On 28th January 2020, more than 35 senior finance professionals gathered in the heart of Geneva to discuss “Best Practices in FP&A Storytelling”. This was followed two days later by a similar event by the Zurich FP&A Board.
 

Excel is still a popular tool when it comes to preparing financials or analysis. However, we often hear financial professionals complaining about how inadequate Excel can be. So why have we not “rid” ourselves of this seemingly “inadequate” tool. This article explores the pros and cons of using spreadsheets. There are a few best practice tips that may be helpful to the vast majority of spreadsheet users.
 

The UK emerged from its teens into a new decade this month, on a wave of optimism about the future. The removal of the political turmoil and the alleviation of Brexit uncertainty have added to the feel good factor at the start of a new year. Sentiment is up and there is a widespread view that Britain is at a turning point.

The 8th Amsterdam FP&A Board discussed the power of Integrated FP&A. In the video, Asif Khan, Global FP&A Lead at Prosus Fintech and Amsterdam FP&A Board member, talked about the meeting.

The title of my LinkedIn profile is “Finance Influencer.”  My LinkedIn profile summary contains the titles of accountant, lecturer, and writer.  One could conclude that I do not need another title however a situation has arisen in which another title is necessary.  The situation is the criticism of budgets.  The criticism has presented an opportunity to assume the title of defender and as a defender I would like to defend budgets.

University of Pennsylvania researchers report that the human retina processes data at approximately 10 million bits per second. That’s awfully fast compared to a typical adult reading rate of about 400 to 600 words per minute. There are many advantages to visualising data, aside from speed.

In this blog I take a broader view of new products and talk about how best to monitor progress post-launch when information is still a little sketchy, volumes are still very low and reporting mechanisms may not yet be fully in place.

As the saying goes, “new year, new me”, so we would like to offer you the chance to have a look at your FP&A function and the ways in which you might improve your processes. In this issue, we will delve into finance transformation, the skill set needed to be a successful FP&A professional and a case study on performance management.

Finance Business Partnering is not a new concept to the many who have been doing it for years. What is new is that it has recently been given a new exciting title, and with that comes the fear that accountants and finance professionals need to be doing something new and in addition to their current duties. And that they need to find time for it.

The purpose of Financial Planning and Analysis is not to build perfect forecasts and financial solutions. The purpose is simply to make better business decisions. Numbers themselves can support decision-making, but the story convinces people to make the right decision. This article will discuss best practices in data visualisation that resonate with financial and non-financial people alike.