Overview of the XXIII Annual Ukrainian CFO Forum – from the epicenter of the main business discussions of the year
The Ukrainian CFO Forum has remained the leading event for sharing experience, ideas, and strategies among financial market leaders for over two decades. This event traditionally resumes the year for the financial community, bringing together more than 600 participants from all sectors of the economy, where C-level managers make decisions that define the future of the Ukrainian business. This year, SMART business acted as a partner in AI-driven transformation of financial processes, demonstrating how technology turns challenges into growth opportunities, even in a volatile market.
Therefore, we would like to share a brief overview of the XXIII Annual Forum of the Chief Financial Officer of Ukraine, which took place on October 23-24 in Kyiv: what the leaders of the financial community discussed and what main conclusions from the event should be taken on board today.
From financial accounting to business management with millions of clients
The BROCARD case study is a real-life example of how businesses can scale financial management through technology. Tetiana Samonenko, Head of Accounting and Financial Control, shared how the company managed to build a unified system for managing data, finances, and customer experience. A key factor in this success was the long-standing partnership with the SMART business team, which implemented an entire ecosystem of Microsoft solutions for BROCARD: Dynamics 365 Business Central, Dynamics 365 Customer Insights, LS Central, Power BI, Microsoft Fabric, and Microsoft 365.
Managing millions of SKUs, the need for seamless service, and personalizing offers are those challenges that BROCARD has learned to overcome by now. To meet these requirements, the company has focused on two basic principles — quick response and uncompromising data accuracy.
The introduction part of the presentation highlighted that back in 2016, BROCARD was unable to effectively track its inventory, diversify its marketing tools, or form a unified data vision. Information from various sources had to be manually compiled into tables, which slowed down the speed of decision-making processes.
Today, the company operates in a mode where processes literally “pick up” on each other. Automating the acceptance, movement, and write-off of the goods with scanning has accelerated the store’s operations by almost 50%. Inventory, which previously required the involvement of sales staff who knew the goods well, now goes through the Business Central mobile app and has become 2.5 times faster, while the quality of accounting has significantly improved. By automating the process, administrative staff are now sufficient, allowing the company to optimize resources without losing accuracy.
The speaker said that goods can now be moved directly between the stores, thereby eliminating the need to pass through the main warehouse and reducing logistics costs. In addition, the introduction of electronic digital signatures for internal movements has reduced paperwork from 10 days to 1-2 days.
And the integrated cash register solutions (PRRO) ensure stability during the peak load. Even without the Internet, the PPO software can work for up to 36 hours straight.
An important step was the automation of stock management. The system automatically calculates replenishment needs, generates purchase and transportation documents, and monitors suppliers’ commercial terms.
It was noted that significant changes have also occurred in financial reporting. All reports are now generated automatically in accordance with international accounting standards, considering the exchange rate differences, tax transactions, and online store data. Now managers can see analytics in Power BI every day and make informed decisions based on up-to-date data. Management reporting has become so detailed that the team can analyze the business up to the level of each unit of goods, understanding the real cost and profitability.
Thus, data became a source of advantages, processes became predictable, and decisions became quick and informed. Behind this stands the close interaction between finance, operations, and IT, which BROCARD built together with SMART business.
Tetyana noted that BROCARD is not stopping there. The plans for the future include the integration of generative AI into financial processes, the development of cloud services, and further optimization of cost control and budgeting processes.
From costs to strategic value: a new CFO view of ERP
Maxim Kondratovich, Business Development Manager and Product Owner of ERP solutions in SMART business, shared his vision of how ERP is no longer just an accounting tool but has become a strategic asset of the company.
During his presentation, the speaker demonstrated how the expectations and demands of Ukrainian businesses for ERP have evolved over the past two decades, namely:
- In 2014, 60% of companies were looking for accounting automation solutions, 25% were interested in international ERP systems designed to support business scaling, and only 15% were looking for management accounting systems.
- In 2020, requests became more diversified: accounting — 20%, SAF-T UA — 30%, management accounting — 20%, international systems — 20%, Copilot — 10%.
- In 2022, the focus shifted again, with intelligent tools coming to the fore: Copilot — 30%, management accounting — 20%, accounting — 30%.
In general, since 2022, there has been a steady trend confirming that ERP is becoming the basis for strategic management, going far beyond a “reporting program”.
A significant attention was also paid to the topic of migration from russian software. Despite the trend of Ukrainian businesses abandoning hostile software, 75% of Ukrainian companies continue to use russian software in 2025, most often 1C or derivative products. Maxim Kondratovich pointed out that the problem isn’t that the solution is functionally outdated, but that it doesn’t let businesses evolve. The speaker clearly demonstrated the advantages of international ERP solutions by comparing 1C with Microsoft according to key criteria: business scale, financial indicators, technological ecosystem, innovation, and security level.
A comparative analysis demonstrated that Microsoft, as a global leader with a market capitalization of $3.74 trillion and quarterly revenue of approximately $70 billion, offers a large-scale technological ecosystem, a high level of innovation (+30% growth) and modern security level, as well as a clearly defined strategic development model with a focus on cloud technologies and artificial intelligence. Meanwhile, 1C and derivative solutions, which are limited in scale, have a smaller ecosystem, a low level of innovation, and a strong dependence on their country of origin.
The conclusion was obvious: 1C should be viewed not as an outdated product, but as an outdated strategy. Indeed, for Ukrainian businesses, strategic stability, technological independence, and the ability to adapt quickly are more important than short-term savings.
The speaker’s presentation also raised one of the most relevant topics of the present day — the role of artificial intelligence in financial management. The following key messages can be highlighted:
- Technological evolution is inevitable. Just as horse-drawn transport gave way to cars, traditional business management methods are giving way to AI solutions. Ignoring this is like holding on to a carriage in the age of electric cars.
