Financial Planning and Analysis (FP&A) has evolved from static budgeting into a dynamic function tasked with delivering actionable insights at the speed of business. In today’s volatile, data-rich environment, the days of relying on monthly forecasts and spreadsheet-driven analysis are over. Business leaders require instant, reliable, and enterprise-wide visibility into financial performance to stay competitive, respond to disruptions, and make confident decisions.
That’s where real-time FP&A capabilities—enabled by platforms like Incorta and OneStream—transform the finance function. These solutions deliver seamless integration of operational and financial data, dynamic dashboards, and continuous planning processes that allow organizations to analyze performance, adapt plans, and optimize outcomes with unmatched speed and precision.
This article explores how real-time visibility is redefining the future of FP&A and outlines the technologies, use cases, and strategic advantages that modern finance teams can no longer afford to ignore.
The Business Need for Real-Time FP&A
Modern enterprises operate in an environment of constant change: supply chain volatility, shifting customer behavior, evolving regulatory requirements, and global competition. In this climate, the traditional FP&A model—rooted in static budgets, quarterly updates, and disconnected data—falls short in several ways:
Delayed decision-making due to data latency
Forecast inaccuracy stemming from stale or incomplete information
Reactive planning that fails to anticipate market shifts
Manual processes that hinder collaboration and scale
According to a 2024 Gartner report, 73% of finance leaders cited “inability to adapt forecasts quickly” as a top challenge. The remedy lies in shifting from periodic reporting to continuous planning, powered by real-time access to financial and operational data.
Real-time FP&A isn’t a trend—it’s a strategic imperative.
How Incorta and OneStream Enable Real-Time Insights
Platforms like Incorta and OneStream are built for speed, scalability, and precision. While their approaches differ—Incorta emphasizes direct data mapping and analytics, while OneStream offers unified planning and consolidation—their shared objective is clear: enabling finance teams to plan, analyze, and act in real time.
Incorta: Direct Data Access for Instant Analytics
Incorta revolutionizes FP&A by bypassing traditional data modeling and allowing users to analyze operational data directly from source systems (ERPs, CRMs, supply chain, etc.). With Incorta, users can build dynamic dashboards that refresh in real time without needing ETL (extract, transform, load) processes.
Key capabilities include:
- Direct Data Mapping™ for fast access to source data
- Unified dashboards combining financial and operational metrics
- Granular drill-down for root-cause analysis
- Seamless integration with Excel and data visualization tools
OneStream: Unified Platform for Continuous Planning
OneStream integrates actuals, budgets, and forecasts in one extensible platform. It supports real-time data submission, variance analysis, and scenario planning, allowing FP&A teams to align quickly with business changes.
Core features include:
- Real-time consolidations and variance reporting
- Driver-based forecasting models
- Built-in workflow management and audit trails
- Operational analytics through the OneStream MarketPlace™
Together, Incorta and OneStream eliminate data silos, reduce latency, and empower FP&A teams to shift from backward-looking analysis to forward-looking strategy.
Key Use Cases and Business Outcomes
Real-time visibility delivers tangible value across multiple FP&A processes:
Rolling Forecasts and Scenario Planning
Rather than static annual budgets, companies can update forecasts monthly or even weekly, reflecting changes in demand, cost inputs, or market conditions. Incorta provides instant insight into operational metrics, while OneStream aligns those inputs with financial projections.
Revenue and Margin Analytics
Drill down into sales, pricing, and cost data in real time to monitor profitability by product, region, or customer. Incorta accelerates access to detailed transactional data, while OneStream supports margin forecasting and what-if analysis.
Working Capital and Cash Flow Visibility
Track accounts payable, receivable, and inventory turnover dynamically. Real-time dashboards help reduce cash flow surprises and improve liquidity management.
Cross-Functional Alignment
Real-time planning connects FP&A with sales, HR, and operations, enabling holistic decisions based on up-to-date information. Workflows and shared dashboards improve collaboration and reduce planning cycle time.
Organizations that embrace real-time FP&A often report 30%–50% improvements in forecasting accuracy, according to a recent McKinsey survey. More importantly, they build an agile finance function that serves as a strategic partner to the business.
Best Practices for Implementing Real-Time FP&A
To realize the full benefits of real-time visibility, finance leaders must take a deliberate and disciplined approach to implementation:
Define Clear Objectives
What business decisions do you want to enable faster? Define KPIs for speed, accuracy, and adoption that tie back to enterprise goals.
Integrate Financial and Operational Data
Real-time FP&A requires data from sales, supply chain, HR, and customer systems. Tools like Incorta simplify data aggregation, while OneStream provides structured consolidation.
Standardize Planning Processes
Ensure consistency in data definitions, assumptions, and drivers across business units. This ensures data comparability and planning reliability.
Empower Business Users
Train cross-functional leaders to interact with dashboards and planning models. Democratizing insights enhances accountability and trust in forecasts.
Start Small, Scale Smart
Pilot real-time dashboards or rolling forecasts in one function or region before scaling enterprise-wide. A phased approach reduces risk and builds organizational confidence.
Future-Proofing FP&A: From Static to Strategic
The finance office of the future is proactive, responsive, and insight-driven. Real-time visibility—enabled by technologies like Incorta and OneStream—transforms FP&A from a backward-looking reporting function into a forward-looking strategic engine.
With instant access to performance data, finance teams can answer not only “What happened?” but “What will happen?” and “What should we do about it?”
If your FP&A process still relies on batch updates and spreadsheet silos, it’s time to modernize. Real-time FP&A isn’t just faster—it’s smarter, more collaborative, and essential to compete in a digital world.
Invest in the tools and frameworks that turn data into decisions—and give your finance team the visibility to lead, not just react.
