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.

As Einstein said, “In the middle of every difficulty lies opportunity.”  This survey we believe offers hope, insight, and a much-needed reality check on where FP&A is today.  It also forecasts what needs to happen for FP&A teams to develop their best practices from theory into reality. 

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.

With so many digests behind us, we have collated contributions from a substantial number of finance professionals, on a considerable variety of relevant topics. That is why, for this issue, we have chosen to share articles that discuss FP&A from different points of view.

With the pace of change currently relentless, it isn’t always easy to keep up.

So in these unpredictable times, what skills set a successful FP&A professional apart?

And how can we prepare for the transformations on the horizon?

Watch this 10-minute presentation from Ash Sharma, the Finance Director at Walgreens Boots Alliance, to find out answers to questions and more.

As organisations confront a more dynamic world, the traditional budgeting process is increasingly criticised as obsolete. But what if your business is still not ready to abandon traditional budgeting completely? Zero-Based Budgeting (ZBB) can act as a stepping stone to a more modern budgeting process.

In this uncertain, technology-driven world, we conducted a survey of global FP&A professionals to assess whether the work they do and the skill sets they employ are ‘good enough’.

The role of the CFO is changing: It’s moving away from compliance and optimization, towards a more strategic; customer facing disruptive role. How is technology empowering Finance teams?

The role of the CFO is changing: It’s moving away from compliance and optimization, towards a more strategic; customer facing disruptive role. How are FP&A teams delivering strategic value in today’s world?