Date: 22.01.2026 (2026-01-22)
Eric Lau (22.01.2026) Context: • https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-lauhy/ • Head of Accounting and Tax at Ada Health • • My message: • We are currently at a crossroads regarding our product roadmap and are looking for a "view from the field." • Specifically, we’re weighing where AI will provide the most long-term ROI for finance teams: supporting monthly close & financial closing, or in procurement & purchasing (transparency, cost savings, supplier management)? • • For context: We’ve built technology that automates Accounts Payable with minimal human intervention. The system only flags ambiguous cases for manual approval, providing the full context needed to resolve them instantly. • • Given your experience, I’d really value your feedback (this is not a sales conversation) - happy to keep it to a simple 15-minute phone call. • - - - • We’re building an AI finance software for the monthly close with the goal of reducing closing time and manual effort by ~50%: • a) Automatically collecting missing invoices and information internally and externally (based on reconciliation) • b) Using risk-based approvals instead of rigid approval workflows • c) Always giving approvers the full context (budget, purpose, history, deviations, etc.) so decisions can be made in seconds • • If you have time, I’d love to hear your feedback on your biggest challenges and on our approach. We could simply do a quick 15-minute call by phone. I’d really appreciate it • Reply: • Hi Max, thanks for reaching out. What you are working on sounds interesting, and I'm happy to offer some insights. However, I've been fully occupied for the year end closing in the last 2 weeks. I do have some free time in the next coming weeks if you want to have a call. Thursday would work better for me. •
Notes: • Notes: • They want to implement a P2P platform -> they were not yet able to find the perfect solution • They saw some demos -> they are still in the process • They signed a contract but then they pulled out because they overpromised • What was missing? • The closest: Check out Pivot • Requirements: • Fulfill internal control processes • They have a whole set of approval processes for new vendors, contract management • They do not have the PR process yet • They want to replicate Confluence process: • They tried Tipalti as well • Send request for new vendor -> forwarded to the department that has to review -> they have to add • Legal approval has to upload NDA, draft contract • Finance: has to update a budget • Customised forms is not supported by Tipalti and many other providers • After vendor is approved: • PO can be raised -> approved -> synched in ERP • Then they can do accruals based on status of PO • Then it goes 3 way matching • And then to payment • System side: integrated with their ERP (Oracle Netsuite -> crucial) • IT landscape: • Mainly communication on Slack • Supplier requests -> they use Confluence, because it needs a audit trail • Google workspace • Other tools in finance area: • No other tools > P2P is most important • P2P is very manual and approval of invoices • They have to manage contracts -> they do not have a central document tool -> nobody knows when things expire -> something things just stop • Netsuite does not have a document management system • Approval via Slack is a great idea -> would user save a lot of time • Documents should not be in Slack • Pivot said they can do forms can be • Audit trails is important • They have to wait for Tipalti to have an comparison • Potential of AI: • Monthly closing can be automated -> very repetitive every month • Accruals, amortisation • High level review after books are closed to find unusual fluctuations -> report / insights / dashboard -> so they can drill deeper • Generate reports, slide decks - Gemini is quite good at that but still requires a lot of input • Notebook LM: • He uploaded the tax computation (100 pages) to Notebook LM -> translated and summarised info for him • Highest WTP: • P2P workflow • A lot of stakeholders involved • The others are only for finance -> overall WTP might be lower • 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? • • 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? •