Intelligent CXO Issue 13 | Page 30

FEATURE
INTEGRATED BUSINESS PLANNING ( IBP ) IS A CROSS-FUNCTIONAL METHODOLOGY THAT BRINGS TOGETHER TRADITIONALLY SEPARATE BUSINESS UNITS . should be separating the ' must-haves ' from those that might be ' nice to have .'
When weighing these needs , it is also important to consider ease-of-use side by side with scalability . Just because an integrated-planning tool can deliver a mountain of functionality does not mean it is also capable of meeting the longterm needs of a business . By always keeping operational goals in mind , it will be much easier to steadily progress along the Digital Transformation journey and see tangible ROI along the way .
While spreadsheet-based planning is no longer viable given the velocity of modern markets , technology stakeholders cannot expect the finance function to transition without some degree of resistance . In delivering Integrated Business Planning , it will be important to respect this and consider whether the finance team can take charge of the budget for a procured tool as well as being business users of it . Project managers of the transition will need to strike a balance between the autonomy and flexibility spreadsheets bring to finance teams and the company-wide control and consistency of an integrated planning solution .
2 . Win over other stakeholders
Be sure that you start your journey with finance on board . If they become ground-floor participants and partners in the process , the project will have a higher success rate than if they are , for example , brought in at the testing phase . Finance will not just be a key ally in the programme ; they will bring vital knowledge and skills to the crafting of a viable solution and serve as a more effective guarantee of success . Giving finance an opportunity to collaborate with IT to set goals will help accelerate delivery and ensure goals are achieved .
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