Innovative Data Usage & AI – New Opportunities in Controlling

For the fourth consecutive year, the Centre for Performance Management & Controlling (CPMC) and FINANCE Magazine jointly hosted the CPMC Annual Conference, which this year was held under the motto “Innovative Data Utilisation and AI – New Opportunities in Management Control.”

Each year, the annual conference focuses on a current and highly relevant trend in controlling and performance management. Representatives of renowned companies provide insights into their concepts and approaches. These presentations are complemented by round table discussions and workshops, where participants can engage interactively with the practical application of solutions related to the respective trend.

The main focus of the morning presentations was process optimisation through standardisation and automation, as well as the digitalisation of planning. The afternoon primarily centred on the practical application of business intelligence and AI to increase efficiency within companies. Controlling and finance experts – including representatives from MANN+HUMMEL, Adidas, BMW and Nestlé – contributed to the exchange on practical implementation.

The round tables addressed topics such as digitalisation in planning. For example, discussions were held with Serviceware, a software provider for the digitalisation and automation of service processes, on the topic “Human or AI – Who Plans Better?”, and with Valsight, a developer of planning simulation software, on the question “Planning for the Bin? Multi-crisis Years in Controlling.” In the workshops, together with Valuedesk, Valsight and BNP Paribas, strategies for excellent performance management processes, innovative software solutions in dynamic market environments, and the transformation of data into insights were presented and discussed in depth.

Academic perspectives were provided by the two Academic Directors of the CPMC, Professor Dr Matthias Mahlendorf and Professor Dr Ronald Gleich. Matthias Mahlendorf gave an overview of the potential uses of ChatGPT in controlling, while Ronald Gleich presented the results of a study on data analytics in controlling conducted with more than 200 companies.

In summary, it can be stated that while the significant opportunities that data analytics, digitalisation and AI offer to controlling have been recognised, the implementation and full utilisation of this potential are only just beginning. Nevertheless, considerable successes are already evident. The first step in seizing these opportunities, as the speakers agreed, is to have the courage to “simply get started” and to inspire employees to upskill their competencies and embrace new technological possibilities.