The FP&Ai Podcast

Discover how finance teams can move beyond reporting to lead strategy—turning data into direction and driving better, faster business decisions.

Let’s be honest: most finance reports don’t change a thing. They’re neat. They’re compliant. They’re full of numbers. But they don’t make anyone act differently. Why? Because they lack one thing: clarity with purpose. The Problem with “Actual vs Target” I’ve seen it a hundred times— a finance team proudly presents their month-end pack: “Here’s actual vs target.” “Here’s the variance.” And that’s it. It’s like reading the scoreboard of a game you didn’t watch. You know the score, but you don’t know how you got there or what to do next. Andrew Brown’s Challenge In our FP&Ai Podcast, Andrew Brown puts it bluntly: “If finance isn’t helping people see why the numbers matter—and what actions to take —then it’s not a business partner. It’s just ticking boxes.” And he’s right. Compliance reporting is important, but it doesn’t change behaviour. Finance should be leading the conversation about performance , not just filing historical reports. The Power of Storytelling Remember Johan, the volunteer deacon with the worm and waterfall charts? He didn’t just report. He told a story. His charts answered three critical questions: 1. Where are we now? 2. Why are we here? 3. What should we do about it? That’s why people leaned in. That’s why donations spiked. The numbers suddenly had meaning. The Corporate Blind Spot In business, we love detail. We produce 30-page packs with pivots, ratios, and footnotes. We convince ourselves that more data means more value. But it doesn’t. It’s not about data—it’s about insight. It’s about showing the 3 things that matter this week, and making them so clear that no one can miss them. Your Next Move If your reports aren’t driving action, they’re just noise. Try this: Cut 80% of your report. Focus on the story behind the key numbers. Use one or two visuals that show what’s really happening. Ask yourself: If Johan could make a whole congregation act with two charts, what’s stopping us from doing the same in business? ________________________________________ This article is inspired by my conversation with Andrew Brown on the FP&AI Podcast – Episode 1: Finance as a True Business Partner – Beyond the Numbers.

Finance updates are supposed to guide decisions. So why do most of them feel like punishment? Black-and-white statements. Tables of variances. Forty pages of data that leave everyone bored and none the wiser. Then there’s Johan. A Volunteer Who Changed the Game Johan wasn’t a corporate CFO. He was a volunteer deacon , leading the finance committee at his church. No big team. No flashy tools. Just a conviction that numbers should make sense —and inspire action. When the church needed to raise funds to hit its objectives, Johan knew the standard “actual vs target” report wouldn’t cut it. So, he built two charts that changed everything: 1. The Worm Chart The worm chart tracked donations against budget— the budget the church had calculated to achieve its goals. Whenever donations dipped, Johan simply put the worm chart on the screen. No guilt trips. No lengthy explanations. And bam—donations came in. People didn’t need persuasion. They just needed to see the gap and understand the story behind it. 2. The Waterfall Chart AGMs used to be tedious marathons of financial statements— page after page of black-and-white tables no one wanted to read. Johan cut through that noise. His waterfall chart, explained in just a few minutes, was 90% of what people needed to understand the finances. It showed how actual finances tracked to budget— positive variances, negative variances, the size of every gap— all on one clean, visual chart. Suddenly, finance wasn’t boring. It was clear. It mattered. The Real Lesson Here’s the kicker: Johan used the same Excel everyone else had. It wasn’t about the tool. It was clarity and creative thinking that won the day. Finance doesn’t need more complex reporting. It needs leaders who can tell the story behind the numbers. The Challenge to Finance Teams Would your reports spark action? Would they make the story obvious—so obvious that people couldn’t help but respond? If not, maybe it’s time to simplify. Find your worm chart. Build your waterfall. Make the numbers impossible to ignore. This article is inspired by my conversation with Andrew Brown on the FP&AI Podcast – Episode 1: Finance as a True Business Partner – Beyond the Numbers.

