Best Practices in FP&A - Corporate Forecasting and Planning 

- Overcoming the flaws of “traditional” M-o-M, Q-o-Q, YTD vs PYTD variance commentaries with “event-based” approach to variance analysis
- Integrating monthly P&L variance analysis seamlessly into your rolling forecast and annual planning process
- Planning Process debates: Top-Down or Bottom-Up? Cost Center level planning?
- Planning tip 1: The Finance role in clearly identifying and managing the 5 key components of any Plan: (1) Baseline, (2) Driver-based organic growth, (3) Operational Initiatives, (4) Strategic Initiatives, (5) Scenario Analysis
- Planning tip 2: The Finance role in ensuring credible and consistent pricing of initiatives (using data-driven and driver-driven standard initiative pricing templates)
- Planning tip 3: (Case Study) How I condensed the global annual planning process from 9 months of broad organizational efforts - into a “best-in-class” exercise that took only 6 weeks to complete from start to finish
- Planning tip 4: How to effectively deal with internal and cross-functional cost allocations when building a business plan (proper phasing and responsibility split)
- Bonus topic: Strategic Workforce Planning