Business

EXPENSE MANAGEMENT: HOW FINANCE LEADERS CAN GET ‘HYBRID WORKING’ READY

Published

2 years ago

July 22, 2021

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By: Mark Haywood, VP EMEA, AppZen

With people returning to the office in the largest numbers since lockdown, and in-person meetings and events on the rise, it looks like business travel and expense (T&E) is ramping up. And as countries roll out vaccine passport programs and reopen to business travel, it appears that international corporate travel is also poised for a comeback.

In the early days of the pandemic, the types of employee expenses claimed changed overnight – flight and hotel expenses became reimbursement requests for monitors and keyboards. Now, as employees split time between home and office, organisations are seeing a new crop of expenses that present a whole new set of challenges to the auditors forced to process them.

Key steps to prepare for a new paradigm of employee expenses

During the pandemic, the volume and spend amount of employee expense reports changed, hitting a new low in May 2020. This shift drove significant changes to many corporate spend policies, with companies scrambling to develop clear guidance for employees about acceptable work-from-home expenses. Despite some initial uncertainty, finance teams successfully adapted to the change in type – and lower volume and value – of expense claims.

Now that people are returning to the office, the new hybrid model will inevitably impact employee expenses. Employees will continue to claim some remote working items, while also feeling entitled to office or travel-related items when away from home.

There are several issues finance leaders should consider, such as what expenses are acceptable and at what level, and how to validate whether a home or office expense is valid at any given point in time. Organisations need to be prepared to manage these expenses effectively.

Once hybrid working policies are in order, it’s vital to effectively communicate those policies. Clarity around which expense types and thresholds are applicable for remote days, office days and travel, and how to submit such expense claims, creates a feeling of trust and security amongst employees. In the early days of Covid, organisations where remote working changes were made quickly and communicated clearly, employees reacted positively, with 83% of employees feeling fairly compensated for remote working expenses, versus 54% where organizations did not change policies, per AppZen research.

Upping your T&E audit game

Changing policies to define what is acceptable in a hybrid work world is step one. But auditing against these new policies for incoming reports is the next and more difficult step. Hybrid working presents a multi-faceted challenge, as a key data point is required during the audit process – the working location of the employee.

With traditional T&E, auditors could follow a logical sequence of events in expense reports. Expenses may have started with a flight, followed by taxi journeys, some meals, and a hotel expense. Auditing expenses will be much more challenging with hybrid work.

Without knowing where an employee was working on any given day, it’s incredibly difficult to audit an expense report. While a parking charge may be entirely legitimate on an office-based day, why would someone claim it when working remotely? Equally, should an employee charge home internet fees when they are working in the office?

A company’s updated expense policy should cover these scenarios, but applying them across a large volume of reports is an enormous task. One important element is having a comprehensive, accessible, digital system for recording an employee’s work location on any given day. With this data, the audit team stands a much better chance of applying the policies successfully.

The next step in a hybrid working world is automating expense auditing. AI-powered expense management tools can streamline repetitive manual tasks and boost accuracy and efficiency. These tools also enable companies to easily update and enforce expense policies in real time, to reflect both current realities and changing needs. For instance, expense policies that previously only allowed reimbursement for client lunches may need to flex to allow employees to buy Uber Eats vouchers for remote lunches.

A core benefit of AI-driven expense auditing automation is that it can audit 100% of line items in 100% of the reports against all expense policies. Even with all the time and patience in the world, the best human expense auditing on the planet can’t deliver this level of coverage at scale – only automation can.

New modes of work require new solutions

Employee expenses didn’t go away during the pandemic, and as the world opens up again, a new breed of T&E will again challenge employers to be innovative and agile. Organisations that respond proactively and implement the right technology solutions to stay resilient, will continue to see gains in productivity, cost savings and employee satisfaction.

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Business

In-platform solutions are only a short-term enhancement, but bespoke AI is the future

Published

13 hours ago

September 27, 2023

editorial

By Damien Bennett, Global Director, Principal Consultant, Incubeta

If you haven’t heard anyone talking about artificial intelligence (AI) yet, then where have you been? Conversations about AI and its advantages to society have been a key talking point over recent months, with advances being made in the generative AI race and ChatGPT opening a whole plethora of possibilities. Many have highlighted the advantages of AI, but notably it’s ability to create human-like content.

