

Daniel Sousa-Lennox: How Microsoft is using AI to win at forecasts and help their FP&A team
Oct 17, 2023
Daniel Sousa-Lennox, a data scientist at Microsoft, discusses how the company uses AI for accurate forecasts. They developed FINN, an AI finance tool that has achieved 99% accuracy in revenue forecasting for an Azure product. Sousa-Lennox emphasizes that while AI isn't magic, it has transformed financial forecasting at Microsoft. FINN provides access to 25+ models, reducing forecasting time significantly. The podcast also covers building flexible budget models, improving forecasts with machine learning, the role of AI in data analysis and forecasting, and the curiosity about meeting historical figures like Leonardo da Vinci.
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
1 2 3 4 5 6
Introduction
00:00 • 4min
Building Flexible Budget Models
04:09 • 17min
Improving Forecasts and Budgets with Machine Learning and Introducing Fin Modeling Framework
21:16 • 6min
AI in Data Analysis and Forecasting
26:56 • 12min
Curiosity about Tennis and Meeting Leonardo da Vinci
38:46 • 2min
Resources, Development Process, and Excel Functions in Finance
40:24 • 5min