For FP&A, effective communication centres on 'storytelling' — the art of conveying numerical analysis as a cohesive narrative instead of a set of disjointed figures. It is hard to overstate the importance of storytelling. How FP&A professional presents their data determines how they are viewed

Corporate Performance Management (CPM) has long consisted in breaking the company’s strategy down into operational objectives and indicators, measuring the achievement of these objectives against operational entities' budget or forecast and take action on that basis. This approach was effective in a stable business environment, with slow and controlled changes.

Integrated FP&A involves harmonising the three levels of planning - Strategic, Financial and Operational levels. This is done both horizontally (cross-functional) and vertically (top-down and bottom-up), using integrated processes, people and platforms that connect all parts of the business. The case studies presented some real-world examples of implementing and applying integrated FP&A.

The longer these types of primitive FP&A analysts and accountants delay implementing ABC, then the greater the risks. The issue here is not mainly about product and standard service-line costing to understand their profit margins. The issue is about the emerging need to report and analyse distribution channels and customer profitability.