The End of Trends: How CFOs can Adapt to Economic Unpredictability

2025 has brought unprecedented economic changes, from inflation to tariffs to geopolitical turmoil. Not many can correctly predict what will be in store for the future but adopting effective and cost-efficient strategies will be essential to the success of an organization. The following are a few key insights directly from CFOs about how they're taking on new economic challenges. To learn more about how finance leaders are responding to tariffs, inflation, and economic uncertainty, check out our blog.

Three Critical Actions for CFOs:

·       Map your tariff exposure and simulate scenarios.

·       Invest in real-time, system-driven forecasting.

·       Act with urgency and make informed decisions.

 “In four weeks’ time anything might happen. Or even four hours. This dramatically increases demand for scenario-based analysis and decision-making” – Dr. Carl-Christian von Weyhe, CFO Middle & Eastern Europe at SAP

What are CFOs Doing?

For a great listen, check out one of our most recent podcast, CFO Insights: Tariffs, Trade, and Turbulence. In this episode, Barbara Salazar, CFO at E2 Consulting Engineers, Inc., Carl-Christian von Weyhe, CFO for Middle and Eastern Europe at SAP, and Massimiliano Zambon, Head of Finance at Pastificio Rana UK, share how they are embodying the leadership their companies need to navigate the current economic climate.

To Pass on the Costs or Not?

One of the biggest questions financial leaders are facing today is whether to transfer the cost of tariffs onto the consumer or internalize them. To learn more about what business leaders are choosing to do and why, check out our latest eBook, Strategies for CFOs to Navigate Tariffs and Global Disruptions.

 “We try to understand if this is a temporary event we can absorb or something we need to react to. If we need to pass on costs, we must react immediately” -  Massimiliano Zambon, Head of Finance at Pastificio Rana

The Opportunity for AI

How can AI be used to automate the spend management process, optimize travel spending, and maximize organizational efficiency in this turbulent climate? Here are a few examples of how SAP Concur can help:

·       Estimate trip costs

·       Digitize paper receipts

·       Audit quicker and more accurately

·       Spot patterns to predict and inform decisions

Learn more about how to address financial challenges in an unpredictable world as well as AI usage, check out these resources: 

·       How to Enhance Financial Forecasting and Leverage Finance Automation to Navigate Turbulent Times

·       How Finance Leaders are Responding to Tariffs, Inflation, and Economic Uncertainty

·       CFO Insights: AI at the Tipping Point

Take our Quiz: 

What percentage of business leaders told SAP Concur that worsening economic conditions were their top external challenge in early 2025?

A. 72%

B. 41%

C. 22%

Check your answer here.

Thanks for reading our June newsletter and we'll see you next month!