MANAGED FP&A
The fastest way between two points is almost never a straight line. Managed FP&A delivers velocity made good to your business.
You can’t sail directly into the wind, while sailing straight downwind is perilous as the wind takes control from the crew. The current winds define the fastest course to reach the mark, and this speed relative to the wind is velocity made good.
In business, like sailing, the weather can shift on a dime. The ability to plot the course and quickly pivot for new information can be the difference between safe passage and ending up on the rocks. Time spent off course is costly, and Managed FP&A is the answer for the tools, processes, and team to help you hit your mark with velocity made good.
What is Managed FP&A?
Financial planning and analysis (FP&A) is the data and analytical hub of the business organization. Data organization, business intelligence dashboards, forecasting tools, efficient update and distribution processes. Get the right data into the right hands faster, and look forward to test assumptions, set goals, and make confident decisions.
Large corporate organizations have dedicated multi-person FP&A teams in addition to accounting and treasury. Smaller businesses typically do not. First Water has cracked the code on making these capabilities available to smaller businesses more efficiently, on a customized basis for your needs and to supplement and empower any personnel (like a CFO) you currently have in place.
Draw from one or all of our Managed FP&A capabilities, done for you on a recurring, fixed fee basis.
REPORTING & BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE
Turn your data into valuable information without having to dive for needles in haystacks. Keep a finger on the pulse of growing teams and operations, have more effective conversations, hold teams accountable, and act faster. We specialize in making the most of your data, regardless of system environment and without major technology investments.
In addition to the value of the right data in the right hands, the time and money saved by streamlining data aggregation, transformation, and visualization is significant. Free others up for their highest and best use by tapping Managed FP&A for data structure improvement, analytics work, and distributed dashboards (e.g., Excel and Power BI).
FORECASTING & PLANNING
Build granular forecasts from the inputs that drive your business, test upside and downside scenarios, and set achievable goals. Our tools and processes, such as the three statement operating model, give you the ability to turn the dials, build credible financial outlooks, and make confident decisions.
Speed of iteration is a hallmark of strong forecasting tools, being able to build views and scenarios in minutes instead of days (or longer). However, beyond the tools and processes are the people who have done this before, provide context, and work with you to tailor forecasts to different audiences. Software doesn’t come with dialogue.
CASH & WORKING CAPITAL VISIBILITY
Capital is the lifeblood of your business. Leverage institutional-grade 13-week cash forecasts and other working capital analytics to keep tabs on this precious asset, avoid surprises and fire drills, and build stronger relationships with capital providers.
Resources
GET THE WHITEPAPER
Download our whitepaper, Unleashing FP&A, to learn more about FP&A capabilities and the new solution for small and midsize businesses!
TAKE THE FIRE SCORE QUIZ
Growth goals, funding requirements, and owner objectives are critical inputs to plot the optimal course. Aligning the three roadmaps (growth, capital, personal) is a core component to First Water’s mission and relationship building. It starts with our free finance readiness assessment tool, FiRe Score, which takes less than five minutes.
Blog
First Water Finance Resource Library
Planning With Uncertainty: Master Constraints and Binary Events to Extract Maximum Value
Planning Transformers: Avoiding Obsolescence in Budgets and Forecasts
LET’S START A DIALOGUE.
Grab some time with a member of the First Water team to start a dialogue about your goals and how the finance experts at First Water can propel you down your path.