The business environment is becoming increasingly unstable and unpredictable. The last month can be a striking example: the world has experienced so many “black swans” as never before.

Last month we warned that the record level of the UK’s well- being needed to be re-visited once the impact of the coronavirus had been assessed… and look at what has happened since! The outbreak has dominated the media and infected business confidence around the world. It is still early days in the development of the virus, but already the Accountagility Index (AAX) has lost 41 basis points this month.

Imagine you’re a train dispatcher tasked with making hundreds of trains run smoothly every day. They must go through an interconnected network where trains run in a sequence and can’t just pass each other along the route. Suddenly a delay occurs on one of the trains because a door won’t close properly. What do you do?
 

Starting with the end in mind is one of the simplest ideas that is frequently ignored. I have seen so many analysts begin designing a financial model without having a clear understanding of the purpose of the model. In this article, you will find three types of models and some tips on how to design a good one.

The second Washington, D.C. area FP&A board was held on March 12, 2020 at the offices of Robert Half International in McLean, VA and was sponsored by SAP.  It was a smaller board meeting, amidst emerging Coronavirus concerns, but the small size gave way to a lively and timely discussion about the evening’s topic: FP&A Analytical Transformation.

Today, software as a service (SaaS) businesses are popular with investors, lenders and customers. Many software companies have transmuted their pricing models from perpetual license models to subscription models. Finance business partners are important in subscription environments. In this article, you will find sample questions an FP&A business partner can help answer to accelerate the growth trajectory in a SaaS enterprise.

The second Houston FP&A Board gathered at the times where there are a lot of Black Swan events happening around the globe and the concept of FP&A Analytical Transformation is extremely relevant.

The third Copenhagen FP&A Board will take place on the 22 September 2020 to debate the popular subject of Building Winning FP&A Teams for the "New Normal".

The 12th meeting of the  Geneva FP&A Board will take place on the 12 May 2020 to debate the subject of "Building FP&A of the Future".

Would you rather be liked or respected? It is a question we often get asked in interviews or from our direct managers about our own style or when difficult decisions need to be made.