CFOs are looking for confidence in their data more than automation, argues Workiva CEO Julie Iskow

With the so-called ‘SaaSpocalypse’ still taking up far too much of the fevered imaginings of the red braces brigade on Wall Street, a timely and useful intervention from Julie Iskow, CEO of Workiva.

Workiva produces a cloud-based SaaS platform for reporting solutions, pitched as enabling integrated, audit-ready reporting systems for ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance), financial, and GRC (Governance, Risk and Compliance) data, so it’s well-placed to pass comment on the idea that AI is coming to wipe out traditional SaaS players. Iskow says:

There's an emerging view that as AI changes how work gets done, traditional SaaS platforms become significantly less valuable and in some cases, obsolete. We understand that perspective. Many workflow tools that organize tasks, route information or summarize activity can increasingly be automated or agentized.

But she adds:

In an AI-driven world, what matters most to a CFO is not automation it's confidence ...