The application of design thinking involves the creation of solutions in the meeting of an objective. Unlike a purely analytical approach, it begins with the solution and utilizes resources from across the enterprise to bring about its creation. The purely analytical approach breaks down the problem into its subsequent parts in order to rebuild it anew.

We only need to look at the evolution of the mobile phone to understand why the role of the FP&A business partner has changed. In 2000, I began my career in FP&A as an analyst at Silicon Graphics, the same year that the iconic Nokia 6210 was launched.  Back then the functionality of the mobile phone was limited to voice calls and simple text messages.