In 2025, CFOs across the Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) sector are under more pressure than ever to improve cash flow, protect margins, and optimize operations. With rising input costs, inflationary headwinds, and increasing retail deductions, finance leaders must look beyond traditional strategies to maintain financial agility.
That’s why an increasing number of top CPG CFOs are turning to a new ally in finance operations: digital finance assistants (also known as “copilots”).
These intelligent, AI-powered tools are reshaping how companies manage accounts receivable, from invoicing and collections to deductions and dispute resolution. More than automation, best-in-class copilots offer always-available, real-time support to the finance team, driving smarter, faster, and bolder receivables management.
Let’s explore why digital assistants are quickly becoming a must-have in the CFO toolkit.
The Receivables Challenge in CPG
Receivables management in the CPG industry is uniquely complex, driven by the nature of high-volume transactions across an expansive network of distributors and retailers. Companies must navigate intricate trade promotions, frequent deductions, and a wide range of payment behaviors that often lead to claim disputes. Combined with tight margins and relentless pressure to optimize working capital, these challenges make it increasingly difficult to maintain financial efficiency. Manual or semi-automated processes are simply inadequate in this environment. As a result, CPG companies often face slower collections, rising Days Sales Outstanding (DSO), revenue leakage from invalid deductions, and reduced visibility into their overall cash flow.
In a business where cash is king, these inefficiencies are no longer tolerable.
Enter the Digital Finance Assistant
A digital assistant for receivables is an AI-powered virtual team member that supports credit, collections, and deductions analysts by:
- Communicating with customers via email or portal
- Sending reminders and follow-ups
- Analyzing payment behaviors and prioritizing high-risk accounts
- Auto-validating deduction claims
- Escalating issues with context and insight
Unlike basic automation, these assistants use natural language processing, predictive analytics, and self-learning algorithms to perform tasks previously handled manually.
For example, a digital assistant can:
- Automatically follow up on overdue invoices with personalized, intelligent messaging
- Proactively alert collectors to risky accounts
- Recommend next actions based on past customer behavior
- Validate and match deduction claims against contracts, invoices, and proof of delivery
Why CFOs Are Making the Shift
Top CFOs are leveraging digital assistants not just to reduce cost—but to transform finance into a proactive, strategic function. Here’s why it makes business sense:
1. Faster Collections, Improved Cash Flow
Digital assistants ensure timely follow-ups and reduce delays in receivables. Companies using them report DSO reductions of 5–10 days, improving cash positions significantly.
2. Scalability Without Hiring
As business grows, manual teams struggle to keep pace. Digital assistants scale effortlessly, handling thousands of accounts simultaneously—without increasing headcount.
3. Reduction in Revenue Leakage
AI can instantly flag suspicious deductions, identify duplicate claims, and reduce invalid write-offs—often recovering millions in lost revenue.
4. Empowered Human Teams
By taking over routine tasks, digital assistants free up human analysts to focus on high-value activities—like customer relationship management, exception handling, and analytics.
5. 24/7 Operation and Consistency
Digital assistants work around the clock—never miss a follow-up, never forget an account, and maintain consistent communication across thousands of customers.
Real-World Results from CPG Leaders
Forward-thinking CPG companies using digital receivables assistants have reported:
- 30%+ increase in collector productivity
- Up to $8 million recovered annually from invalid deductions
- Faster dispute resolution cycles—reduced from weeks to days
- Improved customer experience with timely, consistent, and professional communication
One global CPG brand deployed a digital assistant across its receivables process and saw a 42% reduction in past-due invoices within four months—without expanding its collections team.
What Should CFOs Do Now?
Digital finance assistants are no longer experimental, they’re enterprise-ready and delivering measurable value. For CFOs ready to transform their receivables operations, the time to act is now. Waiting too long means risking obsolescence in a fast-moving technological landscape, where competitors who embrace AI-powered solutions early, especially with credible third-party providers, will gain a decisive edge in efficiency, cash flow, and customer responsiveness.
Start with an assessment:
Identify the parts of your AR process that are creating the most significant bottlenecks? Is it Collections? Deductions? Credit risk?
Look for scalable AI solutions:
Choose a platform that integrates easily with your ERP and supports multi-channel communication, advanced analytics, and automated workflows.
Get stakeholder alignment:
Involve finance, IT, and customer service teams early to ensure adoption and integration success.
The Future of Receivables Is Digital—and Autonomous
CFOs in CPG companies have always sought ways to drive efficiency and improve cash velocity. With digital assistants now able to handle the bulk of receivables activity, finance leaders can finally shift from operational firefighting to strategic financial leadership.
The most successful CFOs in 2025 won’t be asking if they should deploy digital assistants. They’ll be asking, “Where else can we use them?”
How Emagia Can Help
For CFOs looking to modernize their receivables operations, Emagia offers a solution that’s not just worth exploring, it’s delivering results today. Emagia’s AI-powered Autonomous Finance platform is purpose-built to tackle the unique complexities of Order-to-Cash in the CPG industry, from high-volume invoicing to deduction management and collections. With Gia, our advanced digital finance assistant, and a team of AI agents working behind the scenes, Emagia enables up to 90% autonomous operations, freeing teams from manual tasks and delivering real-time strategic insights.
What sets Emagia apart is its proven track record. Widely adopted by forward-thinking enterprises across industries, and recognized by Gartner, IDC, Forrester, and other leading analysts, Emagia consistently drives measurable outcomes—faster collections, lower DSO, reduced revenue leakage, and improved cash flow visibility. Our platform integrates effortlessly with major ERPs, AP portals, and financial systems, allowing for rapid deployment and quicker time-to-value. Backed by a strong commitment to innovation and global support, Emagia empowers finance leaders to future-proof their operations and stay ahead of the competition.
đź“© Ready to put a digital assistant to work in your receivables team?
👉 Schedule your Emagia demo today and experience the future of finance.
FAQs:
Why are CFOs in the CPG industry specifically adopting digital assistants?
CPG companies often contend with high invoice volumes, short payment cycles, and complex deduction scenarios from retailers. CFOs are turning to digital assistants to streamline receivables, accelerate cash flow, reduce manual errors, and gain real-time visibility into their working capital.
How do digital assistants impact DSO (Days Sales Outstanding)?
By automating collections, proactively reminding customers about payments, and quickly resolving disputes or deductions, digital assistants significantly reduce DSO. Faster collections lead to better cash availability and stronger financial health for the organization.
Are digital assistants replacing human teams in finance?
No, they are augmenting finance teams—not replacing them. Digital assistants take over repetitive and rule-based tasks, enabling finance professionals to focus on exception handling, strategic decisions, and customer relationship management. Financial professionals still have all the power and responsibility to set the parameters that are appropriate for task and to intervene when red-flag situations arise.
How secure and compliant are digital assistants handling receivables data?
Top-tier digital assistants are built with enterprise-grade security, ensuring data encryption, access control, and compliance with industry standards like GDPR, SOC 2, and ISO 27001. They are designed to work within the organization’s existing financial systems and adhere to internal governance policies, making them safe and reliable for managing sensitive financial data.
