Financial planning and analysis (FP&A) functions are at the forefront of guiding organisational performance and supporting the decision-making process. Over the years, the challenges faced by management have required different planning approaches and techniques. Some have stayed and become ‘the norm’, for example, driver-based planning.

Yet, at the same time, the technological systems that underpin FP&A’s work have been constantly evolving to support faster decision-making, more scenarios and increasing volumes of data.

The Global FP&A Trends Survey was established 4 years ago to capture these changes and provide insights on how FP&A departments operate. The aim is to inform organisations on the latest trends across planning, analytics and performance management so that they can compare their experiences and practices with those of other companies.

For this year, 342 responses were received, giving a total of 1,246 since the survey began. These responses are from people involved in the finance function across a range of industries and countries. Analyzing this data enables us to get a sense of how FP&A operates, the challenges they face, and the plans for upcoming years.