This year’s FP&A Trends Survey draws on responses from 459 finance professionals across industries and regions and dives into the core elements that define modern Financial Planning and Analysis — from Integrated Financial Planning and Analysis and Scenario Management to data, technology, and team capabilities.

Drawing on insights from over 270 International FP&A Board meetings worldwide, annual FP&A Trends Survey data, the work of the global AI FP&A Committee, interviews with senior finance leaders, and real-world case studies from companies like Microsoft, Vodafone, the Financial Times, and others, this paper offers a practical guide for finance professionals looking to lead in the AI era. Its focus is not just what AI can do, but how FP&A can apply it with purpose.

In an era of data overload and fast-evolving digital tools, traditional FP&A methods are no longer sufficient. This Insights Paper offers a practical roadmap for Analytical Transformation, showing how to harness data more effectively, implement modern analytics platforms, and build a culture where insights drive decision-making. Drawing on a decade of global research and real-world case studies, it explores why transformation efforts often stall — and how to make them succeed.

This paper revisits five key FP&A roles: the Architect, the Analyst, the Data Scientist, the Data Storyteller, and the Influencer, which were first introduced in our 2021 research paper. We explore how these roles have evolved, their impact on Business Partnering, and how they will adapt to new challenges and technologies. 

FP&A teams have played a critical role in organisations for a long time. However, traditional FP&A is no longer sufficient. Economic volatility, shifting demographics, emerging technologies, and data overload demand a more agile, insight-driven FP&A. This paper explores what makes modern FP&A teams effective, outlines four essential layers to meet today’s business needs and provides practical steps to implement them.

This paper explores how FP&A teams can lead in an unpredictable era, drawing on insights from 260+ International FP&A Board meetings across 19 countries, 30+ research papers, and input from over 50,000 senior practitioners worldwide. We identified the top 5 trends that will shape FP&A in 2025 and beyond, therefore offering a roadmap for finance teams to become agile, data-driven partners capable of navigating complexity with confidence.