The consequences of CFO's controlling IT spending

In today's era of cost efficiency, the CFO is now becoming a key player when it comes to evaluating IT purchases. In fact, 82% of CFOs have reported an increase in responsibilities over the last year, with roughly a quarter taking on new duties related to IT. 

For resellers and MSPs, this means that potential IT purchases are now competing with non-IT purchases for room in the budget, which has serious consequences for the buying and selling process. In this article, I'll discuss the ramifications of this shift and share some practical tips that channel pros can use to effectively navigate this new buying environment.

The CFO as Strategic Advisor: Understanding Your New Customer

CFOs have always been called on by other leaders to vet big financial decisions. But today, in our cost-conscious business environment, they’re being asked to take a more active and consultative role in approving IT purchases specifically, since these items make up a growing portion of overall spending for many companies. 

According to Canalys, for example, global IT spending will reach a staggering £4.03 trillion in 2025, an 8% increase from 2024. As spending increases and evolves, so does scrutiny and vetting. The CFO’s heightened involvement in the IT procurement process is part of that shift.

Like any other buyer, CFOs have their own unique set of experiences and expertise, but many have already been involved in complicated IT transactions in the past, and many (particularly those in technology companies) have some level of technical aptitude and experience. Instead of thinking of CFOs as IT outsiders or humble gatekeepers of the budget, channel sellers should think of them as informed and influential decision-makers on new purchases, because that’s exactly what they are today.

Competing Against Non-IT Line Items

With the CFO taking a more active role in IT procurement, IT purchases are now competing with non-IT purchases for room in the budget. 

As a result, channel professionals and sellers need to do more to articulate their value proposition in a way that makes it possible to directly compare the value of the goods and services they offer to the value provided non-IT line items, including everything from office chairs to office equipment, to training programs, and so on.

Instead of framing the value of your offerings in terms of terabytes backed up or petabytes stored, think of first framing it in terms of pounds, euros, or dollars saved. For example, let’s say you want to automate some onboarding tasks and standardize security setup to improve that internal operation.

To convince the CFO that this is necessary, you should try to highlight the current costs associated with these operations and then show how your solution can help reduce those costs. Once you’ve done that, you can also frame the benefits in non-fiscal terms, but it’s crucial to understand that, in the current buying environment, cost savings are king. As a result, you need to articulate the value of your offering in a variety of ways, including the fiscal terms that are more likely to resonate with CFOs. 

Ultimately, the danger isn’t necessarily that CFOs will fail to understand technical terminology from IT departments; it’s that they may not be able to weigh the value of an IT purchase against other potential purchases unless they have a common metric like money saved, as in the example above.

Staying Ahead in a New Buying Landscape

The new reality of CFO-driven IT procurement requires a revamped and nuanced approach from channel professionals. They’ve always signed the checks so to speak but especially as AI and data security dominate C-level and board room discussions, it’s become even more important. 

That’s why crafting proposals that emphasize measurable outcomes and cost savings, while speaking the language of business value, not only builds trust but also sets channel partners apart in a crowded market. 

This shift is not a temporary trend; it reflects a broader transformation in how organizations allocate resources and assess value. Channel professionals who successfully adapt to this environment will foster stronger relationships with CFOs, improve their chances of winning business, and help their clients achieve operational efficiency and strategic growth over the long-term.