The longer these types of primitive FP&A analysts and accountants delay implementing ABC, then the greater the risks. The issue here is not mainly about product and standard service-line costing to understand their profit margins. The issue is about the emerging need to report and analyse distribution channels and customer profitability.

It is unrealistic to link every activity. In some cases, you may only be able to present the work that has been done with no obvious mathematical link to the outcome or the performance measure it supports. However, there is still value in presenting a goal and the supporting work being done along with its cost, so at least management can make an informed judgment as to whether they are linked.

Analysis is only as good as the decisions that result from it. In the uncertain business environment, organisations that provide people with the intelligence to make better decisions will outperform their competitors.

“If the rate of change on the outside exceeds the rate of change on the inside, the end is near.” (c) Jack Welch

This is the summary article in a series of eight articles about the Operational Budget (OB) and its associated Operational Income Statement (OIS). These articles have described the significant enhancements the OB and OIS provide to the traditional budget and related financial processes and techniques.

The First Digital European (Germany and Benelux) FP&A Board discussed FP&A Digital Transformation: Moving from Traditional to Leading Stage. The speakers talked about FP&A transformation, driver-based planning, predictive and prescriptive analytics and the use of modern technology. During this digital event, we also discussed what skills are now required from FP&A professionals in the digital era.