Axia Accounting and Advisory

𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗮 𝗙𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗤𝘂𝗶𝗲𝘁 𝗞𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗿

Everyone wants real-time reporting.

Few have reliable monthly reporting.

In many mid-market organizations, finance still relies on:
• Inconsistent coding standards
• Spreadsheet-based reconciliations
• Disconnected systems
• Manual cleanup at month-end

Protiviti’s 2025 Global Finance Trends research emphasizes that FP&A impact depends on integrated, high-quality data structures - especially as AI usage accelerates.

𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹-𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗼𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗼𝘀.

Before accelerating reporting speed, stabilize:
• Master data
• Coding consistency
• Reconciliation discipline
• Workflow integration

𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 → 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗳𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿.

- James Hannan, CPA

𝐂𝐲𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐤 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐤.

Cybersecurity is not just an IT issue.

It’s a finance issue.

Vendor master changes.
Bank detail updates.
Payment approvals.
Workflow permissions.

PwC’s recent CFO insights show finance leaders embracing AI while simultaneously expressing heightened concern about cyber attacks.

Those two trends are connected.

Automation expands workflow surface area if controls don’t expand with it.

Fortunately, many risk reductions are training and operational - not technical:

• Two-step vendor banking verification
• Segregation between approval and payment
• Clear audit trails
• Monthly exception reviews

You don’t reduce financial risk with policy documents.

You reduce it with training, awareness and designed workflows.

- James Hannan, CPA

We’re proud to share that our leaders,
𝐉𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐇𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐚𝐧 Founder and Managing Director and Consulting Principal 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐩𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 will be speaking at the IIA Chicago Annual Seminar on April 27.

From Controls to Operations: A Hands-On Operational Lab to Rebuild Non-SOX Audit Muscle

An interactive session focused on building real-world operational audit capabilities using data, analytics, and AI.

𝐑𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐭, 𝐈𝐋
𝐀𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐥 𝟐𝟕, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔

Talent Constraints So CFOs Are Redesigning the Work

Hiring and retention challenges are not new.
But they are colliding with higher expectations and tighter capacity:

Faster close.
Better analytics.
Stronger controls.
More automation.
And often with the same or lower headcount.

That is why this is no longer just a staffing issue.

It is an operating model issue.

PwC’s finance-focused research shows finance executives see talent acquisition and retention as a significant risk and ties that directly to the need for specialized skills in digital transformation, automation, and analytics.

Deloitte’s CFO Signals also shows automation and finance transformation are top priorities for 2026.

In mid-market companies, I often see the same interrelated vulnerabilities:

Static skills and limited development
People doing the same work the same way year after year, with little time or support to build new capabilities.

Hero culture
The close depends on individual knowledge, workarounds, and extra effort rather than a repeatable process.

Manual, fragile workflows
Too much time is spent on repetitive work that should be standardized, streamlined, or automated.

The best finance teams respond differently.
They redesign the work.

They build:

Lean, standardized processes

Faster close and reporting cycles

Automation of repetitive tasks

Cross-training and redundancy in critical roles

A learning culture that develops capability over time

Strategic outsourcing of routine or specialized work

Sustainable performance is designed not improvised.

— James Hannan, CPA

Celebrate new beginnings and fresh hope this Easter

(Faith & Hope, Blessings, Faith & Hope,)

A reminder that resilience and faith lead to growth—wishing you peace this Good Friday.

(Good Friday, Faith, Prayer)

AI in Finance – Where ROI Actually Starts



CFOs are interested in AI — but they want a practical starting point and a believable ROI case.



Where do we start? Do We need to fix our data and processes first?

What use cases actually save time?

How do we measure ROI beyond “it feels faster”?

What skills does my team need?

What data has to be reliable first?

How do we prevent small errors from scaling?



That is consistent with what the research is showing. Deloitte’s CFO Signals found that among the top concerns around GenAI in finance were technical skill gaps and fluency. That reinforces a key point: the challenge is not just technology — it is capability, ex*****on, and governance.



In practice, the first wave of AI ROI in finance usually comes from work that is repetitive, rules-based, and time-consuming:



Classification

Matching

Exception detection

First-draft narratives

Forecasting and cash flow support



And the conversation is already evolving. Finance teams are moving beyond simple prompts toward AI embedded in workflows, with growing interest in agentic AI that can help move tasks through a process under defined controls. But most companies do not need to start with “AI agents.” They need to start with one or two practical use cases where the payoff is measurable.



Automate repetition.

Retain human accountability.



The best AI roadmap starts with one simple question:



What do we want our team to stop doing manually?



— James Hannan, CPA

𝐂𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐎𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐯𝐬 𝐂𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐂𝐮𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠

Reducing spending is not the same as improving cost structure.

In mid-market finance teams, the difference matters.

When cost actions are taken without workflow redesign, the results usually show up somewhere else.

More rework

More exceptions

Lower close quality

Higher burnout

That isn’t cost control. It’s cost-displacement.

Deloitte has highlighted that while AI and modernization are widely adopted, fewer than a quarter of finance leaders report measurable ROI.

That gap isn’t about technology.

It’s about ex*****on.

If you cut people before you cut rework, you increase the cost.

True optimization protects the following:

• Control integrity
• Close quality
• Growth capacity

Mid-market CFOs don’t have excess capacity to absorb disruption.

Design the workflow first. Then adjust the cost.

📞312-270-8485
🌐 www.axiacpas.com
- James Hannan, CPA
Founder & Managing Director
Axia Accounting and Advisory

(Cost Optimization, Cost Cutting vs Cost Optimization, CFO Strategy)
*****on

This St. Patrick’s Day, don’t just rely on luck—build your success with the right financial strategy.
Axia is here to guide your growth every step of the way.

Wishing you a day full of luck, growth, and great opportunities!

(St Patrick’s Day 2026, Financial advisory services, CFO advisory )

Axia Awarded Top Accounting, Advisory and Tax Firm 2026

We’re excited to share that AXIA was recognized by Manage CFO Magazine as the Top Accounting Advisory and Tax Services Firm for 2026.

We’re grateful to our clients, colleagues, and friends for being part of our journey.

𝐕𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 & 𝐂𝐚𝐬𝐡 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞

Most mid-market CFOs don’t manage by profit alone.

They manage by cash flow and by speed of insight.

In my conversations with CFOs and controllers, the recurring tension is this:

They feel confident in parts of the macro outlook…
but increasingly aware of risk.

Research supports that dual reality. PwC’s recent CFO insights show strong AI adoption momentum—alongside elevated concern about cyber risk.

Confidence and caution coexist.

What I see repeatedly is that cash surprises rarely come from a single large event.

They come from:

Slow closes

Inconsistent cutoffs

Weak working capital discipline

Forecasts that aren’t updated often enough

These small blind spots compound.

Before chasing real-time dashboards, make monthly reporting reliable.

Ex*****on discipline creates resilience.

📞 312-270-8485
🌐 www.axiacpas.com
- James Hannan, CPA
Founder & Managing Director
Axia Accounting and Advisory