Forecasts that take too long
Limited ability to model “what if” scenarios
Inconsistent planning across departments
Too much time spent explaining the numbers
Financial Planning and Analysis
Financial Planning & Analysis teams are under increasing pressure to deliver faster forecasts, clearer insight, and stronger decision support — often with only Excel spreadsheets, and little room for error.
At Aramar, we work with FP&A teams across a wide range of organisations to modernise planning, forecasting, and analysis using IBM Planning Analytics.
Below are some of the most common FP&A challenges we see, and how teams are using Planning Analytics to address them in practice.
… and still feel uncertain.
Does your team rely on spreadsheet-driven processes that are:
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Manual and time-consuming
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Difficult to audit or explain
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Vulnerable to errors and version control issues
As a result, forecasts often arrive late and are questioned by stakeholders.
When data is fragmented across systems and models are hard to adapt, scenario planning becomes:
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Slow
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Overly complex
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Restricted to a small number of power users
This limits FP&A’s ability to support strategic decision making.
Without a central planning platform, assumptions, drivers, and methodologies vary across teams, leading to:
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Conflicting numbers
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Lengthy reconciliation cycles
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Reduced confidence in outputs
FP&A teams often find themselves:
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Defending figures rather than analysing them
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Rebuilding models instead of improving insight
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Struggling to meet increasing reporting demands
This reduces the time available for higher-value advisory work.
How IBM Planning Analytics supports FP&A teams
IBM Planning Analytics helps your team address these challenges by providing a single, integrated planning environment that supports:
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Faster, more reliable forecasting
Centralised models reduce manual effort and improve confidence in results. -
Flexible scenario modelling
quickly assess the impact of changes in assumptions, volumes, or costs. -
Consistent planning across the organisation
Shared structures and drivers ensure alignment while maintaining appropriate control. -
Better insight for decision makers
Clear, trusted outputs allow FP&A to focus on analysis, not reconciliation.
Check out how we have supported FP&A teams
How can we help you? Enquire today to find out
For any enquiries, please fill in the contact form or contact us via phone or email. We look forward to speaking with you soon.