The 5 growing trends in 2025 your finance team needs to be aware of
As change accelerates, finance teams must navigate a space influenced by rapid technological advancements, evolving workforce expectations, and an increasing emphasis on sustainability.
In this blog, we explore 5 trends that are impacting finance teams globally, and how they can be navigated and leveraged when empowered with digital solutions like Unit4’s Cloud-first ERP suite.
What trends are impacting finance teams in 2025?
To stay competitive and proactive, it is essential to understand and leverage key trends for 2025. Let’s explore five critical trends transforming finance and how your team can adapt.
Finance teams are expected to lead with strategic data-led insights
In 2025, FP&A is stepping further into a strategic leadership role, blending financial and operational data to support more comprehensive decision-making. Finance teams are moving beyond legacy software like Excel to forecasting workforce needs, customer behavior, and resource planning with Cloud-first ERP.
For instance, predictive analytics tools can help finance teams project the financial impact of operational decisions like workforce expansion or sustainability initiatives.
Automating manual tasks allows these tools to free up time for deep dives into high-value insights. Organizations investing in integrated FP&A platforms are better positioned to manage uncertainties while driving innovation.
Action Tip: Evaluate your team’s capacity for strategic involvement. Invest in training and advanced analytics tools to equip your team with the skills to bridge financial and operational strategies.
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ESG reporting is becoming vital for compliance
Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) considerations are taking center stage as investors, consumers, and regulators demand greater accountability. Finance teams are increasingly responsible for tying ESG initiatives to financial performance, demonstrating how sustainability drives profitability.
This involves tracking metrics like energy usage, diversity ratios, and community impact through automation tools. Advanced dashboards can present this data in actionable formats for leadership.
In a highly competitive market, organizations prioritizing ESG not only attract investors but also align with customer values, improving brand loyalty and resilience.
Organizations can now utilize ERP solutions to integrate ESG directly into their finance and procurement reporting. By using tools that facilitate supplier assessment and contract management, finance teams can ensure vendors comply with sustainability and ethical sourcing standards.
Capabilities can be leveraged to monitor and rank suppliers based on carbon footprint and labor practices, embedding ESG criteria into every contract negotiation. This approach reduces risk, improves compliance, and enhances an organization's reputation for responsible practices.
Action Tip: Collaborate with departments such as procurement and HR to centralize ESG data. Adopt software that integrates ESG metrics with financial data for seamless reporting.
AI-powered forecasting and decision support
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing how finance teams approach forecasting and strategic planning. By analyzing historical and real-time data, AI and automation can help uncover patterns and predict outcomes with greater accuracy.
This capability is particularly valuable in navigating supply chain disruptions or volatile market conditions.
AI-powered tools also enhance decision-making by generating actionable recommendations, optimizing resource allocation, and identifying cost-saving opportunities. In addition, automating repetitive tasks like data entry or variance analysis allows teams to focus on higher-level strategy.
By 2025, AI is expected to play a significant role in scenario planning, helping organizations test multiple "what-if" scenarios simultaneously and refine their strategies in real-time.
Action Tip: Start small by implementing AI for specific tasks like anomaly detection, then scale up to more complex use cases like predictive analytics and support with creating a narrative for management reporting.
The rise of cross-functional collaboration
Finance teams are no longer working in isolation; they are at the nexus of organizational decision-making. Cross-functional collaboration ensures that financial insights align with operational realities, creating a unified approach to achieving business goals.
HR might provide workforce data that helps finance forecast labor costs, while IT shares technology investment needs. Unified platforms that integrate data from various departments allow finance teams to operate with a single source of truth.
This approach, which can use the principles of extended planning and analysis (xP&A), fosters more accurate forecasting, agile decision-making, and stronger alignment between financial strategies and organizational priorities.
Action Tip: Use collaborative software to break down silos and promote transparency across departments, using a single source of truth and better integration systems. Regular cross-functional meetings can also help align goals and expectations.
Flexible software provides finance teams with resilience
As organizations face ongoing challenges, from political change and policies to rapid technological advancements, resilience is more critical than ever.
Cloud-based platforms enable finance teams to adapt swiftly to changing conditions by providing 24/7 access to data, seamless scalability, and robust security, all while making it easier to forecast or re-run scenarios more frequently but with greater confidence.
These platforms also support remote work, a trend that shows no sign of waning in 2025. Tools like Cloud-based ERP or FP&A systems enhance collaboration, automate workflows, and reduce errors, ensuring finance teams can respond effectively to challenges.
Beyond resilience, adaptive technology enables predictive maintenance in asset-heavy industries, where AI monitors equipment to forecast potential failures and optimize maintenance schedules.
Action Tip: Evaluate your current tech stack for scalability and flexibility. Upgrade to Cloud-based solutions that integrate with your existing systems to maximize efficiency.
How Unit4 can help your finance team thrive in 2025?
Unit4’s people-centric solutions empower finance teams to tackle the challenges of 2025 with confidence. Our FP&A tools, ERP, and financial management solutions combine automation, AI-driven insights, and Cloud technology to help you streamline processes, enhance collaboration, and align teams.
From ESG reporting to predictive analytics, Unit4 FP&A ensures your team has the tools to adapt and thrive. With solutions tailored to your unique needs, we help you transform complexity into opportunity, freeing your team to focus on driving value and innovation.
Discover how Unit4 can be your partner in success - talk to sales today to learn how Unit4 can help your finance team drive growth in 2025.
