At its Board Beyond event in London, Board announced the launch of new capabilities based on AI agents for finance, marking a significant evolution in how companies approach planning, forecasting and performance management.
This announcement comes at a time when finance departments are seeking to move beyond their traditional reporting role to become true strategic partners to the business.
A new generation of AI agents dedicated to finance
At the heart of this announcement are two initial specialised agents:
FP&A Agent, dedicated to financial planning and analysis
Controller Agent, focused on closing, consolidation and reporting
These AI agents for finance are designed to automate a range of key processes, such as financial modelling, variance analysis, forecasting and data validation. The aim is to reduce manual tasks and enable finance teams to focus more on high-value analysis.
Augmented, decision-oriented finance
With this evolution, Board is pursuing a clear ambition: to develop a finance function capable of managing performance in real time through artificial intelligence.
Integrating AI agents directly into processes enables a more continuous and dynamic approach to planning. Finance teams no longer simply produce reports, but instead rely on automated recommendations and analyses to inform their decisions.
Enhanced integration with Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Excel
Recognising Excel's central role in financial practices, Board has also enhanced its integration with Microsoft 365.
This evolution enables users to continue working in Microsoft Excel while remaining connected to a governed data model. The goal is to reconcile operational flexibility with data control, limiting the use of unmanaged files.
Unifying financial and operational forecasts
Another key aspect of this announcement is the strengthening of forecasting capabilities.
Through the integration of external economic data and advanced econometric models, the platform aims to significantly improve forecast accuracy. This approach brings financial forecasts closer to operational realities and provides a more consistent view of demand.
In an environment marked by increased volatility, this unification of signals is a key lever for making decisions more reliable and aligning the organisation's different functions.
A broader vision of AI-driven planning
Beyond finance, Board plans to extend this AI-agent approach to other areas, including supply chain and assortment management.
This approach is part of a broader trend in the EPM market: the shift towards platforms capable of orchestrating a set of intelligent agents, connecting strategy, planning and execution.
A transformative development for finance departments
With the emergence of AI agents for finance, finance departments have new levers to modernise their processes and strengthen their strategic role.
While these technologies remain in the gradual adoption phase, they nevertheless reflect a profound transformation in financial performance management, where artificial intelligence is becoming a central element of decision-making.
source: Board
