For most marketing managers doing the annual budget is a bore or waste of time. With most transactional services outsourced and financial management centralised in the home country of the company, local financials spend more and more time with planning, budgeting and forecasting.

In July 2019, the International FP&A Board held the third meeting in Melbourne where we discussed FP&A Business Partnering. It was our last meeting in Australia in 2019 and it was great to see so many passionate senior finance professionals sharing their thoughts and ideas.

The decision cycle will help you and your association make knowledgeable decisions that drive exceptional results. I myself use this very process when making important forecasting and planning decisions. Today, I am going to share my insights with you and your team so that you can witness the profound impacts of implementing these five simple steps.

This case study helps understand why a driver-based analysis approach is one of the winning methods for the effective decision-making process.

The Sydney FP&A Board meeting was held on the 18th of July 2019 at the boardroom of Michael Page’s Sydney offices overlooking the Sydney harbour on a beautiful winter’s day.

The Washington FP&A Board was launched on the 9^th of October 2019.

Senior FP&A leaders from The Coca-Cola Company, GSK, Warner Bros Discovery, Gartner, Deltek, Mars, Thales Defense & Security Inc., and other companies attended the events to guide the development and promotion of better practices in global FP&A, identify, and support new trends, skillsets and innovations.

The speakers from Warner Bros. Discovery, Microsoft, Coca-Cola and others presented their insights and case studies.

The Houston FP&A Board was established on the 7^th of October 2019, as an educational and networking platform for the local FP&A community.

Since then, a diverse group of members, representing leading global and local companies such as Amazon, Honeywell, Shell, Schneider Electric, Univar Solutions, Mitsubishi Power Americas, BrandSafway, McKesson, and many others, joined this think-tank. Together, we explore the best way to address the challenges in the FP&A community in the 21^st century.
During the meetings, we guide the development and promotion of best practices in global FP&A and identify and support new trends, skillsets, and innovations.

The speakers from Stewart Title, Nexans Amercable, and others presented their insights and case studies.
 

Digital transformation has created new opportunities. It's possible to generate insight from more sources of data, faster than ever before. But technological advances have also increased competitive pressure. How can FP&A teams adapt to these challenges and redefine their role in modern business? How can FP&A remain relevant in an organisation where everyone is an analyst?

The first FP&A Board meeting in Brisbane was held this week and more than 25 FP&A professionals attended and discussed the latest trends and common challenges in Financial Planning and Analytics.

How do leading organisations in Australia and globally address the changing needs of Financial Planning and Analysis professionals? This article summarises key takeaways from the inaugural Brisbane FP&A Board.