When I first came across the term driver based planning and forecasting I was confused. As an ex-investment banker having joined a Finance team the concept of drivers when talking about a forecast or plan was simply assumptions. Why was it not called just that? Assumptions! Investment bankers have been building models with assumptions ever since the first model was built and a corporate transaction was negotiated.

On the 7th of October, the International FP&A Board launched a new chapter in Houston. It was our 26th chapter globally.

Does your finance department add true value to the business? Do you see finance influence decision making in your organisation? Is finance always invited to attend strategic business meetings? If the answer to any of the above questions is “no”, it means a transformation from controlling to finance business partnering function is needed.

We are entering the era of digital FP&A where human and artificial intelligence work hand in hand in order to achieve better analytical results. The new world of FP&A requires on-demand continuous planning process where various business scenarios can be played almost in real-time. Both driver-based planning and FP&A predictive analytics are essential tools for implementing flexible dynamic planning and forecasting process.

At one of the global FP&A Trends webinars, Matthias Thurner, Analytics Visionary and CPO at Unit4, shared his insights and experience on how modern technology can support flexible and dynamic FP&A organisational structure.

On the 9th of October, the International FP&A Board launched a new chapter in Washington, D.C. It was our 27th chapter globally.

Artificial intelligence is currently disrupting your job – whether you know it or not. For financial planning and analysis professionals, artificial intelligence is an opportunity to improve business models and offer better strategic insights.

FP&A Trends E-Books is a series of publications consisting of articles on FP&A-related subjects. The issues are regularly published on the FP&A Trends website and are available only to the website subscribers. The first issue is devoted to the rolling forecast philosophy and contains articles from Larysa Melnychuk, Steve Morldige, Richard Reinderhoff, Elena Kiristova and Thorstein Siglaugsson. 

Most professionals working in the FP&A discipline have degrees in finance or accounting and previously worked as accountants or auditors. The transition from such backend core finance functions to a highly business focused partnering function is one that requires certain shifts in mind-set as well as skillset. Below is a discussion attempting to highlight some of the key ones.

The 3rd Toronto FP&A Board meeting, with senior FP&A practitioners from industry-leading firms in staid industries — such as financial services, retail, manufacturing, mining, hospitality, consumer products, insurance; and, even, technology companies, took place on the 24th of September.