Finance teams are being held back by a digital ecosystem that’s doing more harm than good, according to new data from expense management platform Pleo.
In a UK-wide study of over 500 financial decision-makers, more than half (52%) said their organisation uses too many tools or platforms.
On average, finance teams juggle seven different digital systems, around 40% of which are poorly integrated or entirely disconnected. This fragmentation is costing UK workers more than 120 hours a year switching between incompatible tools.
At a time when AI adoption is accelerating across financial operations, the findings underscore the importance of integration, not just innovation.
“Being agile and able to make informed decisions quickly is vital in the current economic climate,” said Søren Westh-Lonning, CFO at Pleo. “However, finance teams are being bogged down, not just by too many tools but poorly integrated ones.”
AI gains held back by poor connectivity
The research also points to a direct link between how extensively finance teams are using AI and their expectations of system integration:
- 87% of finance teams using AI extensively say seamless integration is a critical requirement.
- That figure drops to 72% for occasional AI users.
- Among teams that rarely or never use AI, it falls further to 58%.
Disconnected platforms don’t just add friction—they threaten to undermine the very productivity gains that AI promises.
Tool bloat meets strategic urgency
Finance leaders now find themselves in a bind. While digital transformation is touted as essential, the real-world experience is often one of bloat rather than clarity.
The findings suggest the path forward isn’t about more tools, but better ones. Specifically, tools that talk to each other.
“The future of AI in finance is an exciting one,” said Westh-Lonning. “But it’s only able to do this when fully integrated into a business’s ecosystem. Finance leaders need to be empowered to evaluate the tool stack and identify the solutions that really are enabling the business to operate with pace and precision.”
