Finance Leads the Charge in Uncertain Times

Geopolitical instability (55%), inflation (52%) and cybersecurity risk (52%) have defined 2026. Yet, finance leaders remain optimistic: 78% expect profits to rise and 22% forecast double-digit growth. These findings rank among the key highlights of Deltek’s latest Clarity Report, The CFO’s Agenda (registration required). The report examines how high-performing firms do differently around AI, Cyber Risk and Profitability.

The role of the CFO has shifted dramatically. No longer just reporters of history, finance leaders now shape the future. They must balance immediate cost control with long-term technology investment. This tension defines the modern professional services landscape.

Firms that ignore this dual mandate risk falling behind. The data is clear: confidence is high, but execution is everything. Deloitte’s Q4 2025 CFO Signals report confirmed this, noting that 50% of respondents cited Finance digital transformation as the biggest priority.

Heather Larkin, CFO at Deltek, commented: “The role of the CFO has fundamentally changed. Today’s finance leaders aren’t simply reporting on performance, they’re shaping it. The highest-performing firms in our study share common characteristics.

“They’re all connecting financial data to project data, embedding AI to deliver measurable returns, treating cyber risk as a financial exposure, and building KPI discipline that enables early intervention rather than late reporting. They understand that it’s not a case of having the most resources or the biggest teams but about moving fast and demonstrating control.”

What is in the Report

The 16-page report is based on data from the 7th Annual Deltek Clarity Study: Architecture, Engineering & Consulting (registration required) published earlier this year. The report is divided into five sections:

• Finance at the Centre of Performance
• The Margin Equation Has Changed
• AI: From Experimentation to Financial Impact
• Cybersecurity isn’t Just an IT Issue
• Good Data, Late Decisions: The Integration Gap Costing Firms Margin

Each section contains a mix of data points from the survey and analysis, with a short conclusion that highlights what the high-performing firms are responding to each finance challenge associated with the section subject. The report concludes with a summary of actions and benefits that high-performing firms are seeing, based on the research.

The Margin Equation: Cost Control Wins

Revenue growth alone no longer drives profitability. 34% of firms now cite cost control as their primary lever, a significant jump from 26% in 2024. Automation (32%) and accurate invoicing (30%) follow closely behind.

Many firms still struggle with time tracking; only 60% rate their systems as highly effective. Only 60% rate their tracking as highly effective. This gap creates revenue leakage, leaving billable hours unrecorded and overruns undetected until it is too late.

High performers fix this by embedding controls at the project level. They move from monthly reviews to real-time monitoring. In addition, these firms align headcount planning with utilisation targets and backlog data, not just relying on headcount budgets.

AI Moves Beyond Experimentation to Real Impact

AI is no longer a buzzword; it is a financial imperative. 87% of CFOs view AI as extremely or very important to finance operations in 2026. 91% of firms say AI is critical to their organisation’s success.

Within Finance, nearly half (46%) already see moderate cost savings. The focus has shifted from pilots to production. Project planning and billing automation lead the way. AI surfaces variances in real time and automates invoice creation, expense capture, and month-end processes.

This frees teams for high-value analysis. However, governance remains key; Finance must own the ROI definition. Without clear metrics, AI spend becomes overhead. High performers appoint finance owners for AI projects. They set staged investment gates early.

Will Guest, Finance Director, Ardent, stated, “In 2026, we expect AI to support forecasting, reporting, and other repeatable processes, freeing our teams to focus on higher-value analysis. The key is robust, well-governed data and integrated systems so AI outcomes are timely, reliable, and actionable.”

Cybersecurity: A P&L Issue, Not Just IT

Cyber risk belongs on the profit and loss statement; it is not just a risk register item. Two-thirds of firms faced attacks in the last three years, and 45% incurred direct financial losses. In the UK, this figure hits 50%.

The costs extend beyond immediate theft. There is a huge impact, with many factors influencing others beyond the immediate financial losses (45%). Costs extend beyond immediate theft. Reputational damage (31%) impacts long-term customer relationships (38% revenue loss) and staff retention. On top of this, there is an immediate impact on operations (38%) with delayed project delivery, cost overruns and write-offs.

High performers have reframed cyber security investments. They treat cyber spend as margin protection and frame investment as operational insurance rather than a cost centre. They build cyber loss scenarios into financial models. Firms map actual cyber insurance against peer breach profiles to ensure coverage meets requirements.

Closing the Integration Gap for Faster Decisions

Data exists, but decisions lag. 86% of firms say they track operating profit adequately or very well, which is up from 75% a year ago. However, only 22% of firms possess a fully integrated system. Is confidence warranted when KPI data lags or remains incomplete?

These data flow gaps likely cause significant issues. Siloed systems increase manual handoffs, raising error rates and producing outdated findings. The high-performing teams all have connected technology, which means real-time and accurate reporting, where data flows from point of entry through to KPI reporting in real time, enabling faster and better decision-making.

Guest stated, “Today, we are well into the move from isolated processes to a data-led operating model with a single source of truth. In the coming years, we expect digital to be fully embedded — predictive, integrated, and guiding decisions across every project and function.”

The High-Performer’s Benchmark for 2026

The conclusion identifies the connected operating model that separates winners from the rest. It is a connected operating model with systems integrated end-to-end. They can track KPIs actively and in real time and have adopted and embedded AI in forecasting, billing and resourcing.

They align business and IT goals, embedding transformation within the operating model rather than layering it on top. The approach to cyber risk is no longer a cost centre, but is treated as insurance for margin protection with board-level visibility.

This approach delivers faster billing and better reporting. It enables earlier intervention on overruns and protects technology ROI through skilled talent. The message is simple: speed and control win. Firms must move fast, reducing the gap between data collection and decision-making all while maintaining discipline.

Enterprise Times: What does this mean

This study offers critical insights for the entire ecosystem. For vendors like Deltek, it validates the need for integrated platforms. It proves that connectivity drives margin. Customers gain a roadmap for digital maturity. They learn where to invest for immediate ROI. Partners can align their services to these specific pain points. They can offer AI governance and cyber resilience.

CFOs gain a strategic roadmap to transition AI from pilot to profit. It empowers finance leaders to drive enterprise value, enhance cyber resilience and partner with IT to build a future-ready, AI-native organization that secures competitive advantage.

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