Key takeaways
Strategic finance capability
Cloud finance transformation
Future finance operations
Finance is moving from digitalisation to technology-led transformation
Technology is changing how financial organisations manage uncertainty, control costs and create value. The shift is no longer limited to replacing manual processes with digital tools. Finance functions are increasingly combining AI, cloud, data, automation and new technical skills to influence broader business strategy.
The provided research from Bain & Company and Temenos identifies five megatrends shaping banking technology priorities for 2026 and beyond, while Deloitte’s research involving more than 1,300 finance leaders highlights how technology is changing the wider finance function.
Together, the findings point to five developments procurement leaders and directors should watch closely.
AI is becoming a strategic finance capability
AI adoption is moving beyond experimentation. Deloitte reports that 63% of respondents have fully deployed and actively use AI solutions in their finance function, although only 21% of those using AI believe their investments have already delivered clear, measurable value (Deloitte, 2026).
The next challenge is therefore not simply adopting AI, but establishing the governance, data quality and security required to use it responsibly. Bain and Temenos similarly identify responsible AI built on a trusted technology core as the first major trend shaping banking.
For procurement, this means evaluating AI solutions based not only on functionality, but also on governance, integration and measurable business value.
Cloud and data are becoming the foundation
Modern finance increasingly depends on scalable infrastructure and accessible, well-governed data. Bain and Temenos identify cloud, SaaS and data mesh architectures as foundations of the intelligent bank, while noting that fragmented environments and duplicated datasets affect more than one-fifth of banking data (Bain, 2026).
Cloud modernisation is also evolving beyond infrastructure migration. Financial institutions are increasingly modernising applications, integrating AI services and building cloud-native environments that support automation, scalability, resilience and innovation. Continuous infrastructure investment is becoming essential for always-on services, real-time connectivity and enterprise-wide transformation (Intraprise, 2026).
Deloitte also identifies cloud as an important cost-management tool. Among finance leaders responsible for cost management, 51% are deploying cloud solutions to optimise costs, compared with 36% of those in supporting roles (Deloitte, 2026).
The implication is clear: technology procurement must consider the entire data and infrastructure environment, not individual tools in isolation.
Agentic AI is moving finance toward autonomous workflows
The next stage of AI adoption is increasingly agentic. Rather than simply generating information, AI agents can support or orchestrate workflows such as compliance checks, documentation, financial planning and expense management.
Deloitte found that only 14% of respondents have fully integrated AI agents into the finance function, showing that agentic implementation is still developing. However, respondents see significant potential in sales and profitability management (48%), working capital optimisation (46%) and expense management (44%) (Deloitte, 2026).
For organisations considering these systems, procurement decisions should focus on integration, security, governance and the specific processes where autonomous execution can create measurable value.
Scenario planning and agile governance are becoming essential
Finance leaders are operating in an environment where economic, regulatory and geopolitical risks can change rapidly. Deloitte found that 30% of respondents plan to strengthen advanced scenario-planning capabilities, while 28% plan to build more agile governance models to support faster decision-making (Deloitte, 2026).
AI is also making scenario planning more sophisticated by combining information such as pricing, inventory, supplier dynamics and customer trends.
This changes what finance technology needs to deliver. Instead of relying primarily on static reporting, organisations increasingly need systems that help leaders model uncertainty and respond quickly.
Finance needs more technology talent
Technology transformation ultimately depends on people who can use and manage it. Deloitte reports that 64% of respondents plan to introduce more technical skills and capabilities into their finance functions during fiscal years 2025 and 2026.
The most important capabilities include AI and automation, data analysis and technology integration (Deloitte, 2026).
This suggests that the future finance function will require closer collaboration between financial expertise and technology capabilities. For procurement leaders, the choice is therefore not only which technology vendor to select, but also which partners can provide the expertise needed to implement and evolve that technology.
What these trends mean for procurement leaders
The five trends point toward a common conclusion: technology decisions in finance are becoming increasingly strategic. The priority is not to adopt every emerging technology, but to identify where AI, cloud, data and automation can solve specific business problems while ensuring security, governance, integration and measurable ROI.
This is where purposeful technology investment becomes essential: reducing redundancy, simplifying complex technology estates, strengthening commercial and FinOps discipline, and aligning technology spending directly with business value (Baringa, 2026).
Ultimately, the finance organisations that benefit most from these technologies will be those that successfully connect their technology investments directly to business priorities.
Want to explore how technology can strengthen your finance operations?
Contact Enliven Systems to discuss how the right software and technology strategy can support your business goals.
