Revenue Planning, Simplified | Ep. 9

Emma

Hey everyone, welcome back to FP&A Done Right! I’m Emma, and I’m here with Ethan. Today, we’re diving into something that’s honestly the backbone of every business—revenue and expense planning.

Unknown Speaker

Yeah, and I mean, it’s not just about knowing your numbers, right? It’s about making smart decisions and being able to adapt when things change. That’s what really sets great finance teams apart.

Emma

Totally. And, you know, I remember back when my team was still using spreadsheets for everything during budget season. It was chaos—like, actual piles of paper in meetings, and nobody was ever sure which version was the latest. We missed out on so many opportunities just trying to keep up.

Unknown Speaker

Oh, I’ve been there. And that’s where platforms like Workday Adaptive Planning come in. If you haven’t heard of it, think of it as your cloud-based FP&A hub. It’s not just for tracking income—it’s a full suite for planning, budgeting, forecasting, and analyzing all your financial data, including expenses.

Emma

Exactly. It’s like, instead of juggling a million spreadsheets, you get this end-to-end approach. You can get super granular with your expense plans, from daily costs to long-term forecasts, all in one place. It’s a huge leap forward.

Unknown Speaker

And the best part is, it’s built for flexibility. Business never stands still, so you can tweak your models and scenarios as things change. Plus, you get real-time insights, so you’re not just reporting on the past—you’re actually shaping the future.

Emma

And it’s not just finance in a silo. With real-time data, you can collaborate across teams. Like, if sales launches something new, you can instantly see how that impacts marketing spend or other expenses. It’s all connected.

Unknown Speaker

Right, and that’s what makes revenue and expense planning so critical. It’s the foundation for making decisions that actually move the business forward, not just keeping the lights on.

Unknown Speaker

So, let’s talk about what happens when you move beyond spreadsheets. When you’ve got integrated financial models and real-time analytics, it’s like a ripple effect—suddenly, you’re not stuck in manual processes anymore.

Emma

Yeah, and honestly, eliminating all those manual steps is huge. No more version control nightmares, no more fifteen copies of the same spreadsheet floating around. It’s just… cleaner. And way less stressful.

Unknown Speaker

And then there’s the AI piece. Workday Adaptive Planning uses AI and machine learning to generate fast, accurate forecasts. It’s like having a financial planning co-pilot that helps you spot trends and challenges before they hit.

Emma

And the scenario modeling! I love this part. You can run all those “what if” scenarios—like, what if we cut travel costs, or delay a key hire? You see instantly how those changes impact both expenses and revenue goals. It’s so much more proactive.

Unknown Speaker

That reminds me of the healthcare provider Revelwood worked with. They had tons of locations and everything was manual—budgeting, forecasting, reporting, all in spreadsheets. It was impossible to do any real long-term planning.

Emma

Yeah, Revelwood came in and built them a custom revenue and expense model in Workday Adaptive Planning. Suddenly, they could run those what-if scenarios, see how changes at one site affected the whole organization, and make strategic decisions with real data. They went from reactive to proactive, just like that.

Unknown Speaker

And that’s the power of having the right tools and the right partners. It’s not just about the software—it’s about having experts who know how to make it work for your business.

Emma

So, it’s not just healthcare. We’ve seen this kind of transformation in all sorts of industries. The benefits of a modern FP&A approach are pretty universal—more control, more visibility, and way better insights.

Unknown Speaker

Yeah, and integrations are a big part of that. Like, connecting Workday Adaptive Planning to your ERP system—say, NetSuite—means you finally get that single source of truth. No more pulling data from a dozen places and hoping it all lines up.

Emma

That reminds me of the online radio and podcasting company you mentioned. They had a massive audience and tons of advertising inventory, but their systems were so outdated, they couldn’t figure out which vendors or content were actually profitable.

Unknown Speaker

Yeah, it was a mess. They had to pull data from their ERP, a data warehouse, and, of course, spreadsheets. Forecasting was a nightmare, and tracking KPIs was almost impossible. Revelwood came in, implemented Workday Adaptive Planning, and integrated it with their NetSuite ERP. Suddenly, they had real-time rolling forecasts and could make smarter decisions about advertising. The finance team could finally focus on analysis instead of just collecting data.

Emma

And that’s the common thread, right? Whether it’s healthcare, media, or anything else, a modern FP&A tool—when it’s set up by experts—gives you control and insight. You actually understand what’s driving your business, and you can make decisions that help you thrive, not just survive.

Unknown Speaker

Exactly. So, as you think about your own business, ask yourself: how could a more integrated, insightful approach to revenue and expense planning unlock new possibilities? It’s all about making things more efficient and getting better outcomes.