Driver based planning only works when it is built on the few levers that truly move results. In Episode 4, Roger Knocker and Anthony Wilson continue the series on budgeting, forecasting and planning with practical examples you can apply now. What we cover: Subscription revenue drivers: additions, cancellations, cohorts and churn Scenario analysis that links revenue, labour, materials and overheads to gross margin Event based cash flow planning that ties invoices, terms and timing to bank movements How to pick the right drivers and keep the model simple enough to use every month If you want a plan that adapts as fast as the market changes, this episode is for you. Subscribe for more conversations that help FP&Ai lead the business. Conversation Highlights: [00:01] Anthony Wilson demonstrates practical examples of driver-based planning across business types, starting with subscription-based revenue. He explains that tracking new contract additions and cancellations helps forecast revenue, calculate churn, and monitor customer retention. [00:20] By modeling these drivers, businesses can adjust assumptions such as price or volume and immediately see the impact on revenue projections. [00:36] Anthony introduces scenario analysis as an extension of driver-based planning. Using key variables—revenue, direct labor, materials, and manufacturing overhead—he shows how different growth or cost scenarios can be tested to measure their effect on gross margin. [00:57] He emphasizes that driver-based models allow rapid reforecasting when business conditions change, making them suitable for dynamic planning rather than static annual budgets. [01:15] Anthony highlights how cash flow forecasting benefits from a driver-based approach. By tracking payment timings, customer terms, and invoice schedules, companies can better project liquidity. [01:38] Implementing this in a system rather than spreadsheets allows aggregation across divisions, supports multi-region or multinational operations, and improves treasury management through automation. [02:00] The conversation shifts to identifying the most impactful business drivers. Anthony explains that analyzing historical data and cause-and-effect relationships reveals how sales, costs, and operational activities correlate. [02:27] He recommends frameworks such as a balanced scorecard to align financial and operational metrics, identifying both financial drivers (e.g., gross profit percentage, net margin) and operational drivers (e.g., volume, machine hours). [02:55] Roger Knocker reinforces the importance of historical data, advising against including too many variables. Focus should be on a few material drivers that truly influence profitability, simplifying modeling and improving accuracy. [03:15] Anthony stresses cross-functional workshops between FP&A teams and business units to ensure models reflect real-world operations and show how actions in one area affect financial outcomes. [03:38] Roger adds that FP&A professionals must confidently represent efficiency, profitability, and cash flow, complementing operational teams focused on quality and service. [03:58] Before using a new model, Anthony advises validating it by running retrospective scenarios—forecasting past months using driver-based assumptions and comparing to actual results—to refine accuracy and build confidence. [04:18] Finally, Anthony emphasizes the importance of business intelligence tools for aggregating and analyzing data, as well as AI and machine learning to detect patterns in large datasets.  [04:40] He notes that as data volumes grow, these tools are essential for modern FP&A functions to deliver real-time, insight-driven decision support.

In Episode 3 of the FP&Ai Podcast, Roger Knocker and Anthony Wilson take the theory of driver-based budgeting and bring it to life with practical examples. From building revenue models based on quantity and price to people planning that accounts for salaries, allowances and benefits, this conversation shows how to turn financial data into meaningful business insights. You’ll discover how to strike the balance between detail and simplicity, avoid the pitfalls of overriding models at year-end, and use tools like Prophix to run real scenarios that link operational activities directly to financial outcomes. Conversation Highlights: [0:04] Roger Knocker welcomed listeners to the new FP&A Podcast, co-hosted with Anthony Wilson. The series will share 10 tips on budgeting, forecasting, and planning, starting with the basics and moving into more advanced insights. [1:42] Roger asked Anthony to explain driver-based budgeting and how it differs from traditional budgeting. [2:01] Anthony explained that traditional budgeting often projects past trends into the future (for example, adding 10% to revenue), creating a static view. It does not always link operational activities to financial outcomes. [3:22] Anthony contrasted this with driver-based budgeting, which connects financial results to both operational drivers (sales volume, demand, subscriptions, churn, production) and financial drivers (gross profit margin, net profit). This creates an integrated model that shows how changes in activity directly impact results. [5:09] Roger illustrated the difference with an example: instead of budgeting R10,000 for entertainment, driver-based budgeting breaks it down into number of events × average price per event, which allows for more meaningful adjustments and scenario planning. [6:57] Anthony added that this approach also links drivers to other drivers (for example, more events generate more revenue but also increase costs). This enables businesses to explain variances between actual and budget — not just the “what,” but the “why.” [8:26] Anthony emphasized that forecasting is more accurate in a driver-based model. Instead of simply spreading leftover budgets across future months, companies adjust based on actual activities and drivers, producing a more realistic forward view. [9:21] Roger raised the risk that, under pressure, CFOs sometimes override driver models and insert arbitrary numbers to meet board expectations. Anthony agreed this undermines the value of the model, stressing the importance of staying disciplined. [10:48] Roger and Anthony summarized the fundamental principle: quantity × price = value. They noted that in practice, drivers often cascade: one driver affects another, eventually shaping the financial outcome. [11:22] Anthony distinguished financial drivers (margins, costs, expenses, working capital) from operational drivers (sales volume, customer acquisition, productivity). Businesses must link the two for a complete picture. [13:28] Roger suggested moving from theory to practice, and Anthony demonstrated a Prophix planning model, showing how revenues can be modeled at a quantity × price level across different products, customers, regions, or sales reps. [17:00] Roger and Anthony emphasized the importance of focusing on key products or segments (using the 80/20 rule) rather than overcomplicating models with excessive detail, which can cause delays and override risks. [21:03] Roger noted that while some industries (like pharmaceuticals) require detailed SKU-level planning, most businesses can operate effectively at a higher category level. Anthony concluded that the key is finding the right balance: accurate enough for insight, but not so complex that it becomes unmanageable.

