As an FP&A leader in your organisation be a gentle guide and rigid challenger. Question decisions made with you or just in your presence. Encourage reliance on financial data, not an exchange of opinions.

There is a lot of hype these days about the concept of FP&A Business Partnering. However, only 25% of FP&A’s time is spent on value-adding activities such as decisions support and business partnering (as per FP&A Trends Survey 2020).

High uncertainty was the other name for 2020, and FP&A's have been going through massive challenges and transformations to adjust to the New Normal. What are the top 10 Financial Planning and Analysis trends to watch in 2021 and beyond?

In his 26-minute presentation, Paul Ashley Head of Applications, Lloyds Development Capital Limited, explained how the company has successfully implemented a digitised approach to business partnering, financial forecasting, and the private equity valuation process. 

Computer simulations allow us to play out various scenarios repeatedly and assess the outcomes. It is also true for computer simulations that are used in finance. Through scenario analysis, we can gain some comfort and assurance that the decision taken is the right one given the circumstances. However, there are a few considerations with the use of artificial intelligence (AI). 

While automation has eliminated many repetitive tasks, the next step for FP&A is to develop advanced analytics capabilities.