Forward Finance Index Self-Assessment Quiz

The OneStream Forward Finance Index

Self-Assessment Quiz

Is your Finance function embracing the Forward Finance model to compete with the AI-ready organizations of tomorrow? Find out here.

What you get

To help you determine where your organization currently stands against the Blueprint, and to learn what separates the organizations that are pulling ahead, we built the OneStream Forward Finance Index. Answer a few short questions about your Finance team and get a personalized Forward Finance snapshot.

Your overall performance group and composite score
A maturity level for each of the 5 dimensions
Where you should focus your Finance efforts next

This self-assessment takes about five minutes. Answer based on where your organization stands today, not where you’d like it to be.

Overall, how reliable is the data you rely on across the following business areas — meaning it's accurate, traceable back to its source, and comes with enough context to act on?

Scale: 1 = Not reliable (can't trace it, low accuracy, no context); 5 = Fully reliable (traceable, accurate, decision-ready)

Financial reporting

NOT SURE

Forecasting & planning

NOT SURE

Close & consolidation

NOT SURE

Cost & expense

NOT SURE

DATA STEWARD

To what extent do you agree with the following?

Scale: 1 = Strongly disagree; 5 = Strongly agree

We're clear on where our biggest data gaps are today.

NOT SURE

Before rolling a new forecasting, close, or planning tool out company-wide, we test it on one part of the business first.

NOT SURE

AI STRATEGIST

Which of the following best represents where most of your Finance AI initiatives are today? (select one)

Informal/ad-hoc use: AI is used individually, outside of core Finance processes, and usage is not standardized, governed, or measured.

Pilot use cases: AI is being piloted in specific Finance activities, intentionally designed but not yet embedded in day-to-day workflows.

Embedded in existing workflows: Piloted AI use cases are embedded into day-to-day Finance workflows, with benefits measurable at a process or team level, but usage isn't consistent function-wide.

Scaled and standardized: AI is deployed consistently across multiple Finance processes, teams, or entities, with standard workflows, controls, and human-review guidance.

Enterprise value and decision impact: AI is systematically used to inform business decisions, delivering measurable enterprise outcomes. Finance actively steers the business using AI-enabled insight.

Not sure

AI STRATEGIST

Roughly what share of your Finance AI use cases have delivered measurable ROI or helped you achieve other KPIs in the past 12 months? (select one)

None yet

A few (up to about 25%)

About half

Most (more than half)

Nearly all

Too early to tell

AI STRATEGIST

To what extent do you agree with the following?

Scale: 1 = Strongly disagree; 5 = Strongly agree

My Finance team owns clear metrics to judge whether our AI initiatives are worth the investment.

NOT SURE

Our AI tools produce recommendations my team can explain and stand behind, not black-box outputs.

NOT SURE

CHIEF OPERATOR

How mature are your Finance function's early-warning and risk-identification capabilities? (select one)

Immature (ad hoc, manual signals)

Emerging (basic monitoring in pockets)

Developing (structured alerts in some domains)

Mature (cross-functional early warning system)

Leading (real-time, predictive early warning with automated triggers)

Not sure

CHIEF OPERATOR

How would you describe Finance's role in cross-functional decisions across sales, operations, and product? (select one)

Finance is rarely included until after decisions are made.

Finance is consulted occasionally, mostly on financial impact.

Finance participates regularly in some, but not all, of these areas.

Finance is a regular voice in most cross-functional decisions.

Finance is embedded as a strategic partner across sales, operations, and product alike.

Not sure

CHIEF OPERATOR

To what extent do you agree with the following?

Scale: 1 = Strongly disagree; 5 = Strongly agree

Finance uses live operational data (not just financial close data) to make day-to-day decisions.

NOT SURE

Our planning process updates continuously, rather than only on a fixed monthly or quarterly cycle.

NOT SURE

IT COLLABORATOR

How would you describe Finance and IT's ability to work from the same trusted data today? (select one)

Finance and IT largely maintain separate versions of the truth.

Some datasets are aligned, but most still require manual reconciliation.

Core financial and operational data are reasonably well aligned; other data (ESG, market, risk) lags behind.

Most datasets are harmonized between Finance and IT, with only minor gaps.

Finance and IT work from one shared, trusted set of data across financial, operational, and risk domains alike.

Not sure

IT COLLABORATOR

Which of the following best describes the current state of your Finance/IT digital roadmap? (select one)

No roadmap in place (neither separate Finance and IT roadmaps nor a joint roadmap).

Separate Finance and IT roadmaps with minimal alignment.

Informal alignment through regular interactions.

Formal joint roadmap, but delivery varies by function.

Fully integrated joint roadmap with shared KPIs and accountability.

Not sure

IT COLLABORATOR

To what extent do you agree with the following?

Scale: 1 = Strongly disagree; 5 = Strongly agree

Finance and IT operate as genuine strategic partners, not separate departments handing off requests to each other.

NOT SURE

Finance and IT jointly design and deliver solutions that create measurable business value.

NOT SURE

WORKFORCE ARCHITECT

How would you rate your Finance team's overall readiness to work with AI tools and insight? (select one)

Most of the team is unfamiliar with AI tools relevant to their work.

A few people are comfortable with AI tools, but it's not yet a team-wide skill.

Most of the team can use AI tools for routine tasks, but applying AI insight strategically is still rare.

Most of the team is comfortable using and interpreting AI-driven insight in their daily work.

The team confidently applies AI insight to strategic decisions and understands the governance and risk involved.

Not sure

WORKFORCE ARCHITECT

Does your organization have a structured program for AI skills development? (select one)

Not planned / not in place

Planned but not developed

Partially developed

Developed but not yet fully embedded

Developed and fully embedded across the organization

Not sure

WORKFORCE ARCHITECT

To what extent do you agree with the following?

Scale: 1 = Strongly disagree; 5 = Strongly agree

We are actively redesigning Finance roles around AI — shifting focus from manual production to judgment and insight.

NOT SURE

Our organization is agile enough to keep integrating new AI capabilities as they emerge.

NOT SURE

PREVIOUS QUESTION

NEXT QUESTION