-end” eGuide provides practical steps and best practice to help finance teams streamline reporting long before year-end pressures begin - so you enter the next planning cycle already one step ahead.