New research shows that 43% of finance professionals are uncertain about their organization’s readiness to navigate tariff impacts. The study, commissioned by insightsoftware, a provider of solutions for the Office of the CFO, reveals that access to modern forecasting tools and real-time data creates a decisive advantage in navigating economic uncertainty.

Among finance professionals confident in their organization’s readiness, 59% credit their success to having adequate forecasting and modeling tools. Organizations with streamlined data access perform significantly better—79% of respondents who can easily access data without IT blockers felt prepared for tariffs. The findings also reveal an untapped AI opportunity––32% of unprepared teams blame their lack of AI capabilities for their uncertainty.

“The research confirms what we see across the market—finance teams with the right technology foundation are thriving while those stuck with outdated tools are struggling,” said Josh Schauer, CFO at insightsoftware. “The gap between prepared and unprepared teams is widening, and it’s directly tied to the ability to quickly access, analyze, and act on financial data. This isn’t just about tariffs—it’s about building resilient and agile finance operations that can adapt to any economic challenge.”

The study found that smaller companies demonstrate superior preparedness. Companies with 500-999 employees show 65% readiness and those with 1,000-4,999 employees report 64% preparedness, compared to only 46% of companies with 10,000+ employees. This suggests organizational agility and decision-making speed provide competitive advantages during uncertain times. Millennial finance professionals show the highest readiness rates at 68%, outpacing Gen X (47%) and Baby Boomers (51%).

The results in this report are from an online survey of 439 finance professionals in firms with 500 or more employees. The survey was fielded from May 9 to June 2, 2025, by Researchscape.