Why Reconciliation is the Perfect Use Case for AI
Question: Marcus, from Microsoft’s perspective, what makes financial services reconciliation such a compelling use case for AI, and how does Azure OpenAI address the unique challenges in this space?
Marcus Martinez: Reconciliation is an incredibly data-hungry function, making it the perfect test for our infrastructure. By combining AutoRek’s domain knowledge with our technology, we create a powerful synergy.
Given the complexity of modern data, AI can augment how we spot hidden trends that humans might miss. It’s about precision, efficiency, and improving the employee experience. Tools like Copilot and the AutoRek integration allow users to ask better questions of their data rather than spending hours trying to make sense of it. There is a total alignment between AutoRek’s goals and Microsoft’s market mission.
Unashamedly Microsoft: A Game-Changing Tech Stack
Question: Jim, can you tell us about the partnership and how Microsoft helps shape the AutoRek solution?
Jim Sadler: We are unashamedly Microsoft-based. Our product and our entire business run on the Microsoft tech stack. While some might suggest “spreading your bets” across different providers, we believe in the power of this partnership.
We leverage Microsoft’s roadmap to deliver performance and scale to our customers with zero extra investment required from AutoRek. Recently, we worked with engineers from Microsoft’s labs in Frankfurt on our AI developments, which turbo-charged our skills acquisition. Our latest SaaS features are effectively co-engineered; they call heavily on Azure AI services and simply wouldn’t be possible without this partnership. It has been a total game-changer for us.
Navigating DORA and Global Regulatory Requirements
Question: With regulations like DORA emphasizing operational resilience, how does Microsoft help financial institutions balance AI innovation with strict governance and auditability?
Marcus Martinez: Much like AutoRek’s proactive stance on compliance, Microsoft cloud services are deeply integrated with the latest regulatory requirements. We hold annual events with global regulators to understand upcoming compliance needs.
These requirements are embedded into Microsoft cloud services by design, not as an afterthought. When our partners and customers use our infrastructure, they are inheriting a posture that is already proactive toward DORA and other FSI-specific regulations.
The Future of FinOps: Empowering the “Agent Boss”
Question: Looking at the broader market, where do you see AI having the biggest impact on financial operations over the next 2-3 years?
Jim Sadler: AI will disrupt any function dealing with large sets of structured and unstructured data, particularly within the CFO organization and FinOps.
Our vision is to empower every employee to be what we call an “Agent Boss.” There is an emerging blueprint for “Frontier Firms”—organizations that use AI not for human replacement, but for human augmentation. In the near future, a key KPI for any company will be exactly how many AI agents are working for you to drive efficiency and insight.