Finance, HR & G&A department
Financial planning and analysis, on a predictable rhythm
A budget built once a year in a spreadsheet stops being useful by March. Then a board meeting arrives and someone spends a weekend explaining why the numbers moved. Nexoryl runs financial planning and analysis as a managed department: budgets, rolling forecasts, variance analysis and board packs, delivered remotely on a rhythm your leadership can plan around.
The first button opens an email to info@nexoryl.com.
You bring
- Your actuals from the accounting system
- Plans, targets and assumptions
- Operational data such as pipeline and headcount
Nexoryl runs
- Budgeting
- Forecasting
- Variance analysis
- Scenario models
- Board reporting
You get
- A forecast that's updated, not forgotten
- Clear reasons when numbers move
- Board packs ready on time
- Operating model
- A managed FP&A function with a planning calendar, a maintained model and a monthly reporting cycle.
- Delivery model
- Remote. Models built in spreadsheets or your planning tool, fed from your accounting and operational systems.
- Usual starting scope
- A driver-based forecast model and monthly variance reporting, then budgeting and board packs.
- Typical roles
- An FP&A lead, financial analysts and a reporting analyst.
- Runs inside
- Excel or Google Sheets, planning tools such as Fathom, Jirav or Cube, and your accounting system.
- Engagement
- A model build first, then a monthly retainer for forecasting and reporting.
Overview
What is FP&A?
FP&A, or financial planning and analysis, is the work of planning a business's finances and explaining its performance: budgets, forecasts, variance analysis, scenario modelling and the reporting leadership and boards use to make decisions.
Accounting records what happened. FP&A looks forward: where the business will land, what's driving the difference from plan, and what happens to cash and profit if something changes.
Nexoryl model
What does Nexoryl's FP&A department do?
It builds and maintains your financial model, runs the budget and rolling forecast, explains variances every month, models scenarios on request and prepares management and board packs.
It works from books kept by Finance & Accounting and cash data from AP / AR & Treasury. Decisions on targets, spending and funding stay with your leadership.
- Responsible for
- Budgets, rolling forecasts, variance analysis, scenario and driver-based models, unit economics and board or management reporting.
- Not included
- Investment, tax or fundraising advice, and guarantees that forecasts will be met.
- Connects to
- Finance & Accounting, AP / AR & Treasury, Data & Analytics and Revenue Operations.
What FP&A produces
Each output answers a different question.
The set of outputs and their cadence are agreed with leadership when the planning calendar is set.
| Output | Question it answers | Typical cadence |
|---|---|---|
| Annual budget | What do we plan to earn and spend this year? | Yearly, with mid-year review |
| Rolling forecast | Where will we actually land? | Monthly or quarterly |
| Variance analysis | Why are we off plan, and does it matter? | Monthly |
| Scenario model | What happens to cash and profit if something changes? | On request |
| Management or board pack | How is the business doing, and what needs a decision? | Monthly or quarterly |
| Unit economics | Which products, customers or channels make money? | Quarterly |
Where planning breaks down
Four signs you need FP&A.
Most of these start when the business outgrows a spreadsheet one person built.
A budget nobody uses
- Shows up as
- The budget is set once and ignored by the second quarter.
- We look at
- How the budget is built and whether anyone compares against it.
- What changes
- Monthly budget versus actual reporting with owners for each line.
Forecasts that surprise
- Shows up as
- Cash runs tighter than anyone expected.
- We look at
- Forecast method, drivers and update frequency.
- What changes
- A driver-based rolling forecast updated every month.
Numbers without reasons
- Shows up as
- Leadership sees that costs rose, not why.
- We look at
- Variance thresholds and how explanations are gathered.
- What changes
- Variance commentary on everything above an agreed threshold.
Board pack panic
- Shows up as
- Someone loses a weekend before every board meeting.
- We look at
- Board pack content, sources and timing.
- What changes
- A standard pack built on a calendar from the same model every month.
What the department covers
FP&A services.
Planning, analysis and reporting built on one maintained model.
Budgeting
A plan people actually use.
- Annual budget build
- Department budget inputs
- Headcount and cost plans
- Budget documentation
Forecasting
An up-to-date view of where you'll land.
- Rolling forecasts
- Driver-based models
- Cash flow forecasts with your treasury team
- Forecast accuracy tracking
Variance analysis
The reasons behind every difference.
- Budget versus actual
- Forecast versus actual
- Variance commentary
- Owner follow-up
Scenario modelling
Decisions tested before they're made.
- Hiring and spending scenarios
- Pricing and growth scenarios
- Downside and runway analysis
- Sensitivity tables
Reporting
Packs that arrive on time.
