Published Feb 26, 2025

The path to finance modernization: How to leverage technology for success

Celigo
Celigo
3 key takeaways
  • The role of finance leaders has shifted from financial stewardship to strategic leadership and technology innovation.
  • To make this transition, teams need to adopt specialized technology and integrate it with the rest of their tech stack.
  • By leveraging CBIZ’s expertise along with Celigo’s integration platform, finance leaders can build a future-ready financial ecosystem.

The role of finance leaders has evolved dramatically in recent years. It’s no longer enough to focus primarily on financial stewardship—compliance, reporting, and budgeting. To be successful, modern finance executives must act as strategic business advisors and technology innovators. This involves leveraging advanced technology, collaborating cross-functionally, and delivering real-time data and reporting. 

To support these complex operations, you need a robust ecosystem of specialized tools that are seamlessly integrated. However, accomplishing this can be challenging. The good news is you don’t have to do it alone. Join experts from CBIZ and Celigo on April 10th for our webinar, “From Outdated to Optimized: A Finance Leader’s Path to Modernization,” to learn best practices for building your tech stack, eliminating inefficiencies, and developing your integration strategy. 

Keep reading for a sneak peek of what we’ll explore.

 

Hear from Lisa Ricardo, Managing Director at CBIZ, on what’s in store.

Evolving finance functions

Traditionally, finance functions have focused primarily on cost control and compliance, operating reactively and relying on past data. This approach allowed teams to manage tasks using basic accounting systems and manual processes. However, with rapid advancements in technology, increasing globalization, and the accelerated pace of business, the demand for real-time data and agility has grown. 

To evolve into a strategic function that drives growth, innovation, and transformation, finance teams must move beyond reactive, manual processes. Today, success requires a proactive approach. This involves adopting the right technologies and integrating them with the rest of your tech stack. By doing so, you can automatically sync data between systems–eliminating manual processes and providing real-time access to data. 

Becoming a future-ready finance leader

Now that you recognize the importance of modernizing your finance processes, the next step is understanding how to make it a reality. Becoming a modern finance leader starts with recognizing the critical link between technology and accounting policies. This means deeply understanding the technology landscape and capitalizing on emerging innovations. 

To achieve this, it’s essential to regularly assess and refine your systems architecture. Here’s how to get started:

  • Conduct quarterly technology reviews to assess what’s working, identify inefficiencies, and optimize usage.
  • Perform an annual fit/gap analysis to evaluate whether your technology aligns with your evolving business goals.
  • Stay up to date on new technology enhancements and determine which features should be incorporated to improve efficiency.
  • Assess emerging solutions to compare them with your current tech stack, identify gaps, and calculate potential ROI.
  • Choose the right technology partners with industry expertise to ensure smooth integration and long-term success.

Common technologies that modern finance teams are leveraging include enterprise resource planning (ERP), billing, forecasting, compliance, and treasury management systems. However, adopting the right technology is only half the battle. To unlock true end-to-end automation and gain access to critical, real-time data, seamless integration across your entire tech stack is essential. Without proper connectivity, even the most advanced tools can create data silos and inefficiencies, limiting your ability to drive informed decision-making and operational agility.

Modernizing with Celigo and CBIZ

Starting this transformation can be daunting, but with the right partners, you can find the success and support you need.

CBIZ, a leading professional services advisor, provides industry knowledge and expertise in accounting, tax, advisory, benefits, insurance, and technology. You can leverage them to determine action solutions and next steps to accelerate your growth.

Celigo’s iPaaS (Integration Platform as a Service) ensures your financial systems work seamlessly together. By automating data flows across your ERP, billing, tax, and other essential applications, Celigo eliminates manual processes, reduces errors, and enhances real-time visibility. Celigo also provides an intuitive, user-friendly platform that enables finance users to build, manage, and monitor their own integrations. This is made possible with prebuilt connectors and AI features. Whether you’re streamlining financial reporting, optimizing cash flow management, or integrating new technology into your existing ecosystem, Celigo delivers the flexibility and control you need.

By partnering with CBIZ for strategic guidance and Celigo for smooth integration, you can build a future-ready finance function that drives growth, innovation, and transformation.

Transforming your finance operations

The role of finance leaders is shifting rapidly, demanding a balance between financial expertise, strategic insight, and technological innovation. To stay ahead, you must embrace automation, real-time data, and cutting-edge technology solutions. While this transformation may seem complex, the right approach and strategic partnerships make it achievable.

By leveraging CBIZ’s expertise alongside Celigo’s integration platform, finance leaders can build a future-ready financial ecosystem that eliminates inefficiencies and drives sustainable growth. Now is the time to take action—invest in the right technology, streamline your processes, and position your finance team as a key driver of innovation and business success.

Ready to modernize your finance function? Register now for our webinar, “From Outdated to Optimized: A Finance Leader’s Path to Modernization.”