How to Build a Business Case for Process Automation at the Functional Level

Getting buy-in for new technology — even when it’s as game-changing as AI-powered solutions — requires more than just enthusiasm.
You need a solid business case that speaks the language of leadership:
- ROI
- Risk Mitigation
- Strategic Value
- Compliancy
- Improved Relationships

If you’re a functional manager in Order-to-Cash (O2C) or Source-to-Pay (S2P), here’s a step-by-step guide to building a winning business case for Esker automation.
 

Step 1: Define the Problem — Quantify the Pain

Before you talk about solutions, show leaders why change is needed.
Ask yourself:
 

• How much time does the team spend on manual tasks?
• How much revenue is tied up in slow cash application or high DSO?
• How many errors or disputes happen each month?
• What’s the cost of inefficiency (lost discounts, customer dissatisfaction, late payments)?

Pro Tip:
Use concrete numbers. For example:
“Today, our AR team manually matches 85% of payments, taking 2 FTEs (full-time employees) 40+ hours/week — at an annual cost of £150,000.”
Pain backed by data creates urgency.
 

Step 2: Align with Strategic Goals

Next, connect the pain to CFO-level priorities.
For example:
 

• Improving cash flow
• Reducing operational costs
• Increasing resilience and compliance
• Enhancing customer and supplier relationships
• Gaining real-time financial insights

Pro Tip:
Phrase your case in outcomes, not just activities.
“Automating cash application will reduce DSO by 12%, improving working capital by £5M annually, supporting our growth objectives.”
 

Step 3: Show How an Automated Solution Can help Solve It

This is where you position your ideal solution.

🔹 In O2C:

• AI Cash Application reduces manual effort by 80-90%.
• Collections Management prioritises actions based on payment risk.
• Customer Portal improves customer self-service and dispute resolution.

🔹 In S2P:

• Supplier Invoice Automation processes invoices faster with touchless matching.
• Procurement Automation standardises purchasing and improves compliance.
• Supplier Management builds stronger relationships and enables early payment discounts.

Highlight a proven track record:
“Companies using this specific solution see 50-70% faster processing times, 10-15% DSO reduction, and 2-5x ROI within the first year.”
 

Step 4: Estimate Costs vs. Benefits

Outline both direct and indirect costs and benefits.
 

Pro Tip:
Work with their team to project ROI based on your actual volumes and costs.

Step 5: Address Risks — and How To Mitigate Them

Leadership will want to know: What could go wrong?

Common concerns:

• Implementation complexity
• Integration with existing ERP systems
• User adoption

Show How These Could Be Mitigated:

• Proven ERP connectors (SAP, Oracle, Microsoft Dynamics, etc.)
• Dedicated onboarding and support teams
• User-friendly, intuitive platforms to speed adoption

Step 6: Recommend a Pilot Project or POC

Don’t ask leadership to “boil the ocean” right away. Suggest a focused pilot to prove value.
Examples:
 

• Pilot the Cash Application module with 1 business unit.
• Automate Supplier Invoice Processing for top 10 suppliers.
• Launch Collections Management with strategic customers.

This reduces perceived risk and builds momentum for a broader rollout.
 

Create a Simple and Succinct Elevator Pitch for Your Business Case:

“Our current O2C process is heavily manual, costing us £150K annually in labour alone, with a DSO 10 days higher than industry benchmarks. By implementing new AI-powered Cash Application and Collections Management solutions, we can automate 80% of tasks, reduce DSO by 10-15%, and free up £5M in working capital — while enhancing customer experience. I propose a 90-day pilot focused on cash application automation to validate results quickly and scale from there.”
 

Final Thoughts

Building a business case isn’t just about selling a solution to top level decision makers within the business — it’s about showing leadership that you’re thinking like them: strategically, financially, and pragmatically. With an AI-driven automation solution behind you, you’re not just fixing broken processes. You’re helping the CFO — and the entire organisation — achieve smarter, faster, stronger finance operations.

Get in touch to learn about Esker’s AI Automation Suite for the Office of the CFO.