Date: 15.12.2025 (2025-12-15)
Frank Powa (15.12.2025) Context: • https://www.linkedin.com/in/frank-powa/ • CFO Aldi CH • Zurich • My message: • Ich bin auf Ihr Profil gestossen, da Sie bei Aldi Suisse die Finance-Themen verantworten. • Wir entwickeln proprietäre KI-Modelle für Controlling & Accounting. Aktuell automatisieren wir vor allem das Verbuchen von Rechnungen. • Der nächste Schritt ist die Automatisierung des Monthly Closing & Controlling, mit dem Ziel, den Aufwand um etwa 50% zu reduzieren. • Reply: • Hallo Maximilian, danke für deine Nachricht. • Ja, diese Themen sind momentan sehr aktuell. Einige Themen sind bei uns bereits breit abgedeckt bzw. es werden Lösungen entwickelt. Jedenfalls sehr spannend. Ein „Verkaufsgespräch“ wäre an dieser Stelle tatsächlich nicht vielversprechend, aber ein Austausch ist immer spannend. Ich hätte am Montag zwischen 9:00 und 11:00 bzw. ab 16:00 Zeit, ansonsten eher im neuen Jahr ;) Was meinst du? • Wahrscheinlich kennst du Rasmus Rothe… wenn du ihn siehst, dann schöne Grüsse, wir beide waren vor einiger Zeit Gäste auf einer Hochzeitfeier eines gemeinsasmen Freundes, anyway. • Beste Grüsse, Frank
Notes: • Notes: • 1990 neuronale Netze trainiert • Aldi: • Worked in USA, AUS, UK, AUT, CH • Owns HR, IT, Finance and soon also Real Estate • They have global committees • Data analytics: he is responsible for Südost-Bereich • They discuss use of AI • He would like to move faster on AI in CH • Work with startups on global base is difficult because startups do not have a • They have a GPT solution in intranet • Process automation: • He knows blp digital -> they do a lot of topics • He also talks to ETH • FounderFul -> VC • Students are often too technical -> no clear business value • They outsource processes to Tieflohnländer -> they will offer the AI automation via them • Gempact or sth. - big companies - have their own teams • Processes: • AR and AP • Asset accounting • Most potential • A piece of paper -> digitalisation -> interpretation • Important: learn from past data • Also other areas within a company: • HR -> Arbeitszeugnisse • Use Case: Controlling: • e.g. Filialnetze untersuchen -> are there Optimierungspotentials (IRR or NPV) -> he delegates to a team -> they create an Excel -> not possible to get into management meeting • Necessary data is in SAP already -> create a kommunikative Schnittstelle (Chatbot) -> prepares everything -> only 20% Feinschliff that does it (Senior Consultant) • There are not many companies • e.g. Pigmant, Anaplan • Process automation is very well covered in his opinion • Once you have structured data with high quality then it is simple • -> there should be a company that only sorts the data into a cube and then the teams can use the data there • Procurement / Supply Chain • Different platforms: Lagersoftware, Ausschreibungen, etc. -> APIs -> APIs do not work perfectly -> manual work required -> APIs will stay longterm as well -> important to integrate them better • Frachtrechnung: 150 bis 200 Seiten lang -> tausende von line items • Not well automated • In ZUR there is a company doing that • Supplier Contract: penalties, FX -> 3 way match + contract • So far one could not teach a system what the complex conditions are • You can also include the email conversation: late / early, something missing etc. -> more than just checking the Frachtrechnung prüfen • Automation: • • Biggest objections / challenges in his daily life? • • Most valuable flows for him? • • Context: team setup? internal and external? • • Which tasks are the biggest pain? With magic wand -> what would he solve? • Strategic: einheitliche Datenstruktur is most important -> enables a lot of downstream action possible • Check Innodata • He is passionate about AI and I think wants to found sth. • At Aldi they have their own Pensionkasse -> Verwalter does the Paperwork -> Customer Support direction • He thinks to found himself -> directly a use case from real world -> the data is already quite structured (Finwa topic) • Intro - he pings me • Merantix Momentum • Send Timon company • Which tasks would he focus on? • • Do they already have automations? Which ones? How well do they work? • • Which companies would he target? • • General feedback to pitch? •