Episode 14: Nerding out on FP&A!

Guest: Beth Thomas

The Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A) function is the original analytics function within any organization. The Profit & Loss (P&L), Balance Sheet and other financial statements tell the story of the business. When they are correct, timely, and reach the right audience, they are invaluable for identifying problems and driving informed decision-making.

This week, Beth Thomas who is the General Manager of QueBIT’s Financial and Operational Performance Management business, and a former Manager of FP&A herself, shares her insights and experiences. She talks about why she finds FP&A so interesting, and how it is time to transcend Excel’s limitations by enhancing (NOT replacing) it with modern data management and modeling tools. Financial Analysts should be spending their time doing analysis and adding value to the business instead of being bogged down in mundane data collection and manipulation activities! The podcast ends with some solid, practical advice on how to reduce the risk of financial reporting errors while increasing the quality and timeliness of the information used to run the business.