Introduction to Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A)

Explore the eight top fp&a issues—from time-consuming processes and meetings to disconnected data and version control—and highlight driver-based planning, scenario planning, and holistic forecasting partnerships.

Explore how FP&A provides analysis, intelligence, and data-driven insights to inform decisions, reduce risk, and uncover new pathways for value and growth.

The CFO leads the finance group; the comptroller and FP&A report to the CFO, with the comptroller handling financial reporting and FP&A guiding analysis and strategy.

Explore how the FP&A function is structured, with leaders reporting to the CFO, overseeing channels, geographies, and functions, and acting as a liaison across the organization.

Explore how controllers manage books, budgets, adjusting entries, and reporting, while FP&A drives strategic finance, forecasting, and capital projects.

Explore how fp&a drives planning, forecasting, and strategic decisions by analyzing performance drivers and capital projects, with specialized expertise and data analytics guiding reporting.

Position FP&A as the financial control tower with an elevated perspective, dispensing financial and operational data across the organization. Facilitate cross-functional information exchange to support every function and role.

FP&A keeps a pulse on the organization's functional units, often embedding within functions and acting as financial or business partners, such as procurement or marketing.

Examine FP&A's strategic planning roles, from the Management Discussion and Analysis (MD&A) in annual reports to multi-year and quarterly plans, translating actions into resources and financial projections.

Apply the strategy pyramid to set 1–3 year revenue, profit, geographic footprint, and product goals. Use gap analysis to align resources, customers, brand, and KPIs with FP&A financial targets.

Explore strategic financial mapping to show how purchase policies, purchase orders, and sales orders drive materials and freight costs, shaping gross profit and profit outlook historically or prospectively.

Fpna professionals model scenario feasibility and what-if projections, presenting best, base, and worst cash flow cases and collaborating with finance, operations, sales, marketing, and suppliers to manage liquidity.

fp&a monitors the company's financial condition by reviewing statements, dashboards, and metrics to diagnose root causes of financial health and distress and align insights with the strategic plan.

Coordinate capital project planning by modeling cash flows, risks, and benefits across scenarios. Analyze incremental revenue and costs, calculate EBITDA, and assess NPV and IRR to inform strategic investments.

Show how managerial and cost accounting support FP&A with cost behavior, budgeting, inventory valuation, and activity-based costing for improved operating efficiency and strategic alignment.

Explore how fpna differs from traditional accounting and why both must work in tandem. Highlight the rising demand for fpna and controllers, and how robust fpna capabilities benefit companies.

Explore how FP&A adapts from small businesses under $25 million to large corporates over $1 billion and supports CapEx planning, hiring, and forecasting for forward-looking decision making with data analysis.

Explore a four-level fp&a maturity framework, from level one immature and fractured to level four with integrated planning platforms and a single source of truth for forecasting and analytics.

Modern FP&A shifts finance from a back office, reactive cost centres to a proactive strategic partner driving the business with ERP, IPMs, BI and BA tools, and automation.

Explore the essential technical and non-technical FP&A skills, why demand outpaces supply, and how diverse experience and targeted training boost your career.

Develop a solid FP&A skill set by mastering accounting foundations, robust financial modeling in Excel or Sheets, data analysis, and scenario planning to drive rolling forecasts and strategic planning.

Develop essential non-technical fp&a skills, including clear communication, neutrality, and skeptical, bias-free analysis, while balancing detail with the big picture and creative problem solving.

Learn how FP&A drives collaboration with non-financial functions to close performance gaps, reduce risk, and seize opportunities, and explore Sidemen resources that build and advance the FP&A function.

Reflect on the program’s insights to elevate your financial planning and analysis skills, and consider how fpna can be viewed in a whole new way; look forward to connecting again.