- Monthly management packs
- Board packs
- KPI dashboards with your data team
- Investor update figures
Unit economics
Where profit really comes from.
- Product and customer profitability
- Channel economics
- Cohort analysis
- Pricing analysis support
How remote delivery works
How an FP&A engagement runs.
One model, maintained every month, rather than a new spreadsheet for every question.
Step 1: Understand
Your business model, drivers, existing plans and reporting needs.
Step 2: Build the model
A driver-based model linked to your actuals and operational data.
Step 3: Set the calendar
Budget, forecast and reporting dates agreed with leadership.
Step 4: Run the cycle
Monthly actuals loaded, forecast updated and variances explained.
Step 5: Report and review
Packs delivered, with a quarterly review of the model's accuracy.
Forecasts are estimates built on agreed assumptions. Decisions on targets, spending and funding stay with your leadership.
Scope and boundaries
What's included, and what stays with you.
Nexoryl builds and runs the planning. Leadership owns the targets and the decisions.
Included
- Budget build and upkeep
- Rolling and cash flow forecasts
- Variance analysis and commentary
- Scenario and sensitivity models
- Management and board packs
- Unit economics analysis
Not included
- Investment or fundraising advice
- Tax planning
- Bookkeeping (see Finance & Accounting)
- Guarantees that forecasts will be met
What you provide
- Access to your accounting system or monthly actuals
- Plans, targets and key assumptions
- Operational data such as pipeline and headcount
- A leadership contact for reviews
Tools and platforms
Where the work happens.
Spreadsheets for flexibility, planning tools where the business has outgrown them.
- Modelling
- ExcelGoogle Sheets
- Planning tools
- FathomJiravCubeCausal
- Data sources
- XeroQuickBooksNetSuiteYour CRM and HR system
- Reporting
- Power BILooker StudioSlides
Named as examples of tools we work in. They don't imply a partnership or certification.
Measurement
How an FP&A department is measured.
Timeliness and usefulness first; forecast accuracy is tracked to improve the model.
Timeliness
- Packs delivered on the agreed date
- Forecast updated each cycle
- Budget completed on schedule
Accuracy
- Forecast versus actual
- Model errors found
- Assumptions documented
Insight
- Variances explained above threshold
- Scenarios delivered on request
- Actions agreed from reviews
Efficiency
- Leadership time spent preparing packs
- Manual data handling
- Model reuse across reports
These are measurement categories, not promised figures.
Who does the work
The people running your planning.
Sized to the number of entities, models and reports leadership needs.
FP&A Lead
Owns the model, the planning calendar and leadership reviews.
Financial Analysts
Update forecasts, explain variances and build scenarios.
Reporting Analyst
Builds packs and dashboards from the model.
A good fit when
- Your budget is ignored after the first few months
- Cash or profit surprises leadership
- Board packs take a weekend to prepare
- Planning depends on one person's spreadsheet
Probably not the right fit when
- You need investment or fundraising advice
- Your books aren't kept up to date yet (start with Finance & Accounting)
- You want a forecast guaranteed
Ways to start
Three ways to begin.
A working forecast model is usually the most valuable first step.
Model build
A driver-based forecast model linked to your actuals, as a scoped project.
Budget cycle
This year's budget built with department owners, then monthly tracking.
Managed FP&A
Forecasting, variance analysis and packs on a monthly retainer.
Fees depend on entities, model complexity and reporting needs, and are agreed after an initial review.
Questions
Questions about FP&A.
If your question isn't here, email us. Most answers depend on your business model and data.
What does FP&A stand for?
Financial planning and analysis: budgeting, forecasting, variance analysis, scenario modelling and the reporting leadership uses to make decisions.
What's the difference between FP&A and accounting?
Accounting records what happened and closes the books. FP&A uses those numbers to plan ahead and explain performance.
Can FP&A be done remotely?
Yes. Models, data sources and reporting tools are all online, and reviews with leadership run by video.
Do you build financial models from scratch?
Yes. A driver-based model is built around your business, linked to actuals and maintained every month.
Can you prepare our board pack?
Yes, on a fixed calendar from the same model, with variance commentary and items needing a decision.
Do you give investment or fundraising advice?
No. We provide the numbers and scenarios; investment, fundraising and tax advice stay with your advisers.
Which tools do you use?
Excel or Google Sheets, and planning tools such as Fathom, Jirav, Cube or Causal where they fit.
What do you need from us to start?
Access to your actuals, your plans and assumptions, operational data such as pipeline and headcount, and a leadership contact.
Next step
Stop explaining the numbers after the fact.
Tell us how you plan and report today. We'll show you what a maintained model and monthly rhythm would look like.