But these discussions have only scratched the surface of what AI is capable of doing. It is for far more than just essay writing, adding Eminem to your rave and photoshopping dogs into pictures.

In marketing, we have been using AI for years, for everything from analyzing customer behaviors to predicting market changes. It’s enabled us to segment customers, forecast sales and provide personalized recommendations, having a huge impact on how our industry works.

It is even, for the more savvy marketers of the world, becoming a key tool in maximizing budget efficiency – which is apt, considering over 70% of CMOs believe they lack sufficient budget to fully execute their 2023 strategy.

Now, as AI becomes more intelligent, the number of efficiencies it can unlock continues to rise. Not only can it help brands get the most out of their available resources and identify any areas of waste, but it can also help highlight new opportunities for growth and maximize the impact of your budget allocation.

The trick, however, is to veer away from the norm of using in-platform solutions with a one-size-fits-all approach and create your own, bespoke solutions that are tailored to your business needs.

Pitfalls of in-platform solutions

In-platform solutions aren’t by any means a bad thing. In fact, built-in AI tools have become increasingly popular, owing to their ease of integration, user-friendly interfaces and minimal set up requirements. They come pre-packaged with the platform, offering the user the ability to leverage AI technologies without the need for in-depth technical expertise or the upfront cost of building a solution from scratch.

However, the streamlined and accessible nature of in-platform AI solutions comes at the expense of complexity and customization. They are designed to serve a broad user base, but for the most part are built using narrow AI solutions with predefined features and workflows.

This makes them great for assisting with common AI tasks, but they lack the flexibility to tailor functionality towards unique business requirements or innovative use cases, limiting the potential efficiencies and cost savings that can be unlocked. Additionally, if a business’ competitors are using the same platform, they are probably using the same AI solution, meaning any strategic advantage gained from these will be reduced.

Bespoke AI solutions, on the other hand, may carry a higher initial investment – but can offer a significantly more attractive ROI over a short amount of time.

Why customized and adapted AI is the key

The difference between bespoke AI and in-platform solutions is similar to that between home cooked food and a microwave meal. Yes, it is more time consuming to prepare, and yes it likely carries more of an upfront cost, but the end result is going to be far more appealing and will carry more long-term value (financially… not nutritionally).

That’s because bespoke solutions, by nature, will have been tailored to address your brands specific needs and challenges. These custom-built tools allow for much greater efficiencies by streamlining workflows across different channels, automating more complex tasks, and providing deeper, more relevant insights.

The increased level of optimization can significantly improve productivity and reduce operational costs over time, offering a higher ROI. The increased flexibility of bespoke AI also allows brands to implement innovative use cases that can significantly differentiate them from their competitors.

The data analyzed can be specifically chosen to match business requirements, as can the outputs of the AI tool, providing a significant advantage when understanding and acting on the insights provided.

Additionally, these tools are, by nature, more scalable. They can be updated, upgraded and expanded as needs change, ensuring they continue delivering value as the business grows. They can also be designed to integrate with any existing IT infrastructure, from CRM systems and databases to marketing platforms and sales tools – leading to more efficient and effective decision-making.

Managing finances with AI

It’s no secret that AI in marketing automation has, and will continue to, revolutionize the way marketing is done. It has a bright, if slightly terrifying, future and can help CMOs to unlock new efficiencies, maximize the impact of their budgets and increase their ROI. And as this technology becomes more advanced, its impact will only increase.

But we already know that…and so does everyone else.

So, in order for businesses to make themselves stand out from the crowd , they must look to fully adopt the power of AI. Creating a customized and unique AI solution could be the way to set yourself apart from your competitors. A bespoke AI tool can provide brands and businesses with features unique to them and their business needs. As a result, companies will benefit from more useful data and better results to make more data-driven decisions for their business. Ultimately, this will help brands to maintain a competitive edge over their competitors, deliver ROI and most importantly optimize their budgets.

Business

Exploring the Transformative Potential and Ethical Challenges of AI in Wealth Management

Published

1 day ago

September 26, 2023

admin

Nuno Godinho, Group CEO of Industrial Thought Group

In recent years, the advent of AI has sparked both excitement and scrutiny within the Wealth Management industry. The technology’s capabilities, including but certainly not limited to generative AI algorithms like ChatGPT, offer a new dimension to data analysis, market prediction, and portfolio management. However, while it presents a promising avenue for enhancing decision-making and elevating client interaction, AI also carries inherent challenges that demand careful consideration.

