CEO Omar Qari delivered this presentation live at Intacct Advantage 2017 on October 19, 2017. See the full white paper at http://abac.us/2AlnZ7p. To learn more about intelligent expense reporting, visit abacus.com.

1. Real Time Expense Reporting
Investing in AI
The CFO’s Guide to

2. AI is helping teams get more done.
Every team needs an AI strategy.

3. The finance team’s work is changing…

4. Here’s how much extra time you’d have to focus on adding value work if you
made manual work to only 10% of your time.

5. It’s OK to be
skeptical.
Chatbots will not help
you close your books
anytime soon.

6. AI combines three
developments:

7. Artificial Intelligence
A computer system that can make decisions
and solve problems autonomously. More
accurately, the field of computer engineering
dedicated to creating these systems.
Machine Learning
Automated data analysis that builds analytical
models through repeated trial and error.
Deep Learning
What happens inside a neural network.
Neural Network
A trainable computer system made up of
interconnected processing elements. With
multiple levels of processing, any complex
task can be divided into relatively simple bits
of data analysis.
Machine Learning Algorithm
A formula or programming command that
teaches computers how to figure out how to
solve problems. Applying an algorithm is
what makes a computer “intelligent.”
Helpful definitions

8. AI is about
structured data.
Machine learning
finds patterns in big
data, which aligns it
uniquely with
Finance’s skillset.

9. Think of it as
your newest
team member.

10. AI is ready for you.
SALES & MARKETING CUSTOMER SUCCESS FINANCE

11. Invest in AI where
it returns the most
near-term value.

12. Automate
manual work
Application #1
Use AI to realize new
productivity gains.

13. r
Abacus and NASS
Case Study
Predictive expense
management helped the field
services company spend 35%
less time on reconciliation.

14. Prevent fraud
Application #2
AI finds the kinds of
anomalies that indicate
fraud.

15. r
Preventing fraud
risk at POS
Case Study
Sift Science helped
OpenTable reduce review
time by 80% and improve
detection by 200%.

16. Uncover hidden
insights
Application #3
AI makes your strategic
advisory more valuable.

17. r
Product suggestions
boost online sales
Case Study
AI-powered recommendations
increased the site’s revenue
per user by 16%

18. How to
manage the
cultural shift
Get your team excited
for AI
Train your people in data
analytics and cross-
channel communications
Learn and practice good
management

19. Why are we talking
so much about
AI now?
“AI” is a generic term that’s been
around since the 1950s. Machine
learning has been around since the
1940s.
For decades, progress on AI was slow.
Recently, development has
accelerated as machine learning
systems have gotten access to
enough computing power and
enough data to be able to learn.
FAQ

20. How does AI differ
from normal
software? Is
software simply
getting better?
Traditional software is able to solve
problems that humans set up.
Machine learning is able to set up
problems for itself. It’s the difference
between calculating a formula and
being able to write a formula itself.
FAQ

21. Is AI “coming” or is
it here?
AI will evolve gradually, like any other
technology. Some capabilities are
available already, but researchers are
developing more every day.
New features will develop in other
departments before becoming stable
enough for Finance to trust. But AI is
definitely coming; even the next
version of Excel is set to include
machine learning capabilities.
FAQ

22. What is AI good at
now?
• Finding outliers & insights in bodies
of data
• Automating complex processes in
specified domains
• Reading and processing text
• Compliance assurance, audit prep,
financial reporting
• Predictive intelligence
FAQ

23. What challenges
will I face
implementing AI?
According to research by Salesforce,
companies typically encounter four
problems when preparing for AI:
• Data is often siloed.
• Expertise: Data scientists and other
experts are scarce and expensive.
• Infrastructure: Powerful computing
can be cost-prohibitive.
• Context: AI is considered science-
fiction and out of reach.
FAQ

24. Download our eBook,
“The CFO’s Guide to
AI Strategy”
Real Time Expense Reporting
abacus.com/AI
abacus.com hi@abacus.com @abacus