Welcome to the FP&AI Podcast, where finance meets the future. In this episode, Roger is joined once again by Anthony and Donovan to dive into one of the most critical pillars of a successful finance function: planning. Stay tuned for the next episode, where the discussion moves to collaboration and business partnering in finance. Conversation Highlights: [0:00] Roger welcomes listeners back and recaps the previous episode on setting 3–5 year strategic objectives. He now moves on to the internal perspective of the balanced scorecard, asking: Which processes must finance excel at to satisfy stakeholders? [1:30] Roger notes that while Deloitte’s shareholder value framework lists hundreds of options, most internal objectives can be grouped into a few big themes: planning, quality, collaboration, speed, efficiency, innovation, and governance. [3:00] Anthony emphasizes the importance of planning, analysis, and reporting in finance. He highlights accuracy, timeliness, cost-effectiveness, and well-defined processes across cycles such as month-end, year-end, and budgeting. Clear roles, timelines, and responsibilities are critical for smooth execution. [6:00] They discuss practical planning rhythms. Processes should be reviewed at the start of cycles (e.g., January year-end planning), with regular team meetings—weekly or daily as needed—to monitor progress and address issues. Donovan adds that planning should start before year-end, often as early as mid-December. [9:00] The conversation shifts to dependencies on other departments during cycles like budgeting. Since other teams may not prioritize finance timelines, communication and early engagement are vital. Finance should build these requirements into processes and send reminders to ensure collaboration. [12:00] Roger stresses that budgeting must be framed as a business-wide responsibility , not just a finance deliverable. Departments should take ownership and accountability for their inputs, with finance facilitating and translating commitments into value. [16:00] Examples from IT planning illustrate how continuous engagement with business units avoids last-minute pressure. Finance should adopt similar practices, using ongoing communication and relationship management to integrate planning into everyday operations. [19:00] The concept of finance business partners is introduced. These roles embed in operations, bridging the gap between finance and other departments. They improve collaboration, ensure timely information flow, and enhance the quality of reporting—though organizations often fail to measure the ROI of these roles. [23:00] Roger returns to the importance of early communication and budget guidelines , which help divisions prepare and align. Effective planning should include communication checkpoints and reminders across cycles. [26:00] He adds that planning applies beyond finance—HR, IT, marketing, and all business processes should start with planning. Poor follow-through on insights can leave “money on the table,” highlighting the value of business partners in ensuring opportunities are realized. [28:00] As the podcast wraps up, Donovan stresses the quality and speed of planning , not just the act itself. Standardization and automation can improve efficiency. Anthony adds that planning must be continuous and iterative —even a bad plan provides useful feedback for replanning.  [31:00] Roger closes by emphasizing that planning is central to finance and business success. Whether strategic or operational, good planning creates clarity, drives collaboration, and enables long-term value creation.

