How to Actually Use AI in Treasury, And What to Automate First

If you're leading a finance or treasury team, you've probably been told you "need AI."

And you've probably asked: Where do we start? What actually works? And how do we make sure it doesn’t blow up in our face?

Good questions. Because for all the buzzwords, most teams run into the same roadblocks:

• Vague promises from vendors with no clear use case
• Security and compliance questions nobody can answer
• A fear of black-box systems making financial decisions you can't explain

That’s why we created The AI Treasury Playbook. It’s a step-by-step guide that shows what you can automate today, how to pick the right tools for your team, and how to build a business case that actually gets approved.

Let’s walk through a few highlights.

The 3 Paths to AI in Treasury: Crawl, Walk, Run

AI adoption doesn’t have to mean a multi-million dollar platform rollout. Depending on your needs and setup, you can start small and still get value.

1. Self-Service AI ("Crawl")

Think ChatGPT or Claude. With the right prompts, these tools help you:

• Generate forecasting checklists
• Analyze transaction history (non-sensitive data)
• Draft reports or summaries

Best for: Small teams, low-risk tasks, fast experimentation

Limitations: No system integration, can't handle sensitive data, not proactive

2. Connected Workflows ("Walk")

Use lightweight scripts or APIs to:

• Automate transaction tagging
• Build cash dashboards
• Analyze real-time ERP/bank data

Best for: Mid-sized teams with some technical support

Limitations: Still requires manual setup, not fully autonomous

3. AI-Native Treasury Platforms ("Run")

AI Native tools, like Nilus, offer:

• Real-time forecasting based on actual transaction behavior
• Continuous reconciliation
• Cash optimization recommendations with full audit trails

Best for: Teams ready for scale, visibility, and strategic automation

Limitations: Requires a budget and business buy-in

Download the full comparison matrix in the AI Treasury Playbook.

4 Treasury Tasks You Can Automate This Week

Even if you're not fully AI-enabled, you can automate high-effort workflows fast:

• Transaction Tagging: AI can auto-classify transactions using pattern recognition, freeing up hours of manual cleanup.
• Forecasting: Use historical payment behavior to build bottom-up forecasts that adjust in real time.
• Reconciliation: AI can match transactions across bank and ERP data, even when descriptions or timing are off.
• Liquidity Optimization: Spot idle cash and make smarter intercompany transfers or investment decisions faster.

Get the exact prompts and workflows for each in the full AI Treasury Playbook.

Build the Business Case: Show ROI in 30 Days

Let’s be real, leadership doesn’t care about AI. They care about ROI.

Here’s a quick formula to prove value:

• Time savings: Automate 20 hours/week = ~$70K saved annually
• Error reduction: Avoid late fees or rework
• Better returns: Use cash smarter and reduce idle balances
• Forecast accuracy: A 0.5% improvement can unlock serious working capital

Get a detailed breakdown of how to calculate value in the AI Treasury Playbook.

Final Thought: AI Doesn’t Replace Treasury, It Empowers It

AI isn’t about removing humans. It’s about giving finance teams superpowers: faster analysis, better forecasts, and less gruntwork.

Start with what frustrates your team most. Then automate that pain point with AI. The results will speak for themselves.

Download the full AI Treasury Playbook below for an in-depth walk-through.