ARTICLES & INSIGHTS

AI and automation are transforming FP&A by slashing manual work, boosting efficiency, and sharpening decisions. Five key automations now dominate: Intelligent A/P (BILL, Tipalti), Zero Day/Continuous Accounting (Trullion, MindBridge), Autonomous Reconciliation (Xero, BlackLine), Predictive Close orchestration (OneStream, FloQast), and Conversational Planning (Abacum, Pigment). These tools rebuild finance from the inside out, freeing leaders for strategy—not spreadsheets.

Oracle Hyperion and SAP BPC, once FP&A staples for consolidation and reporting, now feel like outdated relics in an AI-driven world. OneStream, a cloud-native platform valued at $6B with 1,600+ customers and 31% YoY growth, unifies financial and operational data through its extensible architecture and SensibleAI suite. It delivers seamless planning, forecasting, and automation—slashing close cycles up to 50%—for unmatched agility and strategic impact.

NetSuite Planning and Budgeting is a powerful, integrated tool tailored for CPG food manufacturers dealing with fluctuating costs, tight margins, and complex operational planning. Built on Oracle’s proven Hyperion platform, it offers driver-based forecasting, full P&L modeling, actuals vs. forecast comparisons, and integrated sales and supply chain planning — all within NetSuite’s ecosystem. Given its native integration with NetSuite and industry-specific capabilities, Planning and Budgeting should be the first solution CPG businesses evaluate before considering other options.

A NetSuite data survey highlighted a gap between CFOs’ self-perception and expectations from peers, with 40% of executives wanting better finance team management from CFOs, while only 18% of CFOs see this as a priority.Beyond the daily financial checklist - CFOs can improve and solidify their strategic advisor role by using small, intentional actions—effective meetings, automation, cross-department engagement, and focused deep work—to address skill gaps and drive business success.

Ramp (now valued at $13 Billion last we checked) has been transforming corporate finance by offering an easy, free, and powerful platform that blends intelligent corporate cards, automated expense management, and AI-driven insights designed to manage costs. It's become extremely useful go-to for startups and growing businesses (now over 30,000 companies) - and something finance professionals should be aware of and possible consider.

In today's rapidly evolving and competitive market, businesses can't afford to have Finance and Marketing operating in silos or worse with conflicting priorities. By breaking down barriers and fostering collaboration, companies can start to identify and unlock value, drive breakthrough innovation, and maintain a competitive edge when the two are closely integrated and aligned in both short, medium, and long-term priorities.

In today's competitive landscape, design is no longer a superficial element but a strategic driver of business success. A strong design strategy can enhance brand perception, improve user experience, increase sales, and boost overall efficiency. To fully leverage the power of design, Finance, Marketing, and Sales teams must collaborate closely with thoughtful design teams.

The integration of AI into FP&A will result in dramatic changes to current financial roles and leadership within companies. By embracing these technologies, FP&A professionals can unlock new levels of efficiency, insight, and strategic impact. The future of FP&A is bright, powered by the transformative potential of AI.

The Company Lab (CO.LAB) and gener8tor this week announced their initial $100k investments across five startups (out of 132 applications / 19 countries) as part of the second Sustainable Mobility Accelerator cohort. This initiative builds on and leverages Chattanooga's growing and unique Sustainable Mobility ecosystem

Embarking on the entrepreneurial journey solo is often glorified for its independence and potential for personal achievement. However, the solo path is most often riddled with unforeseen \and unsurmountable challenges. This article underscores the critical importance of aggressively building a support network, highlighting how early and continued collaboration can be far more effective than solo efforts.

The benefits of joining and serving on a company board can be enormous, but not at all obvious. The unexpected benefits can, and often are, the most beneficial reasons for serving on a board (or a board committee assignment). Let's take a quick look at these unexpected but rather predictable types of benefits - particularly within the context of a private board or advisors in a localized private company setting (a great place to start).

Selecting the right advisors to help your decision making is equally as important as selecting the right employees. The wrong advisors will be a waste of energy, time and resources. Good advisors, however, can and invaluable and should energize you and free up more of your time. Building such advisory boards pays huge dividends well into the future both for you, for your business, and for each advisor.

8 Quick Tips on Setting Up an Advisory Board and Setting Up Your Business for Success