Home PublicationsData Innovators 5 Q’s for Chris Miller, Senior Vice President of Netgain Solutions

5 Q’s for Chris Miller, Senior Vice President of Netgain Solutions

by Martin Makaryan
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The Center for Data Innovation spoke with Chris Miller, senior vice president of Netgain, a Colorado-based technology company that uses AI and automation to streamline accounting processes for businesses and large organizations. Miller discussed how Netgain’s approach to automation can help accountants optimize their processes and how the company’s willingness to tackle complex accounting processes makes it stand out among competing software companies.

Martin Makaryan: What does Netgain do?

Chris Miller: Netgain builds technical accounting applications focused on complex functions like lease accounting, financial close processes, lending, and financial forecasting. We help companies automate manual accounting and financial processes, such as loan management, which involves overseeing the lifecycle of a loan from issuing it to collecting the last payment. We saw an opportunity to improve the most commonly used software solutions—some of which Netgain’s co-founders previously worked on at Oracle—and wanted to address the common complaint we heard from accountants that using such software was often the worst part of their day. We have extended our solutions to serve both accounting firms and their customers, covering both audit and operations needs.

Makaryan: How does Netgain approach automation in accounting?

Miller: Our approach to automation starts with understanding best practices, drawing from our experience as CPAs and public accounting professionals. We believe that jumping straight into automation without first laying the groundwork to understand existing inefficiencies in accounting processes, we cannot fully capitalize on automation. Instead, we take the time to analyze existing workflows, simplify and standardize them, and then strategically implement automation to maximize effectiveness. For example, with lease accounting, we became lease experts first, providing consulting for major companies on their accounting standard adoptions. We examine processes click by click to optimize the user experience for accountants, then determine what to automate based on where judgment is needed versus where automation can be most effective.

Makaryan: How do you use AI?

Miller: We are following a three-pronged approach to AI implementation. First, we are using AI to enhance our development process, leveraging tools like ChatGPT to test and generate code. Thanks to AI, our software developers are becoming more like supervisors of AI coding assistants, which saves us time and energy to invest in product strategy and development. Second, we are creating AI-powered features for our end users, such as variance analysis tools that can explain differences in accounts. Third, we are using AI to improve our business operations, particularly in customer support and software implementation processes. We are careful about when to use only AI or a combination of AI analysis with business logic: sometimes, accounting needs precise, consistent answers where creativity is not very beneficial, so we use AI for pattern recognition and combine it with structured business rules.

Makaryan: What challenges do you see in implementing AI in accounting systems?

Miller: One of the biggest challenges is that many organizations lack clarity about their processes and goals. AI excels at pattern recognition, but it needs clear direction to be effective. Another challenge is managing expectations—many people think AI will magically learn and solve problems without analyzing first where and how AI and automation can make the most difference. Different business models mean different accounting processes, and there will be no one-size-fits-all approach to AI implementation. Being intentional and strategic about where to start and how to move forward is key to realizing the benefits of AI.

Makaryan: What makes Netgain stand out from competitors?

Miller: Our uniqueness stems from several factors. First, our founders’ previous experience gave us exposure to a wide range of businesses and accounting challenges, from major corporations to specialized industries. We have been able to build empathy for our customers, putting ourselves in their shoes to understand their needs, thus merging accounting expertise with great software development. Our team is also seasoned, and we probably have more CPAs coming from the Big Four largest accounting firms than most software companies. This expertise allows us to provide confident, informed guidance rather than just asking customers what they want and to leverage technology in a more comprehensive, targeted way. Third, we are willing to tackle the complex, unsexy parts of accounting that others avoid. While many focus on flashy features like accounts payable automation, we handle crucial but complex functions like lease accounting, asset management, and financial close processes. We believe in making these essential backend processes as efficient as possible so companies can focus on their customer-facing innovations.

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