How Finance Teams Can Overcome AI Fear and Build Real Use Cases That Work with Josh Schauer

In this episode of Future Finance, Paul Barnhurst and Glenn Hopper are joined by Josh Schauer to explore how AI is being adopted in finance and why many teams are still hesitant. They discuss the gap between understanding AI’s importance and actually using it, along with the challenges around data quality, risk, and expectations of accuracy.Josh Schauer is the CFO at insightsoftware, where he leads financial strategy and operations. He previously served as SVP of Finance from 2020 to 2024 and led Financial Planning and Consolidation at Longview before its acquisition by insightsoftware. Josh has extensive experience in FP&A, consolidation, and finance transformation, and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse.In this episode, you will discover:Why are finance teams slow to adopt AI despite knowing its importanceWhy AI should be treated as a teammate, not a replacementHow poor data and broken processes limit AI’s valuePractical use cases for AI in FP&A, including variance analysisHow scenario planning can be done faster using AIJosh emphasizes that AI is not a shortcut. It works best when built on strong data, clear processes, and a thoughtful approach. While the pressure to adopt AI is real, the focus should be on using it in a practical way that improves decision-making and productivity without compromising accuracy.Follow Josh:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/josh-schauer-51b18b115/Website: https://insightsoftware.com/Follow Glenn:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gbhopperiiiFollow Paul:LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/thefpandaguyFollow QFlow.AI:Website - https://bit.ly/4i1EkjgFuture Finance is sponsored by QFlow.ai, the strategic finance platform solving the toughest part of planning and analysis: B2B revenue. Align sales, marketing, and finance, speed up decision-making, and lock in accountability with QFlow.ai. Stay tuned for a deeper understanding of how AI is shaping the future of finance and what it means for businesses and individuals alike.In Today’s Episode:[01:35] – Josh Schauer Background[03:02] – AI in Finance & Accounting for Dummies[05:57] – AI as a Teammate, Not a Threat[07:09] – AI as a Thought Partner[10:01] – Why Finance Teams Struggle with AI[11:51] – Evolution of FP&A[14:30] – RevOps & Finance Alignment[16:41] – AI Use Cases in Finance[19:20] – Agentic AI & Future Direction[22:31] – Process, Data & AI Limitations[28:52] – AI Questions & Closing