- AI is not a trend, but a new standard. Companies that are already testing pilot projects are gaining an advantage in speed, accuracy, and flexibility of decision-making.
- Readiness is the key to adaptation. Even if it is difficult to predict the future, companies can create an internal culture of experiments, pilots, and technological openness, building an environment where innovations are not the exception but the standard. Such a culture allows businesses not only to respond to changes but also to shape them, staying ahead of competitors, the market, and customer expectations.
The speaker gave specific examples of how AI is becoming a part of everyday business processes, such as:
- PDF, photo, and scan recognition — the AI agent extracts text and key data from any document—from invoices to contracts—in a matter of seconds and automatically saves it in CRM or ERP. What used to take hours of manual work now takes a few seconds.
- AI chatbot for customer service — a fully functional digital consultant that works 24/7, understands several languages, and relies on internal company policies. Such an assistant improves service quality without overloading the support team.
- Internal knowledge agents — AI assistants that instantly find the required documents, policies, or contracts in the corporate knowledge base, without lengthy manual searches through hundreds of folders and with accurate answers in one second.
- Computer vision for manufacturing and logistics — AI analyzes video streams from cameras in real time, controlling compliance with safety regulations, helmet wearing, access to risk areas, and product packaging accuracy. This tool reduces the number of incidents in manufacturing, avoids penalties and product defects, and increases the safety and efficiency of operations.
- Shelf Vision — A retail solution that helps avoid “empty shelf” situations. An AI bot automatically analyzes shelf occupancy, records deviations, and generates reports.
- Automated resume screening — AI evaluates candidates based on their CVs and responses, helping recruiters quickly filter out irrelevant applications and focus on specialists who meet the job requirements. As a result, the hiring cycle is shorter, and the selection process is more efficient.
To help businesses better understand trends and developments in new technologies, the speaker demonstrated the Gartner Hype Cycle — an analytical graph showing how innovations progress from hype (technological excitement) to real benefits.
The curve consists of 5 phases:
- Innovation burst — the technology is just emerging; there is a lot of hype and little practical experience of use.
- Peak of expectations — everyone is talking about the technology, but the real cases are still rare.
- Disappointment — the technology doesn’t live up to expectations, interest is declining.
- Proven value stage — stable cases are emerging; businesses are starting to get benefits.
- Efficiency plateau — the technology is integrated into operational processes; its efficiency is proven by extensive experience and practical usage.
According to the graph:
- Machine Learning, Blockchain, Deep Learning — at the peak of expectations.
- Augmented Reality, Speech Recognition — in the disappointment phase.
- Virtual Reality — approaching the stage of proven value.
AI is still at the peak of expectations, so it is important for companies to invest wisely, focusing on real cases.
The speaker explained the main idea in an accessible way: not all the technologies survive, but those that pass the stage of disappointment bring the greatest benefit. Therefore, the Gartner Hype Cycle graph is a useful tool for strategic thinking, which allows CFOs to plan investments in advance and choose today those technologies that will bring real value at the right moment.
How modern solutions help CFOs manage growth, not just costs
This year, SMART business also joined the Brave CFO Gathering, which consisted of a series of practical webinars and workshops. The focus was on topics that are currently defining the agenda for financial directors: from European integration changes in tax legislation to the introduction of artificial intelligence in finance. Participants discussed how the new EU directives will affect the tax processes of Ukrainian companies, what risks and opportunities SAF-T UA brings, how AI helps improve the accuracy of forecasts and optimize budgeting, and how cloud ERP solutions provide access to data in real time. Special attention was paid to financial instruments for exporters, currency risk management, and building financial strategies for scaling businesses in international markets.
SMART business speakers shared their experience of systemic transformation of the financial management system — from document flow automation to the creation of a unified digital environment based on ERP. As part of the Brave CFO Gathering, a webinar entitled “How digital document management reduces financial risks and prevents errors” was held, during which Volodymyr Moskalenko (Product Owner and Systems Architect) and Oksana Riabchun (Business Analyst) demonstrated how the SmartPoint DMS solution helps financial teams maintain discipline and accuracy in their work with documents. The speakers discussed typical risk areas in detail — from uncoordinated contracts to duplicate payments — and explained how automation of approvals, “smart triggers,” and change control systems can increase documentation accuracy by 88%, reducing the risk of losses and fraud.
Vlad Berezin (Business Development Manager D365FO/AX) held a webinar entitled “Choosing and implementing ERP without catastrophes: myths, pitfalls, and life hacks.” Based on real cases, the expert shared tips on how to avoid common mistakes when implementing ERP systems — from choosing the wrong contractor to underestimating the preparation stage. Vlad showed how to build the implementation process so that ERP really can help manage the business, rather than becoming a source of additional risks and costs.
Conclusions and priorities of the financial function for 2026
Every year, the Ukrainian CFO Forum demonstrates how the role of the CFO is transforming. In 2025, this role will shift even further toward technological leadership: CFOs work with artificial intelligence and predictive models, use real-time analytics, manage automated financial processes, and participate in shaping the company’s digital strategy. This evolution of the role naturally creates new priorities of the finance function, so the main focus for 2026 is shifting towards the implementation of AI and cloud tools that enhance analytics, risk management, and strategic resilience of companies.
SMART business, with its expertise and experience in hundreds of successful implementations of modern cloud solutions with AI tools, is ready to help companies pass through their own path of transformation. Request a consultation and our expert team will help you choose the technologies that will provide your company with financial transparency, accurate forecasting, cost control, and operational efficiency in management decisions — everything that forms the basis of strategic business stability.