CFOs under fire with SAP S/4HANA migrations and global economic tariffs

As global economic turbulence persists – with Goldman Sachs recently forecasting a 45% chance of a U.S. recession this year – cost optimisation has become a priority for CFOs once again. Rising pressures from volatile trade tariffs to e-invoicing mandates are compounding the urgency for finance transformation.

Against this backdrop, finance leaders are in the midst of complex and costly SAP S/4 HANA migrations, forcing them to rethink their approach to finance operations.

Legacy Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems alone cannot meet today’s demands, and CFOs are increasingly turning to specialist Invoice Lifecycle Management providers to fill critical gaps in their core ERP systems and future-proof their operations.

These ERP upgrades can cost large enterprises from tens of millions to hundreds of millions of dollars depending on complexity and number of users, as well as years of implementation time. As a result, it’s critical to gain complete control over all invoices, everywhere – driving demand for AI-powered Invoice Lifecycle Management platforms that integrate seamlessly into ERP environments.

 

Leadership hires to support a new standard of invoice expertise 

To extend its Invoice Lifecycle Management capabilities, Basware has appointed Katarina Paasi as Chief of Staff.

This expansion of the C-suite leadership team reinforces Basware’s commitment to delivering Invoice Lifecycle Management at scale – meeting the growing demands of enterprises seeking to cut costs, transform finance operations, and stay compliant amid rising pressures.

With over a decade at Basware and 25 years in operations, Paasi brings deep institutional knowledge and an execution-focused approach. As Chief of Staff, she will focus on strengthening internal governance, aligning strategic priorities, and enabling operational excellence across teams.

Katarina Paasi, Chief of Staff at Basware, commented: “I’m thrilled to be taking on this role at such a pivotal time for Basware. After smashing our Q1 targets this year, securing no less than 22 new customer wins, and expanding key partnerships, we continue to provide transformative value to enterprises worldwide. Our Invoice Lifecycle Management platform provides the precision and flexibility needed to drive efficiency and savings in a climate shaped by shifting tariffs and trade friction, while supporting SAP S/4HANA transformations. By executing our strategy with clarity and focus, we’re empowering our customers to thrive in today’s financial landscape – just as we continue to drive our own record-breaking growth.”

Meanwhile, former VP at SAP and Coupa, Mark McCarthy has stepped into the role of Chief Revenue Officer. He will lead Basware’s global commercial strategy, working closely with global systems integrators and partners including Accenture, Deloitte and KPMG, to drive innovation and efficiency in enterprise finance operations.

 

Partnerships, recognition, and transformation in action

Basware and Deloitte recently launched a Center of Excellence to support digital finance transformation for enterprises amid stricter e-invoicing and tax compliance regulations.

Last month, Basware was also named a Leader in the inaugural Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Accounts Payable Applications, reflecting its leadership in AI-driven automation, compliance and end-to-end Invoice Lifecycle Management.

According to Gartner, ‘CFOs are increasingly seeking to enhance process orchestration in AP by adopting agentic automation, which goes beyond basic task automation to manage more complex and dynamic processes.’ This shift reflects a growing preference for best-in-class Invoice Lifecycle Management platforms that deliver rapid ROI – typically under 10 months for Basware customers – seamless ERP integration, and resilience in the face of economic and regulatory pressures.

Leveraging Basware’s specialist expertise and putting transformation into action, Heineken France worked with Basware to streamline a complex SAP S/4HANA migration. As a result of the collaboration, Heineken France integrated all supporting finance solutions into the ERP system, optimizing invoicing processes, and increasing its compliance rate for on-time payments to 95%.