Although it is becoming commonplace to refer to financial planning and analysis as FP&A, this is actually an American term and one that is still not widely used outside of the US. It is true that around the world, FP&A goes by many names.

Planners and managers in supply chain organizations are accustomed to using the Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE) as their best (and sometimes only) answer to measuring forecast accuracy. It is so ubiquitous that it is hardly questioned.

Future coordination is a brainer - not a no-brainer. Combining the Now and the Future requires a well-prepared FP&A team. AI as Robotic Process Automation (RPA) can support with the “no-brainers”. Looking ahead requires diligence and thinking time, which RPA can provide space for. Also, computer algorithms prescribe to keep exploring for future gains. This includes looking to the Arts and the Artificial Intelligence developments.

How can an FP&A practitioner assess the effectiveness of financial reporting processes?  This article describes five tips that could be used in order to establish a starting point in the process.

There is no point on aimlessly analysing data in the hope that something will jump out at you.  It won’t and all that you will do is waste vast quantities of time and effort.  Like any search, there must be an objective and a plan to reach that objective.  This is where a mature approach to analytics comes in. The author reveals a mature approach to data analysis that includes 4 stages.

The fifth meeting of the Stockholm FP&A Board will take place on Thursday, 26th April 2018. 

The statistics reveal that 60%-90% of strategy implementations fail and only 14% of executives are satisfied with the execution of a strategy. This article introduces a framework to assess your company’s strategy execution readiness, in order to align leaders around how to bridge your strategy to execution gaps. It also provides a free strategy execution checklist to assess your readiness.

As an FP&A professional, you deal with data. Your data travels a long way from its source through applications to your reporting system.The data you deal with is the tip of the iceberg. The major part of data processing is the part that is hidden beneath the water. This article describes the four key actions that can help FP&A to become data-driven.

The International FP&A Board will open its 18th global chapter in Chicago on 12 April 2018. The first professional debate will be devoted to the global trends in modern Financial Planning and Analytics (FP&A). 

The Board was established in London, UK in 2013 and now successfully operates in 11 countries of Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Australia and the USA. This is a leading professional think-tank that gathers expertise of many senior finance practitioners. Its mission is to identify and support new global trends, skill sets and thought leadership in modern corporate financial planning and analysis (FP&A).

The Chicago FP&A Board was established on the 12^th of April 2018 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 Genpact, Walgreens, Royal Canin, HUB International, FIS, NielsenIQ, Morningstar, Storck, Visa, Microsoft, Mars, 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, identify and support new trends, skillsets, and innovations.

The speakers from Arthur J.Gallagher & Co., Cars.com, Beam Suntory, and others presented their insights and case studies.