Finance · Module
FP&A
Budgets, rolling forecasts and variance explanations tied to your live books
FP&A is a planned W4 add-on for budgets, driver-based plans, rolling forecasts and scenarios, with actuals synced from Accounts. AI drafts variance explanations that a reviewer accepts before they reach a pack.
Planning on the same records
Most planning happens in spreadsheets that drift from the books. FP&A, planned for Year 3 (W4), builds plans on a model of accounts, dimensions (entity, department, project, product line), periods and versions: budget, forecast N and scenarios. Actuals sync from Accounts read models by period and dimension, with a refresh status so you know how current they are.
Budgets people can own
Budgets combine top-down targets with bottom-up submissions from department owners, and can be copied from prior-year actuals with growth factors. Submissions move through review and approval stages with comments, and approved versions are locked. Driver-based lines model revenue as units times price, cost as headcount times cost, or percentages of revenue, using driver tables. The headcount plan reads positions and planned hires from People, with salary bands protected by field-level security, and turns them into cost lines.
Variance and forecast
Budget versus actual versus forecast is shown against thresholds, with drill-down to the ledger and source documents. Each month the remaining periods are re-forecast from actuals to date. Scenarios copy a version, change drivers and compare outcomes, and can link to Forecast & Simulation in Intelligence for Monte Carlo and sensitivity analysis.
The FP&A Analyst Digital Employee drafts variance explanations grounded in transactions, vendors and driver changes, with citations. A reviewer accepts or edits each draft before it can appear in a pack, and acceptance is tracked. Natural-language questions are answered only through semantic-layer metrics, not free-form SQL over the books.
Packs and controls
At GA, planners get a two-way link with One3 Sheets with governed write-back to plan versions; budget control hooks that warn or require approval when Procurement or Expenses would exceed remaining budget; and management and board packs with KPI commentary exported to Slides or the Board Portal. Cost allocations and a three-to-five-year long-range plan linked to Strategy Studio are planned later (W5).
Features
What FP&A includes
Planning model
Accounts, dimensions (entity, department, project, product line), periods and versions for budget, forecast and scenario.
Budget creation
Top-down targets and bottom-up submissions, copied from prior-year actuals with growth factors.
Budget workflow
Submission, review and approval stages with comments; approved versions are locked.
Driver-based lines
Units × price, headcount × cost and percent-of-revenue drivers from driver tables.
Headcount plan
Positions and planned hires from People, with salary bands under field-level security, converted to cost lines.
Actuals sync
Actuals from Accounts by period and dimension, with refresh status.
Variance analysis
Budget versus actual versus forecast with thresholds and drill-down to ledger and documents.
AI variance explanations
Drafts grounded in transactions and drivers with citations; a reviewer accepts or edits.
Rolling forecast
Monthly re-forecast of remaining periods from actuals to date.
Scenarios
Copy a version, change drivers and compare, with links to Forecast & Simulation for sensitivity.
Sheets integration
Two-way link with One3 Sheets and governed write-back to plan versions.
Budget control hooks
Remaining budget exposed to Procurement and Expenses, warning or requiring approval when exceeded.
Management and board packs
KPI packs with commentary, exported to Slides or the Board Portal.
Workflow
Annual budget cycle
- 1
Finance sets top-down targets.
- 2
Department owners submit bottom-up budgets, often copied from prior-year actuals.
- 3
Reviewers comment and request changes.
- 4
Approved versions are locked and become the baseline.
Workflow
Monthly variance review
- 1
Actuals sync from Accounts.
- 2
Variances above threshold are listed.
- 3
The FP&A Analyst drafts explanations with citations.
- 4
A reviewer accepts or edits them.
- 5
Accepted commentary flows into the management pack.
AI
AI skills and Digital Employees
Variance explanation drafts
Explanations citing transactions, vendors and driver changes, accepted by a reviewer before use.
Driver suggestions
Suggests drivers from historical relationships.
Metric questions
Answers natural-language questions over plans and actuals through semantic-layer metrics only.
Board pack narratives
Drafts management and board pack text for the CFO to release.
Budget submission flags
Flags missing lines and outliers against prior year.
Digital Employees that use this module
They act through the same governed Actions as people; risky steps wait for approval.
Frequently asked questions
When is FP&A planned?
Year 3 (W4), as an add-on to Accounts.
Do I still need spreadsheets?
Planners can keep working in grids through a planned two-way link with One3 Sheets, with governed write-back.
Will AI commentary go straight to the board?
No. Every variance explanation is a draft that a reviewer accepts or edits, and packs are released by the CFO.
Can it use headcount from HR?
Yes. The headcount plan reads positions and planned hires from People, with salary data protected.
See FP&A in your workflow
Tell us about your team and the outcomes you want. We will walk you through the apps, the Digital Employees and the plan for your industry.