This article contains general information and is not intended to provide information that is specific to American Express, or its products and services. Similar products and services offered by different companies will have different features and you should always read about product details before acquiring any financial product.

As AI shifts from simple automation to agentic systems, the next phase of financial operations may lie in balancing AI-enabled speed and human expertise to maximize efficiency, visibility and control.

• The powerful combination of high-tech and high-touch could help companies implement automation in ways that fit their unique needs, potentially enabling them to drive growth and scale with confidence.

Why it's important: Fast-growing businesses may turn to automation to streamline financial operations across expense management, accounts payable and more to aid growth and save time.

• Yet there is no one-size-fits-all approach to automation, making it important for finance leaders to work with partners and providers who understand their business and can help tailor solutions to their evolving needs.

What Amex is saying: "Automation drives speed, efficiency and frees up your teams' time for higher value tasks. At the same time, each finance team has slightly different processes, standards and ways of doing business," said Naveen Singh, vice president and general manager of Global Commercial Services Software Strategy at American Express.

• Singh added: "Finance teams need AI driven solutions that adapt to their needs and workflows."

The strategy: To scale responsibly, finance leaders may need to move away from software-only and look for solutions that offer:

Human Expertise for Complex Business Realities

• AI can handle routine data entry but likely needs human partners for nuanced tasks like complex onboarding, understanding true spend capacity or problem-solving if new challenges or spending needs arise.
• This is true for businesses of any size, but especially for those just beginning to automate financial processes.

Flexible Financial Controls

• Automation likely shouldn't mean a one-size fits-all policy. As businesses grow, workflows can often evolve alongside them.

• Spend management tools that are easily configurable can allow for custom approval paths and guardrails without creating additional operational friction.

Predictive Insights

• Tools that combine policy checks with AI-driven insights can do more than just help teams maintain financial guardrails — they can help identify patterns earlier, giving finance leaders a more forward-looking view of their business.

Looking ahead: Shifting toward automated financial ecosystems can help reduce complexity and free up finance teams' time for critical decision-making where human judgement is vital.

• True success will likely require a service provider that acts as a partner, not just a platform — equipping teams with the human support they may need to harness the full potential of automation.

Learn how the Amex Corporate Program can help businesses harness the power of automation.

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