The 5th Munich FP&A Board meeting and the 290th global FP&A Board session took place on November 11, 2025, at Spaces Werksviertel. Sponsored by Planful and supported by Page Executive and IWG.

The session brought together senior finance leaders to explore a central question:

How can organisations build a practical transformation map using the FP&A Trends Maturity Model?

The discussion began with participants identifying their key obstacles to transformation. Insights ranged from data quality, inconsistent sources, and technology limitations to mindset, skills, structure, resource constraints, and process transitions. 

These early responses underscored a core theme of the session:
FP&A transformation spans people, processes, systems, and culture — progress requires movement across all four.

Why This Topic Matters

The Munich insights aligned closely with themes observed across 12 other FP&A Board chapters. Globally, transformation barriers include model complexity (London), leadership prioritisation (Boston), change culture (Toronto), fragmented ERP environments (Amsterdam), and sponsorship issues (Paris).

  Figure 1

Participants agreed that transformation is not driven solely by tools. Instead, real progress requires:

• People with the right mindset, vision, and skills
• Processes that are standardised and aligned
• Technology that supports  rather than dictates planning

This set the stage for exploring the FP&A Trends Maturity Model.

Key Frameworks and Models

The shrinking Predictability Span limits how far ahead organisations can forecast accurately. Beyond this horizon, uncertainty requires scenario management rather than deterministic forecasting.

Only 18% of organisations can run scenarios in under one day — a pivotal gap limiting agility.

Figure 2

The FP&A Trends Maturity Model

The Munich Board revisited the FP&A Trends Maturity Model as a working map for transformation. Built from eight years of global data and insights from 33 FP&A Boards across 19 countries, the model reflects real-world FP&A practice. It resonated strongly with participants because it captured a crucial truth:

FP&A maturity is multi-dimensional — progress in one area cannot compensate for weakness in another.

The Five Stages

The model outlines movement from Basic → Developing → Defined → Advanced → Leading.

Most Munich attendees placed themselves in the Developing-to-Defined range — stages characterised by manual work, inconsistent drivers, and limited scenario capability.

The Leading Stage, by contrast, represents FP&A as a strategic force:

• real-time scenario management
• integrated predictive models
• democratised, trusted data
• technology enabling agility
• leadership driving analytical transformation

The contrast between these stages sparked one of the most energised discussions of the session.

Figure 3

Soft vs Hard Maturity Dimensions

The session reviewed the distinction between the soft and hard dimensions of FP&A maturity. The soft dimensions, Leadership, Skills & Capabilities, and Business Partnering, shape behaviours, influence, and collaboration.

Figure 4

The hard dimensions, Process, Data & Analytics, and Technology, form the structural backbone required for scalable, reliable planning. Progress across both sides is essential for advancing toward the Leading Stage.

Figure 5

Technology Insight: How FP&A Is Changing

Figure 6

The Munich discussion highlighted that modern technology delivers clear, measurable improvements in FP&A performance. According to the 2025 FP&A Trends Survey (459 respondents):

• Cloud Platforms improve team performance and forecast accuracy by +17% to +22%.
• AI/ML adoption drives +19% to +31% gains.
• Driver-Based Models deliver the strongest uplift, with +31% to +39% improvements.

The message was consistent with the speakers’ perspectives: technology accelerates performance when combined with clean data, clear processes, and strong ownership.

Understanding AI, ML & GenAI

The Board distilled each technology to its FP&A purpose:

• AI → automated decisions and anomaly detection
• ML → predictive modelling and hidden driver discovery
• GenAI → narrative automation and scenario exploration through natural language

Figure 7

Agentic AI vs RPA

Participants contrasted traditional RPA, which is rigid and rule-based, with Agentic AI, which learns, adapts, and reasons. The shift mirrors FP&A’s own journey: from mechanical reporting to intelligent, anticipatory analysis.

Figure 8

Case Study

Three practitioner perspectives illustrated what modern FP&A transformation requires:

Tanja Schlesinger, VP OneSource at DB Regio AG, highlighted that data quality is the true foundation of FP&A maturity. Her three-step approach, Information Strategy, Data Governance, and a data-driven culture, demonstrated how clear ownership, definitions, and literacy enable trustworthy analytics.

Frank Paule, Managing Director/Finance Director at Kantar, shared how the organisation is harmonising short-term forecasting across 90+ countries through global finance hubs, unified Power BI analytics, and real-time data marts. The case underscored the need for structural alignment and cross-country consistency.

Christoph Papenfuss, Regional Vice President at Planful, showcased how cloud platforms, AI/ML, and integrated planning applications improve planning speed, accuracy, and collaboration. Technology, he noted, accelerates maturity only when underpinned by clear processes.

Together, their insights reinforced a unified message: FP&A maturity requires aligned operating models, reliable data, and technology that enables real-time, connected planning.

Group Work Insights 

Group 1 – Data & Models

Group 1 emphasised strengthening data transparency, quality, and granularity, supported by clear data definitions and robust governance. They highlighted the importance of dynamic, driver-based models, the right skills within FP&A teams, and the enabling role of technology. External factors and key business drivers should be incorporated into planning to improve accuracy and responsiveness. 

Group 2 – Systems & Processes

Group 2 stressed that systems and processes must evolve together. The group recommended applying process mining to identify inefficiencies and eliminate waste, supported by clear driver logic. They suggested starting with pilot domains to validate redesigned processes before scaling. Systems modernisation should follow, not precede, process alignment.

Group 3 – People & Culture

Group 3 underscored the human and cultural dimensions of FP&A transformation. They called for strong change management, a clear vision and mission, and well-defined KPIs to track progress. Upskilling and capability building were seen as essential, supported by transparent communication, clear accountability, and resource availability. The group also noted the need to prioritise initiatives carefully to avoid unnecessary overinvestment.

Conclusion

The Munich FP&A Board confirmed that creating a transformation map is not simply about understanding the FP&A Trends Maturity Model — it is about operationalising it. Transformation succeeds when:

• Systems & Processes are aligned and designed for future needs
• Data & Models are governed, integrated, and driver-based
• People & Culture are empowered, skilled, and change-ready

As the European FP&A Journey moves toward Copenhagen, the Munich session highlighted FP&A’s evolving mission: from reporting to foresight, and from siloed planning to enterprise-wide performance orchestration.