Retail is facing a data-driven revolution. To be a modern retailer means embracing new business models and technologies to meet rising customer demands-and some of the most profound changes are happening in retail finance departments.

As organizations look to finance as a catalyst for growth and innovation, retail CFOs "are being judged in terms of business outcomes as well as traditional financial industry standards," says a new report, Retail Finance in the Digital Age. Citing research from Oracle, CFO Magazine, and PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), the report examines how modern cloud solutions drive retail transformation.

Cloud-based ERP solutions automate financial processes to free up time for strategic thinking, and enables emerging technologies like AI, machine learning, and blockchain. With deeper, real-time data, finance can influence everything from pricing and procurement to mergers and acquisitions-and help the business deliver the fast, personalized experiences customers expect.

CFOs are taking note. In a 2017 CFO Magazine survey, 66 percent of respondents said that the value realized from implementing a cloud strategy exceeds the costs involved. Still, many have yet to take the leap