Industry Insights
Building the digital CFO office: From financial control to strategic impact
Building the digital CFO office: From financial control to strategic impact
At the recent OMMAX event, Digital CFO Office – Connecting Finance & Operations for smarter value creation, industry leaders from DHL Supply Chain, Lucanet, and OMMAX came together to explore how finance functions are evolving in the digital age.
The consensus was clear: the CFO is no longer focused solely on financial management, but plays a central role in driving business transformation: combining data, technology, and leadership to accelerate value creation across the organization.
“The CFO used to be the mechanic, then the steward; now they’re the co-pilot. It’s no longer about looking back; it’s about data, agility, and steering the business forward.”
Dr. Michael Rolle - CFO & Managing Director, DHL Supply Chain
From stewardship to strategic co-pilot
Across industries, the role of the CFO has shifted from reporting and control to foresight and enablement. Finance teams that once spent weeks closing books and reviewing KPIs now work with daily or weekly P&Ls, allowing for immediate insight and rapid scenario planning. The focus has moved from explaining the past to shaping the future, using real-time data, predictive analytics, and integrated forecasting to support strategic decision-making. This transformation is redefining finance as an active value driver: from optimizing working capital and profitability to steering business performance in real time.
Culture and technology: Two sides of the same transformation
Digital transformation in finance requires both technological modernization and cultural change. Organizations that succeed in combining modern architectures, such as unified data lakes and cross-functional KPIs, with a cultural shift toward transparency, collaboration, and accountability. A best-practice example is the creation of global data platforms that consolidate financial, operational, and commercial data across hundreds of markets. Shared Power BI dashboards and standardized metrics enable teams around the world to access the same “single source of truth,” ensuring that finance and operations make aligned, data-backed decisions. The result: a culture where every leader knows their numbers, understands their drivers, and acts on insights, not assumptions.
AI in action: From forecasting to automation
AI and advanced analytics have become essential tools for the digital CFO office. DHL Supply Chain’s internal global data analytics team supports use cases ranging from cash flow prediction to forecasting customer demand across global markets. Using AI, DHL can now anticipate payment behavior, predict trade and inventory volumes accurately, detect early risk signals, and optimize resource allocation in real time. One striking example is the deployment of “Happy Robots”, an AI solution that processes and understands unstructured communication, from emails and voice calls to delivery documents. As 30-40% of customer communication is still unstructured, Happy Robots frees employees from manual work and enables faster, more consistent customer responses. These examples illustrate how, when embedded strategically, AI delivers measurable business impact — driving both efficiency and intelligent decision-making at scale.
Breaking down silos: Finance as a connector
Digital CFO offices are increasingly becoming the connective tissue of modern organizations. By integrating finance, operations, and technology, they enable faster decision-making and cross-functional collaboration.
Leading practices include:
- Building end-to-end processes like order-to-cash and forecast-to-report.
- Standardizing KPI definitions across business units.
- Creating cross-functional incentives that reward shared outcomes.
- Encouraging controllers and analysts to work directly within operations to make an impact and drive business decisions.
When finance becomes a connector rather than an observer, it strengthens strategic agility and operational precision simultaneously.
The skillset of the digital CFO
As automation and AI reshape the finance function, the skills required of modern CFOs are evolving rapidly. Tomorrow’s finance leaders must combine analytical fluency, technological understanding, and cultural leadership to drive enterprise-wide transformation. This includes a deep understanding of data and AI, knowing how to apply machine learning, predictive modeling, and xP&A tools to generate business value. It also means fostering cross-functional collaboration by connecting finance with commercial, operational, and technology teams to ensure decisions are made on shared insights. Equally important are strategic agility and cultural leadership: enabling scenario-based planning and faster forecasting cycles while embedding ownership and accountability across departments. Finally, communication and storytelling have become essential, translating complex data into clear, actionable insights that inspire change. In this new environment, the CFO office acts as both a compass and a catalyst, guiding decisions and empowering others to execute with confidence.
The road ahead: Building the digital CFO office
Building a Digital CFO office is a continuous journey, one that blends process, technology, and people. Organizations that succeed typically focus on five foundational steps:
- Define core processes before selecting tools. Avoid automating inefficiency.
- Establish a unified data framework. Ensure every stakeholder works from the same truth.
- Integrate finance and operations. Create cross-functional accountability for key KPIs.
- Embed AI and automation. Focus on measurable ROI and scalable use cases.
- Invest in skills and culture. Train teams in data literacy, analysis, and storytelling.
The digital CFO office is no longer a concept; it is the operating model of the future, where finance becomes the strategic engine of growth and transformation.
OMMAX partners with leading investors and enterprises to accelerate data-driven value creation across the full business lifecycle. With expertise in digital strategy, AI, and xP&A, OMMAX helps finance leaders design and implement their own Digital CFO Office. Learn more about how OMMAX enables tech, data, and AI transformation for CFOs
