Our research across hundreds of finance teams reveals the infrastructure gap holding them back. And with AI changing what's possible in modelling — that gap is only going to get harder to ignore.
Finance teams are spending too much time maintaining models. Most CFOs want to change that.
88%
still rely on spreadsheets to model.
72%
want specialised modelling tools.
3 out of 4
CFOs seek to modernise how they model.
Infrastructure & tooling | Spreadsheet limits | AI in finance | FP&A | CFO insights
Bonus inside
A practical self-assessment checklist —
5 questions to audit where your own modelling infrastructure is under strain and if you are spending too much time on maintenance.
State of Financial Modelling & Planning 2026
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What 23 pages of research revealed →
Too much time maintaining models.
Not enough time actually using them for strategic decision-making.
Manual updates. Version chaos. Error loops.
The same frustrations keep coming up — across every role, every team size.
AI isn't solving it.
In fragmented environments, it may be making things worse.
The appetite for change is there.
Strongest among those dealing with the most complexity.
AI is moving fast. Your modelling infrastructure needs to keep up.
Finance teams are turning to AI to move faster. But speed without reliable infrastructure doesn't increase confidence — it amplifies the risk. This report explores what that means for modern finance functions.
Why AI is accelerating the search for better ways of working
How AI increases speed — but not necessarily confidence
What infrastructure AI actually needs to work reliably in finance
Where the real friction is: change management, not model creation
Voices from the field
"I know there's something better out there — but we're not using it yet."
HEAD OF COMMERCIAL FINANCE
"We have tools for reporting, dashboards and accounting — but the model still lives in spreadsheets."
HEAD OF FINANCE
"Time is the biggest constraint — there's never enough of it when it comes to modelling."
FINANCE MANAGER
We've built enterprise planning. Now we're re-imagining it.
With decades experience building modelling software, we know what's holding teams back. Kaleidoscope's founder Michael also founded Anaplan — and we're bringing the rigour of enterprise-grade modelling to scaling businesses.
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