GrowCFO Tech Innovation Report: AI in Planning, Budgeting and Performance Management
Finance is at a tipping point. For years, CFOs and FP&A leaders have been promised that technology will transform planning, budgeting, and forecasting (PBF) from slow, manual processes into fast, connected, and predictive capabilities. Today, those promises are starting to become reality — but only for organisations bold enough to embrace innovation.
GrowCFO is excited to launch the Q3 Tech Innovation Report, its latest research into how FP&A teams are using technology to reshape planning, budgeting, and performance management.
Why PBF Innovation Matters Now
The role of FP&A has shifted. No longer confined to producing budgets and variance reports, today’s FP&A teams are expected to:
- Deliver rolling forecasts and scenario plans to guide decision-making in real time.
- Partner with the business to model growth, risks, and opportunities.
- Enable agility by shifting away from static annual cycles toward continuous planning.
- Leverage AI and automation to reduce manual data consolidation and increase accuracy.
Yet many FP&A teams remain held back by fragmented systems, inconsistent data, and over-reliance on Excel. Innovation in planning, budgeting, and forecasting is not optional — it’s essential to keep pace with the demands of boards, CEOs, and investors.
Key Themes from the Report
1. AI Moves from Pilots to Production
FP&A teams are moving beyond experimentation. We profile organisations using AI to cut forecast cycles from weeks to days, and to increase forecast accuracy by double-digit percentages. The cultural shift? Leaders are beginning to trust AI-driven forecasts as part of their core planning process.
2. Automation Accelerates the Close-to-Forecast Cycle
Automation is now a critical enabler of faster planning and reforecasting. Case studies show how automation reduces time spent on data preparation and shortens the cycle from close to forecast, giving finance more time for insight.
3. Building a Single Source of Truth for Planning
Integration layers, data fabrics, and data lakes are enabling FP&A teams to consolidate fragmented systems into a unified planning environment. This “single source of truth” is foundational for effective forecasting and scenario modelling.
4. The Rise of Agentic AI and Niche PBF Solutions
Smaller, highly specialised applications are emerging to solve targeted FP&A pain points — from driver-based modelling to scenario automation. These agile solutions are winning adoption because they can be deployed quickly and deliver immediate impact.
5. Closing the Skills Gap in FP&A
Tomorrow’s FP&A analyst will need more than Excel and finance knowledge. Skills in data storytelling, systems thinking, and collaborating with AI will define success. The “future FP&A job description” explores what the role will look like in 2025.
My Perspective from the Tech Showcase
As part of leading the GrowCFO Tech Showcases, GrowCFO works closely with many of the vendors and innovators shaping this space. These sessions give finance leaders the opportunity to see the tools behind the theory and to ask the tough questions about implementation.
On 24 September, GrowCFO will host the Q3 Tech Showcase, building directly on the themes in this report. Rather than only discussing the challenges of planning, budgeting, and forecasting, the session will highlight the technologies solving them in practice — from AI-powered forecasting engines to platforms that finally break the reliance on spreadsheets. Speakers from leading vendors in this space — including Planful, Drivetrain, Abacum, and Datarails — will join the event.
The showcase offers finance leaders the chance to see solutions in action, benchmark their teams against peers, and explore which innovations could accelerate planning cycles.novations could accelerate your planning cycles.
What This Means for FP&A Leaders
Reading the report, three imperatives stand out:
- Reimagine the planning cycle: Move beyond static annual budgets toward rolling, scenario-based forecasts.
- Invest in both systems and people: Technology adoption must be matched by upskilling FP&A talent.
- Make planning a team sport: Integrated planning across functions is key to becoming a true business partner.
The CFO and Head of FP&A are no longer just financial stewards. Increasingly, they are the architects of agility — ensuring that planning and forecasting help the organisation anticipate change and respond with confidence.
Download the Report & Join the Showcase
👉 Download the Tech Innovation Report here
👉 Register for the Tech Showcase on 24 September
The pace of change in planning, budgeting, and forecasting has never been faster. But with the right technology and mindset, FP&A teams can shift from reactive number-crunchers to proactive strategic partners.
GrowCFO aims to shape the future of FP&A in collaboration with the finance community.
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