The Future of FP&A in an Automated World — Episode 093

FP&A is entering a defining moment. As finance organizations move toward 2026, expectations are shifting beyond reporting and variance explanations toward insight, confidence, and forward-looking guidance. In Episode 093 of CPM Customer Success, Nova Advisory explores how AI and automation are reshaping the FP&A function and what this evolution means for CFOs, Heads of FP&A, and Controllers supporting modern planning environments.

Episode Summary

This episode takes a forward-looking view of how FP&A is changing in response to volatility, automation, and rising expectations from executive leadership. Traditional spreadsheet-driven planning models are increasingly unable to keep pace with today’s business environment. Annual plans become outdated quickly, forecast cycles take too long, and by the time insights reach leadership, the business has already moved on.

The discussion outlines how automation is absorbing much of FP&A’s mechanical workload, including data ingestion, consolidations, reconciliations, version control, and baseline forecasting. Rather than diminishing FP&A’s role, this shift creates space for finance teams to focus on what adds the most value: interpreting results, evaluating trade-offs, assessing risk, and advising the business.

A central theme of the episode is the move from static analytics to intelligent, driver-based planning. High-performing FP&A teams build models that reflect how the business actually operates. When volumes change, costs and margins adjust automatically. When assumptions shift, downstream impacts become visible immediately. This approach dramatically shortens forecast refresh cycles and improves confidence in the numbers being presented.

The episode also highlights several priorities that consistently separate FP&A teams ready for 2026 from those struggling to keep up. These include governance that enables speed rather than bureaucracy, scenario planning as a core capability, a single source of truth across actuals and forecasts, stronger alignment across functions, and data that finance leaders can confidently defend. Real-world examples illustrate how redesigning planning around drivers and automation transforms FP&A from a reactive reporting function into a trusted internal advisory partner.

Listen now:

What You’ll Learn

• How automation is changing the day-to-day role of FP&A teams

• Why spreadsheet-driven planning models are breaking down in volatile environments

• How driver-based planning improves forecast speed and relevance

• Where AI adds value in FP&A and where judgment still matters

• What finance leaders should prioritize to prepare FP&A for 2026 and beyond

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