In this video presentation, Autodesk’s Finance Director Valerie Martin offers insights on how to ascertain what you need from your data, overcome challenges and be a successful data-driven Business Partner.

As the finance co-pilot of your company, you won't get to call the shots on strategy, sales tactics, marketing campaigns, or HR policies. But you can be a finance business partner, providing data-driven insights to make sure your co-pilots are maximising their potential.

Learn more from Western Power’s Head of Business Planning and Reporting about why you always need to invest in employees' skills. 

According to the 2021 FP&A Trends Survey, only 12.5% of organisations spend 40% of their time on value-adding activities. Ironically, the feedback I am getting from my stakeholders is that our Business Partners have never needed us more than they need us today. Clearly, as an FP&A community, we all need to be taking action to empower, execute and become laser-focused on moving up the dial from 12.5% to ensure we can support and guide our Business Partners and show up as our best version.

According to the FP&A Trends Survey 2021, only 12.5% of organisations spend more than 40% of their time on high-value activities. How can we overcome this problem? What is the role of modern FP&A Business Partner?

When I am asked to explain why Cash is so important, I use the analogy of building your dream home. In order to build that dream home and give it the best chance of standing there for years, it needs solid foundations. Likewise, an organisation needs cash to survive and grow, it needs cash to survive day to day, and without it, an organisation has no foundations and eventually collapses.