Many CFOs are running into roadblocks implementing AI, finance professionals told us at the Gartner Finance Symposium/Xpo: Rising costs and uncertain ROI have some questioning whether AI can live up to its promise, while dirty or siloed data is slowing down AI initiatives.

But some of the sticky points of AI adoption are purely human, sources said—implementing the tech may be easier than getting people on board.

Baby steps. One of the myths around AI implementation is that it has to involve a full-scale process overhaul, Rajiv Ramachandran, SVP and CPO of invoice to pay at Coupa, said. “The biggest barrier right now is people don’t know how to start, because they think they have to do this huge transformational project with millions of dollars of investment,” he said.

He advocates a step-by-step approach instead. “Start by enabling, in a very fast but easy manner, in a controlled platform, agents that can bring you immediate quantifiable value,” he said. Choose a platform that gives staff “the guardrails and the controls that they can put on top of those agents, so that they can trust them.”

Don’t forget the complexities that AI usage introduces.—CV

Maybe you had other plans: visiting a tropical island, blowing your entire savings on NBA playoff tickets, or perhaps getting a jump on the Q2 close.

In any case, let’s assume you weren’t at the CFO Leadership Council’s spring conference last week, when CFOs and finance professionals descended on Boston to discuss best practices for uncertain times.

No need for FOMO. Below, we’ve compiled some of the best tidbits of advice we heard at the conference. Think of it as a work event in chill mode: no travel, no small talk, just three of the most useful takeaways.

Healthy choices. Perhaps you’ve heard: Rising healthcare costs are giving CFOs insomnia. The average increase in the cost of health benefits is expected to climb to a 15-year high of 6.7% in 2026, according to a survey from professional services firm Mercer.

During a keynote session on the drivers of higher healthcare costs, Marybeth Gray, SVP of health and welfare benefits consulting at Marsh McLennan Agency, stressed the importance of opening up to change.

Is this the year to formulate a new healthcare spend strategy?—NP

Acquisitions can often be a gamble for companies in a growth mindset. Get them wrong and they become an ill-fitting revenue loser. Get them right, and they can help a business break into new markets or products.

For Culligan International, a global water services provider, the choice to grow through external means has helped it scale, according to the company, from $250 million in revenue to more than $4 billion. In recent years, Culligan International has been on a full-on shopping spree, completing 50 acquisitions annually, which has enabled the company to serve more than 170 million people in more than 90 countries.

Revenue Brew spoke with two executives from the company about how it identifies effective acquisitions, and how it onboards new teams effectively.

Finding the right match: CEO Scott Clawson has captained the ship as Culligan has deployed its acquisition strategy, which seeks to unify a “very fragmented” water services market. To do this, he said he has teams who go into local markets and create relationships with local providers to see if they might be a good fit for an acquisition.

Revenue Brew has more on the M&A muscle Culligan is building.—BS

We made a crossword book. It turns out the people who enjoy reading our puns enjoy solving them, too.