Study Finds CFOs Find AI Can’t Clear Every Cash Flow Bottleneck

AI summary of the source article

A report from PYMNTS Intelligence and J.P. Morgan, surveying CFOs at U.S. companies with annual revenues between $250 million and $2.5 billion, examines how finance teams are accelerating cash flow amid external challenges. While AI helps speed forecasting, collections, and payments internally, external pressures such as missing supplier deliveries, fraud, and extended customer payment terms are mounting. Only 38% of CFOs reported improved customer payment terms, down from 73% in 2025. In response, 58% of organizations now track cash flow goals across business units, compared to 5% a year prior, making cash management a broader corporate priority.

Why it matters

Cash flow management is expanding beyond finance departments as rising external risks, such as extended customer payment terms and fraud, force companies to distribute treasury responsibilities across sales, procurement, and other business units.

Key facts

• Only 38% of surveyed CFOs reported improved customer payment-term behavior, falling from 73% in 2025.
• Fifty-eight percent of companies now track cash flow goals across business units, up from 5% the previous year.
• Every high-velocity company surveyed operates with a cash conversion cycle of 60 days or less, with 55% operating in the 0-to-30-day range.