Vena Copilot Puts Data Into Action in Record Time at AIR

Vena Copilot acts as a virtual admin staff member, making calculations and providing insights

AIR’s finance team is extending their capabilities through AI, allowing time for strategic work

Implemented Vena Copilot self-sufficiently, completing technical set up in 30 minutes

Vena Copilot is an easy way to get quick, reliable data from your financial system without having to scroll through reports or open documents. It learns very quickly how you ask questions and has the ability to provide you with analysis. It's a one-stop shop for quick financial information.

Charles McCumber

Director of Finance, Association for Institutional Research

The Challenge: Putting Data To Work Despite Limited Resources

The Association for Institutional Research (AIR) is dedicated to data—educating and supporting institutional researchers across college campuses on how to best use data to support operational decisions. And with data being such a core part of the association’s mission, it’s no surprise they try to make it readily available within their organization as well.

So when Vena released Vena Copilot—an AI-based complete planning assistant that helps businesses get the most out of their FP&A data—in spring 2024, AIR’s Director of Finance, Charles McCumber, jumped at the chance to try it.

Charles had been using Vena since 2022 to enable AIR’s finance team across their budgeting and forecasting needs. At the time, the team had been struggling to build out their FP&A processes and wanted a solution that would allow them to do more, without adding headcount.

When researching software vendors, Vena’s easy-to-use native Excel interface and out-of-the-box templates stood out. “We're a small organization—we only have a staff of 20, so our finance department is just myself and my staff accountant,” Charles says.

With the new addition of Vena Copilot, Charles would be able to accomplish even more with those limited resources, while maximizing the critical data at his fingertips.

A female professor with short gray hair smiling and delivering a lecture in front of a classroom of college students

Quick and Easy AI Assistance with Vena Copilot

Implementing Vena Copilot was straightforward, Charles says. “I've done a lot of software implementations since taking this role, trying to get everything into the 21st century and in the cloud,” he adds. “There's always a learning curve. There are always pain points. But with Vena Copilot, this was nearly plug and play.”

Without a lot of extra setup, Charles was able to take advantage of the benefits of Vena Copilot quickly, asking questions of AIR’s data—comparing budget to actuals, for instance, or delving into the performance of specific AIR programs—and getting immediate, accurate responses.

By handling that type of routine data management and analysis, Vena has freed Charles up for more strategic work.

“It's almost like having an administrative staff person that can just answer those quick questions for you,” he says. “Even more so than just an administrative person pulling data for you, it can actually do some calculation and thinking and provide you with insight as well.”

As he expands usage of Vena Copilot across the organization, Charles plans to put it in the hands of their executive team—expecting AIR’s CEO will benefit most of all. “She's the one that typically has the most on-the-fly questions about things, especially as we get into budget season,” he says.