Although FP&A professionals are good at analyzing past events, past performance does not predict the future. How can we make forecasts more influential?

An xP&A Business Partner needs to be equipped with defined skills and competencies that bridge technical acumen, technology, and influence. The latest technological advances have enhanced and transformed FP&A frameworks. xP&A Business Partnering is the latest trend that is going well beyond just Finance and involves the entire organisation.

Every month the Managing Director or Country Manager has to report the business results to the CEO or internal board. Depending on the corporate structure, there are different narrative reports, each with a different focus. This defines the role of Financial Planning and Analysis (FP&A) and the information that needs to be collected for future growth. Two opposite cases will make the same point.

There is a lot of hype these days about the concept of FP&A Business Partnering. At FP&A Trends Group, we introduced the concept of xP&A Business Partner. Who is it and why is this role important?

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?