Finance teams deal with complex data, tight deadlines, and high accuracy requirements. ChatGPT cannot replace financial judgment, but it can dramatically speed up the writing, research, and analysis tasks that consume most of a finance professional's time.
ChatGPT can help explain what financial data means in plain language.
Example prompt:
Our Q4 revenue was RM12.5M vs RM11.2M in Q3 (up 11.6%) and RM10.8M in Q4 last year (up 15.7%). COGS increased from 42% to 45% of revenue. Write a brief management commentary explaining these trends and highlighting areas of concern.
Speed up monthly variance reporting.
Example prompt:
Explain the following budget variances for our management report. For each, provide a likely explanation and recommended action: Marketing spend +23% vs budget, Travel -45% vs budget, IT infrastructure +8% vs budget, Headcount costs -5% vs budget.
Generate explanations of financial metrics for non-finance stakeholders.
Example prompt:
Our company's current ratio dropped from 2.1 to 1.4 over the past year. Explain what this means for a non-finance audience (board members), why it matters, and what actions we should consider. Keep it under 200 words.
Draft monthly and quarterly management reports.
Example prompt:
Write the narrative section of a monthly management report for a mid-size technology company. Key data points: Revenue S$2.3M (up 8% MoM), EBITDA margin 22% (up from 19%), headcount 85 (added 5 new engineers), cash position S$4.1M, burn rate S$1.8M/month. Highlight positive trends and flag risks.
Draft executive summaries for board meetings.
Example prompt:
Write a 1-page executive summary for the board on our company's financial performance in H1 2026. Include: revenue growth trajectory, profitability trends, cash position, key investments, and risks. Data: [paste key metrics]. Tone: factual, concise, forward-looking.
Draft quarterly investor communications.
Example prompt:
Write a quarterly investor update email for a Series B startup. Key highlights: ARR grew 45% YoY to S$5.2M, NRR is 118%, added 15 enterprise customers, expanded to Malaysia market, runway is 18 months. Keep it positive but honest about challenges.
Document finance processes for team training and audit purposes.
Example prompt:
Create a Standard Operating Procedure for our month-end close process. Steps include: revenue recognition review, accruals posting, intercompany reconciliation, bank reconciliation, trial balance review, and management report preparation. For each step, include: responsible person (role), timeline (business days), key checks, and common errors.
Create first drafts of finance policies.
Example prompt:
Draft an Expense Reimbursement Policy for a company with 100 employees in Singapore. Cover: eligible expenses, approval thresholds (below S$500, S$500-S$5,000, above S$5,000), submission deadlines, required documentation, and non-reimbursable items.
Understand complex spreadsheet formulas.
Example prompt:
Explain what this Excel formula does in plain language: =SUMPRODUCT((YEAR(A2:A1000)=2026)(B2:B1000="Singapore")(C2:C1000))
Get help structuring data analysis.
Example prompt:
I have 12 months of sales data by product, region, and sales rep. What analysis should I perform to identify our highest-margin products, most productive reps, and fastest-growing regions? Describe the approach step by step.
| Task | Time Before AI | Time With AI | Quality Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Management report narrative | 3-4 hours | 1 hour | Consistent quality |
| Board paper draft | 6-8 hours | 2-3 hours | More comprehensive |
| SOP documentation | Full day | 3-4 hours | Better structured |
| Variance commentary | 2 hours | 30 min | Faster delivery |
Yes, with strict guidelines. Never input actual financial data, customer information, or confidential figures. Use ChatGPT for drafting reports, creating documentation, and researching concepts. Always verify calculations independently and review AI outputs before sharing.
The most productive uses are: drafting management reports and board papers, writing variance analysis commentary, creating SOPs and process documentation, explaining financial concepts for non-finance audiences, and generating policy drafts. Focus on writing tasks, not calculations.
AI will change how finance work is done but not eliminate finance roles. Tasks like report writing and data interpretation will be faster, freeing finance professionals to focus on analysis, strategy, and judgment-intensive work. The most valuable finance professionals will be those who use AI effectively.
