In this incredible business environment of high uncertainty and risk, many organisations have found themselves in the realm of “Unknown Unknowns".

So how we can plan for Unknown? How can we achieve flexible and dynamic Financial Planning and Analysis (FP&A) processes that support decision-making under uncertainty?

Organizational agility often faces a considerable barrier: unaligned top-down and bottom-up planning processes. Why does this gap exist? How can we bridge it, and what role does technology play?

Achieving flexibility requires a fundamental rethinking of all traditional planning techniques, methods and processes. The ability to forecast and plan continuously and flexibly stands high on the corporate agenda.

How can we create an FP&A eco-system that supports that speed and flexibility? 

The New Normal means that planning is no longer an extrapolation of the past. Similarly, business drivers that worked last year may no longer be relevant for the future. The reality is that organizations face multiple possible futures. Each one can be triggered by a crisis or an unforeseen event that will require the company to adjust or even change course.

So how should FP&A adapt to this New Normal?

As Einstein said, “In the middle of every difficulty lies opportunity.”  This survey we believe offers hope, insight, and a much-needed reality check on where FP&A is today.  It also forecasts what needs to happen for FP&A teams to develop their best practices from theory into reality. 

Integrated FP&A is not a new term. Most experienced FP&A professionals are probably already subconsciously doing it. Integrated FP&A promotes the idea of collaborative planning where finance professionals work with different parts of the organisation to create a holistic view and plan.