Benefits of AI in Wealth Management:

In a world where CX is key, AI enables wealth managers to provide personalised advice, improved portfolio performance, real-time insights, and convenient access to information and support. Previously it has been impossible for advisors to deliver hyper-personalisation at scale; now, AI-driven customisation lets them tailor investment strategies and recommendations to their clients’ unique financial goals, risk tolerance, and investment horizon.

AI algorithms can also analyse vast amounts of data to identify trends and opportunities, resulting in potentially higher returns on investments. And, more widespread use of automation will gradually reduce the cost of wealth management services, meaning higher-quality investment advice at a lower price. This is critical as firms fight to stay relevant for modern investors disillusioned by traditional advisory firms and private banks.

Relationship-wise, there are many other advantages. AI-driven data analytics make it easier to gain a deeper understanding of an investor’s needs, preferences, and behaviours, all of which help to build long-term relationships. Through predictive analytics, firms can differentiate their service and proactively identify new investment opportunities, such as emerging market trends or underperforming assets. At the same time, chatbots and virtual assistants facilitate constant communication to answer queries and increase engagement. By strategically integrating AI technology into their operations, firms have the power to optimise top and bottom lines, strengthen client connections and position themselves for long-term growth.

Navigating the Ethical and Practical Challenges:

While AI holds remarkable potential, major obstacles must be overcome. With AI’s reliance on large amounts of data, ensuring client data confidentiality, managing consent, and complying with global data protection regulations like GDPR are significant challenges. Another issue is algorithmic bias – as AI learns from data, it may inadvertently perpetuate inequalities or biases present in the training datasets used. Vigilance is necessary to ensure that AI systems don’t amplify these issues. A key concern is the absence of standard governance, leading to a lack of accountability and transparency. Black-box algorithms can make decisions without providing clear explanations for their reasoning, making it difficult for clients and regulators to understand and trust AI-driven outcomes. Overall, the responsibility for AI-generated recommendations remains complex, requiring collaborative efforts to establish robust regulatory frameworks.

Striving for Data Integrity and Reliability:

The efficacy of AI-driven solutions hinges on the quality of training dataset they are supplied with and rely upon. Therefore, ensuring accurate, unbiased, and comprehensive datasets is paramount to generating trustworthy insights. The absence of standardised data sharing can lead to skewed results, ultimately impacting the quality of AI-generated advice. Transparency in data usage, validation, and generation reasoning will be pivotal to cultivating client trust and minimising systemic risks, which ties back to the absence of standard governance, as the output from AI-generated advice will only be as good as the data sets provided. We need to understand the “lineage” of all data used and generated by the algorithms. Until the industry can come to some accord on how we plan to use all of our respective data, it will be prone to various biases and fragmented advice, which will lead to liability and reliability issues down the line. It’s worthwhile wondering whether we can see the industry opening up in an age of data equals value.

The Role of Collaborative Partnerships:

Amidst these challenges, collaborative partnerships emerge as a potent avenue. Established wealth management firms can harness the expertise of FinTech AI companies to augment their capabilities while mitigating the risks associated with AI adoption. A symbiotic relationship, where innovative AI solutions are developed by trusted partners, helps safeguard against potential pitfalls and aligns with the pursuit of ethical, data-driven decision-making.

Looking Ahead: Striking a Balance for Sustainable Progress:

As we journey into the AI-powered future of wealth management, it’s evident that a balanced approach is essential. The integration of AI has the potential to expedite the transition to wealth management 4.0, revolutionising personalised client experiences and advisory services. However, this progress must be underpinned by clear ethical guidelines, data integrity, and collaborative partnerships. Striking this equilibrium promises not only a more informed, efficient, and personalised industry but also one that upholds the principles of transparency, accountability, and client trust.

In conclusion, AI’s impact on the wealth and asset management landscape is profound, offering unparalleled insights and opportunities. While navigating challenges will be crucial, a collective effort to harness AI’s power while ensuring its responsible application will pave the way for a resilient, future-forward industry.