FP&A Insights

FP&A Insights is a collection of useful case studies from leading international companies and thought leadership insights from FP&A experts. We aim to help you keep track of the best practices in modern FP&A, recognise changes in the ever-evolving world of financial planning and analysis and be well equipped to deal with them.

Stay tuned for more blogs and articles from great authors.

FP&A Insights

From Bean Counter to Bean Grower – the Sequel
February 13, 2019
FP&A Tags:
FP&A Trends, What is FP&A

By Gary Cokins,  Founder of Analytics-Based Performance Management

Gary Cokins (Cornell University BS IE/OR, 1971; Northwestern University Kellogg MBA 1974) is an internationally recognized expert, speaker, and author in advanced cost management and enterprise performance and risk management systems. He is the founder of Analytics-Based Performance Management LLC, an advisory firm located in Cary, North Carolina at www.garycokins.com .

He began his career in industry with a Fortune 100 company in CFO and operations roles. He then worked 15 years in consulting with Deloitte, KPMG, and EDS. From 1997 until recently Gary was a Principal Consultant with SAS, a leading provider of enterprise performance management and business analytics and intelligence software.

His two most recent books Performance Management: Finding the Missing Pieces to Close the Intelligence Gap (ISBN 0-471-57690-5) and Performance Management: Integrating Strategy Execution, Methodologies, Risk, and Analytics (ISBN 978-0-470-44998-1). Mr. Cokins can be contacted at gcokins@garycokins.com .

LinkedIn account: www.linkedin.com/pub/gary-cokins/0/15a/949

 

This article is my sequel to my previously published “Can Accountants Grow the Beans Too?” article posted this past January, 2019.

Read more
Brexometer for FP&A Professionals: February Reading
February 12, 2019
FP&A Tags:
FP&A Trends

By David West, Director at Accountagility

After the excitement of the past two months, when the Brexometer has been jumping up and down like a mouse on a trampoline, this month sees a more stable situation. The reading has risen by just two basis points from 4.95 in December, to 4.97, a small rise, but still below the parity level of 5.00.

Read more
Applying Analytics to Storytelling
February 11, 2019
FP&A Tags:
FP&A Analytics, FP&A Trends, Visual Analytics

By John Sanchez, Keynote Speaker, Corporate Trainer and Author

John Sanchez is Managing Director of financial planning and training consultancy FPA Group, LLC . He has more than 20 years’ experience including working at a top ten accounting firm, mergers and acquisitions work for Fortune 500 companies, and leadership positions in consolidated business groups such as Royal Caribbean Cruises and AutoNation. John has substantial experience in capital and strategic planning with proven skills in large-scale budgeting, forecasting and financial planning.

Since his move into developing business training courses for financial professionals in the areas of communications, financial planning and analysis, budgeting and forecasting, John has established a clientele including solo start-ups and multi-billion dollar conglomerates in an eclectic array of industries. Among his many projects, he was hired by the Association of Financial Professionals (AFP) as the instructor for the inaugural exam preparation course for the Certified FP&A Professional certification.

John holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting and has served as a member of the board of directors for several organizations.

LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fpajohn/

According to Google's Chief Economist, Dr. Hal Varian, "The ability to take data—to be able to understand it, to process it, to extract value from it, to visualize it, to communicate it— that’s going to be a hugely important skill in the next decades."

Read more
Building a Finance Team: The Economist Case Study
February 6, 2019
FP&A Tags:
FP&A Trends, Case Study, FP&A Teams, FP&A People

By Pierre Mounier, Director of Finance at The Economist

The digital revolution is not only shaking company business models but also had a direct impact on the finance function. The world is now evolving at a faster pace and now more than ever before there is a need to question regularly the long-term strategy. Also Business partners need daily support to work on new ideas and to create robust business cases. 

Read more

Pages