In this episode of the Smart Business Performance Podcast, Roger Knocker welcomes Anthony Wilson and Donovan Moses to explore the strategic objectives of the finance function and how they can align with broader business goals. The discussion highlights key areas where finance can create value—through efficiency, compliance, working capital management, operating margin improvement, and by acting as a trusted advisor across the business. Tune in now to discover the practical steps finance teams can take to strengthen their role as true business partners. Conversation Highlights: [00:04] Roger introduces the topic of finance’s role in setting strategic objectives and welcomes Anthony Wilson and Donovan Moses. [01:06] Roger explains that strategic objectives set the long-term direction for finance, guiding the function over a 3–5 year horizon. [02:30] Anthony Wilson highlights efficiency as a primary goal, pointing out the growing pressure on finance to deliver faster results. He notes that automation and better tools are replacing reliance on Excel. [06:02] Wilson stresses closing speed as a key efficiency benchmark, explaining that top performers close in a few days while others can take weeks. [06:49] Donovan Moses identifies working capital optimization as a critical objective, emphasizing the need for collaboration between finance and supply chain to ensure cash isn’t tied up unnecessarily in excess inventory. [11:27] Roger introduces operating margin improvement as another finance objective, noting the importance of tracking customer profitability, asset utilization, and ROI on projects. [14:18] Wilson highlights the customer perspective, explaining that stakeholders expect accurate, timely, and consistent information. Dashboards and data visualization are recommended as more effective tools than spreadsheets. [17:31] Wilson explains how visualization enables the business to detect trends and shifts more quickly, improving decision-making. [23:16] Moses emphasizes the importance of compliance and risk management, pointing out that reliable execution of payroll, tax, and credit processes is essential for business stability. [27:12] Roger stresses that once compliance and efficiency are established, finance can step into the role of trusted advisor, supporting leaders with insights on pricing, costs, and profitability. [29:37] Wilson reinforces that finance must build trust by delivering efficiently and reliably before moving into advisory functions. [30:32] Roger closes the discussion by summarizing six key finance objectives: efficiency, working capital optimization, operating margin improvement, delivering trusted information, compliance, and advisory partnership. About Our Sponsor: KPI Management Solutions helps organizations achieve their stretch goals using KPIs, OKRs, AI-enabled technology, and training.

Welcome to Episode 0 of the FP&Ai Podcast – Where Finance Meets the Future! In this debut episode, host Roger Knocker is joined by co-hosts Anthony Wilson and Donovan Moses to introduce the vision behind the FP@&Ai Podcast. Together, they explore the future of finance, the transformational impact of AI and automation, and how finance professionals can adapt to the rapidly evolving digital landscape. Conversation Highlights: [0:04] Roger Knocker welcomed listeners to the FP&AI Podcast, describing it as a platform where finance meets the future. Episode 0 introduced co-hosts Anthony Wilson, co-founder of FP&AI, and Donovan Moses, a chartered accountant and recent hire. The focus of the podcast is finance transformation, particularly the role of FP&A and AI. [0:50] Anthony highlighted the importance of exploring current and future technology trends in finance, sharing insights on AI’s growing role in the office of finance, and helping professionals become early adopters. [2:16] Donovan explained that his experience in finance and operations drives his interest in AI applications. He is excited to explore practical use cases where AI can improve both controls and business partnerships, and to share real-world examples from finance professionals. [3:32] Roger reflected on his long-standing interest in the intersection of finance and technology, noting how the gap between IT and finance has narrowed over the years. He emphasized that AI is the latest advancement, allowing finance teams to leverage new technologies effectively. [6:03] Donovan discussed how AI can address common challenges in finance, such as lack of time and inefficient reporting. He stressed that AI can empower professionals to gain insights faster and partner more effectively with the business. [7:51] Roger stated that the podcast targets finance professionals at all levels, from CFOs to finance operations staff, but also benefits other business departments that interact with finance. The aim is to share practical insights and foster learning. [10:01] Donovan highlighted the importance of discussing AI-related risks, particularly data privacy and integrity, and the need for controlled environments to experiment safely with AI tools. [12:57] Both hosts emphasized that the content will be real, practical, and future-oriented, showcasing achievable outcomes in finance through AI and data-driven insights. [14:05] The podcast will release at least two episodes per month, featuring tools, frameworks, practical demonstrations, and guest interviews. The format will remain flexible and agile to respond to listener feedback. [15:01] Listeners are encouraged to subscribe, enable notifications, and engage through comments to shape future episodes. The podcast aims to build a community around finance transformation and practical application of AI.

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