Zuora, a leading monetization platform for modern businesses, released a new report revealing tech barriers in finance transformation. The 2025 Modern Finance Leader study, based on over 900 global leaders, highlights how outdated systems stall growth and innovation especially in SaaS finance operations.

The findings emphasize a critical keyword finance technology gap which continues to limit strategic roles and business model shifts in Software-as-a-Service firms.

Although finance leaders face growing pressure to drive business strategy, 70% say their current systems hinder progress. In SaaS, 92% report the same, citing manual processes as a primary roadblock. Notably, manual reconciliation tasks delay data access and decision-making for 100% of SaaS finance leaders.

AI adoption is on the rise. 93% of finance leaders prioritize AI in tech spending. Furthermore, 61% of SaaS executives consider AI fluency vital in hiring. Yet, 79% still struggle with repetitive manual work, and 88% say reconciliation issues directly disrupt strategic planning.

Moreover, fragmented ownership of order-to-cash (O2C) systems impedes growth. 82% of respondents note delayed IT system updates. Among SaaS firms, only 56% have finance-led system ownership, with most relying on IT, weakening agility and control.

Legacy platforms also block pricing and revenue innovation. In SaaS, 97% say their systems cannot handle complex pricing. Hybrid revenue models add to the challenge, with 82% noting system limitations, while 95% say usage-based billing complicates forecasting.

Zuora’s CFO, Todd McElhatton, stressed the urgency of transforming O2C. “Without finance taking charge, teams remain reactive, unable to meet market shifts. Strong systems and IT collaboration are essential to unlock strategic growth,” he stated.

Zuora partnered with a third-party firm to conduct the research across senior finance professionals in North America, the UK, and France. The survey covered CFOs, CAOs, Controllers, and Finance VPs across sectors spotlighting the urgent need for finance system modernization, especially in SaaS.

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News Source: Businesswire.com