Modern FP&A: How Data-Driven Finance Changes the Game
- What is the result we want to achieve?
- Where are we now?
- What’s stopping us from getting there?
- What actions can close that gap?
- Price Effect (€15M): Linked to commercial strategy or pricing assumptions? Sent to Sales/Marketing for review.
- Trial Costs (€5M): Reclassified as investment rather than period cost.
- Staff Overspending & Delayed Savings (€15M): Accountability required—who, when, why not implemented?
- Plant Manager: Operational cost per unit and efficiency drivers
- Country GM: Client-level profitability and contribution margin
- CEO: Strategic impact on EBITDA, scalability, and investment risks
- Using tools like Excel, Power BI, Tableau, SQL
- Automating reports with Power Automate or Zapier
- Maintaining intuitive, rolling models ready for immediate decision support
- Data Management: Source integrity, scalable modeling
- Business Understanding: Speak the language of operations
- Scenario Planning: Test multiple futures, not just one version
- Communication: Storytelling with numbers
- Speed: Deliver insights on time, not after
- Excel: Tables, named ranges, Power Query
- Power BI / Tableau: Interactive dashboards
- Power Automate / Zapier: Reporting automation
- SharePoint or structured folders: Organized assumptions and models
- Standard operating procedures (SOPs): For monthly reporting
- Impact
- Partnership
- Clarity and Control
We live in the age of data. It’s everywhere. Yet not all companies use it in a way that really drives business decisions. Too often, we still see numbers reported without clear messaging, outdated figures presented after it’s too late, and missed opportunities due to lack of timely insights.
At FinDep Consult, we believe that modern FP&A must go far beyond data gathering and budget control. The real power lies in how data is used, structured, interpreted, and communicated—with clarity, confidence, and urgency.
Start from Business Objectives, Not Past Performance
Traditional finance teams often focused on explaining what happened. Their work was largely backward-looking, centered on financial reports, reconciliations, and variance explanations—important, yes, but insufficient in today's fast-moving and competitive business environment.
Modern FP&A shifts this paradigm. We begin not with historical data but with the business objectives that matter most:
FP&A must evolve into a true problem-solving and decision-enabling function. It should not just describe reality—it should influence and shape it.
This shift in mindset—focusing on where we want to go rather than where we've been—is what separates reactive reporting from proactive, insight-driven leadership. It challenges FP&A professionals to act not as record-keepers, but as strategic enablers.
To illustrate this, let’s explore two different approaches to presenting the same financial data—one through a traditional lens, and the other through a modern, insight-driven FP&A methodology.
While this example focuses on EBITDA versus target, the same analytical approach applies to many financial contexts—whether you’re analysing variances against budget or forecast, breaking down cost per unit, or benchmarking hours charged to projects over time.
It’s not about the object of analysis—it’s about the approach.
The modern FP&A mindset never stops at the first layer. It continues digging, asking critical questions like “Why?”“Really?”
Let’s illustrate this with two different ways of presenting the same data—one through a traditional lens, and the other through a modern, insight-driven FP&A approach.
A Tale of Two EBITDA Narratives – Traditional View
In the traditional approach, the company reviews targets and actual results at year-end. The data shows the EBITDA target has been met, performance appears solid, and future forecasts are generated by simply extending past trends.
Yet this surface-level view masks deeper issues. That’s where a modern FP&A mindset comes in—challenging assumptions, reframing performance, and enabling real action.
A Tale of Two EBITDA Narratives – Insight-Driven FP&A
Now, let’s look at the same year from a modern FP&A perspective. Instead of accepting results at face value, the team questions the numbers and reframes the performance story based on what was actually known at the time of planning.
Key issues identified:
This isn’t just analysis—it’s activation. FP&A reframes the narrative and drives better business awareness and decision-making.
Shaping the Future – Forecasting with Insight
Modern FP&A uses what it learns to shape what happens next.
Despite improvements, the forecast remains below the adjusted target. This prompts a strategic decision: adjust the plan or the expectations?
Data Presentation Matters
The same dataset can drive very different decisions—depending not just on what is shown, but how it is shown. FP&A must tailor its message to the audience.
A spreadsheet is not a report. A dashboard is not insight. If your message doesn’t lead to action—it hasn’t served its purpose.
Digital FP&A: Tech-Savvy, Fast, and Accurate
Modern FP&A teams must operate at speed. That means:
Essential Skills for Modern FP&A
Essential Tools for Modern FP&A and Financial Modeling
The FP&A That Makes a Difference
Modern FP&A is not a reporting service—it’s a strategic partner. It’s about:
At FinDep Consult, we help companies build real FP&A leadership—sharp, structured, insightful. We’re not for those looking for more dashboards. We’re for those who want better decisions, faster.
Let’s Connect
If your company is ready to transform FP&A into a high-impact function—or if you’re a finance professional ready to elevate your role—follow us.
We’ll publish practical insights, models, and guidance regularly. And if you want to explore how we can support your FP&A journey—let’s talk.
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👤 About the Author
Anastasia Aleksenko is the Managing Partner of FinDep Consult. With over 25 years of international experience in senior Finance leadership roles, she has successfully guided complex post-M&A Finance integrations for cross-border acquisitions, especially in the Italian market.
Her expertise spans the full Finance spectrum—from Accounting and Controlling to Business Intelligence and FP&A transformation. She has built Finance functions from the ground up for high-growth companies, implementing data-driven models and enabling Finance to become a strategic partner to the business.
Anastasia is passionate about empowering modern FP&A professionals to go beyond traditional reporting, embracing a mindset focused on strategy, communication, and business impact. Through FinDep Consult, she promotes a culture where Finance is not just a support function—but a driver of growth and value.