Written by: Paige Fowler, 12/11/2025
What Are You Automating? The Real Question Every Executive Should Be Asking
As we enter a new era of digital finance and enterprise performance management, one question is rising to the top of every executive conversation:
What are you automating – today, tomorrow, and as you move into 2026?
Because the organizations that will lead in 2026 won’t be the ones with the biggest teams or the longest hours. They’ll be the ones who identify friction, remove manual steps, and let automation + AI unlock strategic focus.
At Lodestar Solutions, we’ve seen this shift firsthand. CFOs, finance directors, and analytics leaders are waking up to a simple truth:
You can’t scale excellence on spreadsheets.
Automation isn’t optional. It’s the heartbeat of a modern finance function.
And if you haven’t read our latest post on how AI is already enhancing Planning Analytics, make sure to check it out:
👉 https://lodestarsolutions.com/pa-analytics-ai-capabilities-cool-or-crucial/
Automation Isn’t Just Technology — It’s Human Capacity + AI Partnership
According to the IBM Global AI Adoption Index, 40% of organizations are accelerating their investment in automation and AI to increase efficiency, reduce errors, and reallocate time toward strategic work:
https://www.ibm.com/think/insights/ai-adoption?mhsrc=ibmsearch_a&mhq=ai%20adoption
But here’s where the conversation gets even more interesting.
A recent McKinsey Global Institute analysis highlights something powerful: organizations today have the technical capability to automate over half of U.S. work hours — yet the future won’t be machines replacing humans. (https://www.mckinsey.com/mgi/our-research/agents-robots-and-us-skill-partnerships-in-the-age-of-ai)
It will be humans + AI agents + automation working together.
McKinsey’s research emphasizes that:
- The most successful organizations will use automation to augment human skills, not replace them.
- Communication, leadership, strategic judgment, oversight, and cross-functional collaboration become more valuable in an automated environment.
- “AI fluency” — the ability to use, guide, and interpret AI tools — becomes a competitive advantage.
In other words…
Automation creates capacity, but humans create value.
This is where forward-thinking finance teams will win.
Where Finance Teams Should Automate Today With AI Readiness in Mind
1. Monthly Close & Consolidation — Automate + Audit-Ready
Manual reconciliations, version mismatches, and endless spreadsheets cost teams hours and introduce unnecessary risk.
With IBM Planning Analytics, you can automate:
- Consolidations
- Allocations
- Intercompany eliminations
- Recurring adjustments
The result? Faster closes, fewer errors, and audit-ready transparency.
2. Budgeting, Forecasting & Rolling Plans — Living, Not Static
If you’re still emailing spreadsheets around, you’re already behind.
IBM Planning Analytics supports:
- Continuous forecasting
- Driver-based modeling
- Automated workflows
- Real-time updates
- Centralized assumptions
And with AI-enabled workflows coming fast, teams can shift from reactive planning to proactive decision-making.
3. Reporting & Distribution — Real-Time, Not 2 AM PDFs
Executives need answers now — not last week’s numbers.
With Cognos Analytics, teams can automate:
- Report refreshes
- Recurring distributions
- Dashboard alerts
- AI-enhanced narrative insights
AI agents will only make this clearer and faster.
4. Scenario Modeling — What-If at the Speed of Change
Markets shift quickly. Your models should too.
Planning Analytics empowers:
- Revenue modeling
- Workforce planning
- Margin compression scenarios
- CAPEX impact analysis
- Stress testing
When paired with AI-driven data preparation and automation, your team can move from building models… to interpreting outcomes.
5. Data Integration & Governance — The Foundation of Trust
Automation begins with clean, connected data.
IBM’s integration and governance tooling automates:
- Data pulls
- Cleansing
- Mapping
- Validations
Explore more: https://www.ibm.com/analytics/data-integration
With AI workflows, this becomes even more critical, because AI is only as good as the data feeding it.
The Real ROI of Automation: Strategic Capacity
Most organizations think automation is about saving time.
But the real ROI is capacity: the freedom to think, analyze, innovate, and lead.
Imagine:
- Your analysts spending 80% of their time analyzing, not cleansing data.
- Your leadership team aligned around one version of the truth.
- Your finance team shifting from reactionary fire drills to proactive strategy.
- Your workflows supported by AI tools that anticipate needs and speed decision-making.
- Your organization moving from chaos to clarity.
That is what human + automation + AI agents make possible.
So… What Are You Automating Before 2026? Are You Preparing for AI Partnership?
As you plan for 2026, ask your team:
- Where are we losing hours every month to manual work?
- Which processes increase risk or slow decisions?
- What workflows could be automated today?
- Are we ready for an environment where humans + AI agents work side-by-side?
- Do our teams have “AI fluency” – or do we need to develop it?
If you’re unsure, or if you want a roadmap that brings automation and AI readiness together, Lodestar Solutions can guide you.
Lodestar is here to help
Ready to identify your highest-impact opportunities and future-proof your finance operations for the AI era?
👉 Book a complimentary Automation & AI Readiness Strategy Session
Book time with Michael Bernaiche: Fix the Plan with a Plan Call
If your team is feeling the pressure of manual processes, disconnected data, or the growing demand for faster, smarter decisions, this is exactly where Lodestar Solutions steps in. We don’t just implement IBM Planning Analytics and Cognos Analytics, we help you transform the way your finance and analytics functions operate.
Our experts guide you through identifying your biggest automation opportunities, redesigning workflows, eliminating spreadsheet chaos, and preparing your team for a future where humans and AI work side-by-side.
When you contact us, you’re not just getting technology advice – you’re gaining a strategic partner who will help you drive alignment, accelerate insights, and create the operational confidence your executives crave. If you’re ready to plan smarter, act faster, and lead with clarity, we’re here to help you make it happen.
