As a former public accounting auditor, I have been through my fair share of busy seasons which usually ran from September to April. For me, this was a character-building and learning opportunity that I am privileged and thankful that I got to experience in my career. However, like most, I realized this was not what I wanted to do long term.

It is difficult to think of another business process that is as universally detested as annual budgeting. The list of complaints will be familiar to anyone who has run a budget process or has been subjected to one…and that probably means everyone reading this article.

No matter for a budget season or continuous forecasting: the human factor is randomly covered in the process that may bring the best and the worst of management culture. A special eye on bias during the Performance Management and goal setting process is essential for process quality and to the FP&A skillset.

2017 budgets might be locked and loaded at your company, but that does not mean that they need to be anchors on your company’s ability to anticipate, respond and react effectively to dynamic market conditions in 2017.

Most people will agree that planning is a vital activity for every corporate body.  It is often carried out according to a management calendar.  Long-range and resource planning tends to take place on an annual basis, forecasting tends to be quarterly, while reporting is monthly driven. 

Believe it or not, organizations do not collapse if they don’t have a plan or a budget! If a business is already established then two things will impact future results, irrespective of what is planned - organic growth and external influences.