Controllers often feel stuck between daily operations and strategic work they want to do. That was true for Sam, a controller at a wholesale business.
The Problem
Sam spent most of his time:
- Cleaning data
- Reconciling accounts
- Preparing weekly management reports
He wanted to provide insights, but the workload left no room.
How AI Transformed His Workflow
Sam implemented an AI dashboarding and reporting assistant that:
- Pulled ERP + CRM + POS data automatically
- Cleaned and standardized it
- Highlighted financial trends
- Generated draft commentary for his reports
A Real Scenario
Leadership asked a critical question:
“Why are margins dropping on Product Line B?”
Instead of spending hours digging manually, Sam asked the AI to:
- Analyze 12 months of margin data
- Compare vendors
- Check logistics costs
- Flag anomalies in pricing
- Summarize patterns
The AI found:
- Freight costs increased 17% due to a contract change
- Vendor pricing rose 9%
- Discount frequency increased during promotions
- Returns spiked due to a manufacturing defect
Sam presented the findings within one hour.
Leadership immediately renegotiated freight contracts and switched vendors.
The Results
- Monthly reporting time dropped from 10 hours to 2
- Leadership received deeper insights
- Sam took on more strategic work and was later promoted
The Takeaway
AI doesn’t replace controllers—it elevates them.
It frees them from the grunt work so they can become more strategic partners.
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