In early November 2025, VeeRa Partner and CFO Helika Parts, together with Randar Lohu, CFO of Saku Rural Municipality, appeared on Äripäev Radio to discuss “The Future of Financial Management: From Excel to Meaningful Decisions.” The programme was hosted by Tõnu Einasto.
The interview can be listened to here: LINK
VeeRa Became a Secure Everyday Tool
Randar Lohu, CFO of Saku Rural Municipality, is a long-term VeeRa user who has experienced both the Excel era and the digital transformation of financial management. When he started working at Saku six years ago, VeeRa had already been implemented, making his work significantly easier.
“Budget preparation became simpler because cost managers can enter their budget requests directly into the system, together with all supporting materials. These can then be reviewed collaboratively. The budget is conveniently prepared within a single information system,” Lohu explains.
In the earlier Excel-based approach, spreadsheets had to be distributed manually and often came back with errors or inconsistencies caused by copying. These issues have been completely eliminated with VeeRa.
Lohu also highlights that the system empowers cost managers by making them more independent. As VeeRa is a daily working tool, managers can continuously monitor their area’s budget and its execution. The software is easy to use and does not require a financial background, allowing everyone to work with it confidently.
No More Piles of Paper
In addition to convenience, VeeRa has significantly simplified data archiving and increased transparency. According to Randar Lohu, he has not collected a single printout or folder during his years at Saku Rural Municipality.
The municipality also demonstrates transparency towards the public by publishing selected budget data from VeeRa on its website via the Power BI platform since the summer of 2021.
Within the VeeRa environment, users can attach additional materials to budget applications, such as Excel files, PDFs, and quotations. This makes figures more transparent and easier to understand during negotiations. In addition, the full history of changes is recorded and traceable.
The system is web-based and accessible from any device using ID card, Mobile ID, or Smart ID authentication.Randar Lohu encourages all CFOs to explore new solutions. While acknowledging that development always involves costs, he emphasizes that the investment pays off:
“Processes become faster, more transparent, and better visualised – which is crucial for CFOs to make better decisions.”
A Budgeting Solution Up and Running in Two Weeks
According to Helika Parts, hesitation towards implementing new systems is common, but VeeRa’s implementation process is fast and straightforward.
“With VeeRa, it’s important to emphasize that customers are not purchasing endless custom development, but a ready-made, robust solution that continues to evolve on a daily basis. If the CFO is ready to move forward, the budgeting application can be up and running in as little as two weeks, including both current budget execution data and historical information,” Parts explains.
Today, VeeRa is used by organisations of very different sizes.
Artificial Intelligence May Assist, but Responsibility Remains with Humans
User feedback plays a key role in VeeRa’s ongoing development, and the team maintains close contact with its customers. Alongside high-quality software, excellent customer support is considered equally important.
In a user survey conducted by VeeRa employee Liisa Rahe as part of her master’s thesis, 90% of cost managers(approximately 100 respondents) stated that the budgeting process had become faster and more convenient. The most valuable feedback, however, was that VeeRa helps cost managers make better and quicker decisions by clearly linking budget planning with actual execution.
According to Helika Parts, VeeRa is continuously evolving, and the use of artificial intelligence (AI) is actively being explored.
“However, I don’t believe AI should prepare budgets independently. In that case, it would be an AI budget – but the responsibility would still rest with humans,” Parts notes.
