How Does IBM Consulting Enable Finance Transformation?

IBM Consulting has been recognised as a leader in the 2025 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Finance Transformation Strategy Consulting. 

The report assesses the firms that help chief financial officers (CFOs) design finance transformation strategies and multi-year roadmaps. 

It defines a market focused on operating models, data, technology, people and processes that modernise the finance function, highlighting companies and organisations with a proven ability to execute.

Gartner notes IBMs AI-powered and asset-based delivery as key to its success, pointing to its ability to scale technology adoption, its collaboration approach centred around co-creation and its extensive partner ecosystem, which it says enhances service capabilities. 

Discussing the recognition, Monica Proothi, Vice President & Senior Partner, IBM Consulting, says: “This achievement reflects our continued commitment to supporting finance leaders on their transformation journeys and reimagine the future of finance—combining human expertise with AI innovation and data confidence, through our AI-enabled delivery approach and assets, powered by the IBM Consulting Advantage platform.”

She adds: “It also demonstrates how we lead by example, transforming our own organization as Client Zero.”

Finance transformation best practice

CFOs face increasing complexity in the modern enterprise environment, challenging finance transformation ambitions and often calling for external strategy support. 

In this context, developing and delivering a robust finance transformation strategy is critical, both for shaping strategic objectives but also for establishing long-term roadmaps that align data, delivery models, innovation and talent. 

Gartner’s Magic Quadrant provides an essential overview of the finance transformation strategy consulting services market. 

It analyses the capabilities, strengths and weaknesses of consultancies, looking for those that are able to combine a strong, forward-looking vision with a proven ability to execute, using innovations like AI to deliver high-quality strategies, clear roadmaps and measurable outcomes. 

IBM as a Quadrant Leader

Within this context, IBM has been recognised as a leader. Gartner defines leaders as those businesses that show a forward-looking vision and an ability to proactively align solutions with key and emerging CFO priorities. 

Leaders show strong capabilities in core transformation areas such as delivering model innovation, technology enablement and data management, process optimisation and more

Quadrant Leaders use AI and Gen AI to accelerate delivery times and strategic ambitions. They enable real-time and effective solutions and deliver critical insights that elevate decision making.

Leaders use integrated frameworks across diagnostics, process redesign, enablement and change management to drive adoption and sustained performance. 

Collaborative methods such as labs and workshops help clients co-create strategies and build ownership. 

With global delivery networks and alliances, they can support complex, multi-country programmes and often define market best practice, although their services typically command premium fees.

Powering CFOs with AI

IBM is committed to helping CFOs and finance leaders to reimagine the future of finance using AI, automation and data confidence. 

According to Monica: “We feel being named a Leader reinforces that IBM’s approach to finance transformation is proven, mature, and trusted – grounded in measurable outcomes and sustained innovation.

“IBM’s FTSC practice focuses on AI-driven, asset-based delivery, enabling organizations to modernise their finance functions with intelligence, agility, and scalability. 

“Our approach goes beyond traditional consulting — we bring together technology, domain and industry expertise, co-creating with clients to deliver tangible business results —by example with IBM as Client Zero.”

Gartner recognised IBM’s use of proprietary technology as key to its success citing solutions like IBM Consulting Advantage and its CFO playbook framework of principles.

The Consulting Advantage platform, which IBM launched recently, uses a suite of AI assistants to help consultants identify pain points when creating strategy roadmaps. 

Next year, IBM plans to launch a new finance transformation operating model and modular tools that will enhance these capabilities further. 

Monica points to three key areas that set IBM’s offering apart:
 

• AI-driven insights and orchestration: AI and automation is embedded in finance transformation workstreams, acting as ‘brains’ that orchestrate complex processes.
• Asset-based and reusable components: modular tools, accelerators, process models and templates act as a ‘platform of assets’ that accelerates implementation, reduces risk and enables rapid scaling. 
• Business and technology integration: engagements tie strategy to execution, providing clients with more predictable outcomes, smarter operations and continuous innovation.

“To us, being named a Leader is not just recognition — it’s a signal of what’s possible when deep domain expertise, enterprise AI, and asset-based delivery converge. For clients navigating the complexity of finance transformation, we feel it means a more confident path forward,” says Monica.