Finance leaders are under more pressure than ever to rein in costs, streamline operations, and drive efficiency. The way they’re building their finance tech stacks tells us a lot about the future of SaaS finance.

Let’s break it down.
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1. SaaS Spend Management is Still a Mess

Key Insight: Forty-five percent of companies still use spreadsheets to track SaaS expenses.

This one isn’t shocking, but it’s still frustrating. For years, finance teams have struggled with visibility into SaaS spend. Departments buy their own tools, finance has to chase down invoices, and IT security teams only hear about purchases after a breach risk arises.
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And yet, almost half of companies still manage this manually.

The worst part? These companies are overpaying by 20 to 40 percent on SaaS.

What needs to change?

• Centralized SaaS spend management should be non-negotiable in every modern finance organization.
• AI-powered procurement tools remove the guesswork from renewals and cost control.
• Finance teams need real-time visibility, not spreadsheets updated once a quarter.
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If you're still managing SaaS spend manually, you're not in control of your costs.
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2. AI is Taking Over Finance Operations—And It’s About Time

Key Insight: AI-powered procurement and finance automation tools are gaining serious traction.
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For years, finance teams have been stuck in manual, error-prone workflows.

• Invoice approvals rely on email chains.
• Procurement workflows are slow and siloed.
• Contract negotiations drag on with too much back and forth.
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That’s why AI-powered automation is becoming a must-have, not just a nice-to-have.

• AI is speeding up invoice approvals and eliminating errors.
• AI is forecasting SaaS spend trends before they become a problem.
• AI is optimizing procurement negotiations so companies don’t overpay.
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What needs to change?

• Finance leaders need to stop waiting. AI isn’t the future—it’s already here.
• Automating spend decisions and workflows will save companies millions in wasted spend.
• The best finance teams will prioritize AI-driven insights over gut-driven decision-making.
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Manually managing SaaS expenses and vendor contracts means that you’re most likely leaving money on the table.
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3. The ERP vs. Best-of-Breed Debate is Over

Key Insight: Sixty percent of finance teams prefer best-of-breed SaaS tools over ERP solutions. Finance teams are moving away from monolithic ERP systems in favor of specialized, high-performing SaaS solutions. And it makes sense.
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ERPs are expensive, slow to implement, and not built for SaaS finance. Best-of-breed SaaS tools integrate seamlessly and provide better insights.

The data from the report is clear—finance teams don’t want all-in-one platforms that do everything poorly. They’d rather build a customized stack that fits their specific needs.

What needs to change?

• Companies should prioritize flexibility over vendor lock-in.
• Finance leaders should invest in tools that integrate, not just what’s bundled in an ERP.
• AI-powered procurement tools are becoming essential as SaaS spend scales.
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The future of finance is modular, AI-driven, and automated.
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Final Thoughts: The Future of Finance is Proactive, Not Reactive

If there’s one major takeaway from this year’s Finance & Ops SaaS Tech Stack Report, it’s this: Finance leaders who take a proactive approach to cost control, automation, and AI-driven decision-making will dominate. Those who wait will keep fighting fires, missing renewal deadlines, and struggling with visibility.
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In 2025, finance and procurement aren’t just about controlling costs—they’re about driving growth.
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If you want to:

• Save money on SaaS spend
• Eliminate manual finance workflows
• Ensure every purchase supports company growth
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Then you need to rethink your finance stack.
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Download the full report and see how your stack compares → Download the report