CFOs spend more time on long-term planning in an age of uncertainty, McKinsey finds

Good morning. Finance chiefs are starting to look beyond short-term concerns in a way they haven’t in previous years, according to new McKinsey research. Emerging risks to their companies’ growth and a focus on strategy require their attention and management.

“I think CFOs continue to deal with a lot on their plate,” Ankur Agrawal, a partner in McKinsey’s New York office, and co-author of the report, told me. “So in many ways, this survey is consistent with the expanding challenge of the CFO role.”

Supply chain disruptions, weak demand, geopolitics, and also technology disruption are among the challenges finance chiefs say need to be addressed. Fifty-five percent of CFOs surveyed pointed to long-term planning and resource allocation as a top priority for finance, up from 30% in Q1 2023. And 60% now say strategic planning is a top priority, compared to 38% who said the same last year, according to the report.

It’s not that managing the short term has become easier for CFOs. There’s still uncertainty in the macro environment. But there’s a bit “more confidence on visibility in the near term,” Agrawal said. “The variables are more understood than not.”

McKinsey research also points to challenges with implementing technology. Nearly all respondents (98%) say their finance functions have invested in digitization and automation, and believe that gen AI has the potential to create value. However, the majority of CFOs surveyed say just one-quarter or less of their processes were digitized or automated in the past 12 months. And less than half of respondents say they currently have their finance processes automated.

What is causing the slow pace? “I think the biggest challenge and roadblock is, honestly, talent,” Agrawal said.

More than limitations due to infrastructure, tools, and data, CFOs say the main hurdle is finding finance professionals who can really leverage and deploy these advanced technologies, he said.

Another finding is that CFOs are twice as likely than in Q1 2023 to predict their companies’ investment levels will remain unchanged—a departure from the past two surveys, when CFOs predicted an increase in investment. Why does Agrawal think there's a hesitation in investments? With elections in the U.S. and in other parts of the world and economic volatility still a concern, "you can call it cautious steering," he said.

Sheryl Estrada
sheryl.estrada@fortune.com

This story was originally featured on Fortune.com