Agility isn't a buzzword these days — it's just how you stay in business. In FP&A, that means moving fast while staying accurate and in sync with the rest of the organisation. Sounds simple enough, right? Except that, in reality, it rarely is.

One of the biggest obstacles is silos. They are everywhere — in our data, tools, processes, and even how our teams interact (or don't).

This article reflects what I've experienced firsthand through my career as an FP&A leader. I'm not here to present a perfect solution or some grand theory. Instead, I'm sharing some of the challenges I've encountered and the practical steps taken to deal with them — steps that, over time, have made a real difference. 

The Reality of Silos in FP&A

A big part of my day-to-day work is spotting where things aren't clicking. Usually, it's not dramatic. It might be a report that doesn't align with corporate numbers or a process being followed one way by one team and completely differently by another. Minor issues, sure — but they add up fast.

Silos, in this context, are just breakdowns. Disconnects between tools, between teams, between what's happening on the ground and what leadership thinks is happening. And once you know to look for them, they are hard to ignore.

Have you ever had that moment halfway through building a report and realised the data set you are working with doesn't match the 'official' one? Or you have noticed that your team's approval process isn't quite in sync with what corporate expects. Or your newer system doesn't mesh with the old one because they were never set up to work together. If you nodded at any of these, you are not alone; we have all been there. These are the silos we are all trying to break down.

Where It Shows Up — and What We've Tried

1. Data Silos: Everyone's Numbers Look Different

What we run into:

Data lives everywhere in large, global companies: ERPs, spreadsheets, shared drives, legacy systems… you name it. This makes consistency a considerable challenge; worse, it erodes people's trust in the numbers.

What helped us:

• Teaming up with IT to gradually centralise our data
• Creating a data glossary so everyone understands what we mean by 'revenue' or 'headcount'
• Including data practices in onboarding so it becomes second nature
• Having regular touchpoints to revisit and tweak definitions as needed

We are not aiming for perfection. We are aiming for shared understanding and fewer surprises.

2. Process Silos: Everyone Has Their Version of the Truth

The challenge:

Budgeting and forecasting often feel like parallel universes. One team uses Google Sheets, another uses deep Excel templates from 2019, and timelines rarely line up.

Our approach:

• We have moved towards more structured workflows using EPM tools
• We brought FP&A closer to leadership, so we are not operating in a vacuum
• We embedded finance folks into business units — not just as liaisons but as part of the team

The biggest win? People started asking questions earlier, not after things went wrong.

3. Technology Silos: Systems That Don't Talk to Each Other

Where we got stuck:

Some of our tools didn't work well together. They were built for different eras or use cases; integration was patchy at best. This slowed everything down.

What worked (and is still working):

• Cleaning up our master data before chasing new tech
• Automating small but tedious processes like reconciliation
• Making a long-term plan for cloud migration, but also asking: what can we fix today with what we have?

You don't need a complete system overhaul to get moving — just a few targeted changes can free up hours.

4. Organisational Silos: FP&A as an Afterthought

This one stings a bit:

Too often, finance teams are brought in after the fact — 'Hey, can you run the numbers on this thing we already did?' This limits our ability to guide decision-making in real time.

What shifted the dynamic:

• We created a clearer, up-to-date org chart so everyone could see who does what, andit  includes approved open positions for better headcount approval controls
• We started joining regular syncs with teams outside of finance, not just at quarter-close, but as part of ongoing ops
• We embedded FP&A leads into sales and operations conversations early, not after the decisions were made

This has helped reposition FP&A from a 'reporting function' to a 'business partner,' making the work much more rewarding.

Final Thoughts

If there as one thing I have learned, it's that breaking down silos is rarely about one big fix. It's about lots of small, consistent changes that get people on the same page, help systems run a little smoother, and make our insights more useful and trusted.

At Balt, the payoff has been real:

• We make decisions faster and with more confidence
• We spend less time double-checking mismatched numbers
• We are more in sync with the rest of the business
• And we're better positioned to adapt when things shift, which they always do

Ultimately, FP&A isn't just about reporting on the past — it's about helping shape the future. And the more we break out of our silos, the more we can do precisely that.