Welcome to a brand new episode of Modernized Planning, where we’re turning traditional planning strategies on their head, in favor of a more modern, efficient, and connected approach.

In this episode, we’re talking with one of our partners, COO Anthony D’Anna at deFacto Global, a leading provider of extended planning & analysis (xP&A) solutions that integrate with Power BI. deFacto Planning helps businesses unify financial and operational planning into a single, high-performance platform.

Keep reading to learn more about his stance on treating planning as a more integrated, data-driven approach.

Accurate Planning Requires a Single, Integrated Source of Truth

Modernized planning is about transforming business processes holistically—integrating concepts of financial planning across all departments, whether it’s HR, supply chain, sales, or operations.

This shift ensures organizations move beyond finance-driven planning to a fully integrated, enterprise-wide strategy that takes into account all facets of the business. Organizations embed planning software directly into their data strategy rather than bolting planning software onto an existing reporting system.

Planning software shouldn’t be an afterthought that you “fit in.” Its efficient communication and integration with the rest of your data stack are critical to meaningful planning. Every department will operate with a single source of truth, reducing inefficiencies and improving decision-making.

The Macro vs. Micro Approach to Planning

A key driver of this change is the realization that traditional ERP-driven planning no longer meets the needs of modern businesses.

Historically, legacy planning solutions were built around finance-first tools like Hyperion, OutlookSoft, NetSuite Planning and Budgeting, Adaptive Insights, SAP BPC, and more. These tools were designed to fill gaps left by ERP systems, providing finance teams with better reporting capabilities and more structured budgeting processes.

However, this finance-centric approach left a lot of blind spots across the enterprise. While reporting and budgeting improved, data silos remained, limiting the ability to create a truly integrated strategy.

Over time, organizations have realized that effective planning must go beyond finance. Rather than relying on standalone solutions like Jet Reports for ERP reporting or CPM tools for financial data, they are shifting to a more integrated approach. Planning is no longer just the CFO’s responsibility—it now involves CIOs, data teams, and operational leaders working together strategically.

Anyone who’s been in the data space for a while may be familiar with financial controllers buying a server to hide under their desk and running secret planning software because they didn’t want to get the CIO involved. This new era of planning helps to eliminate this by bringing planning out from under the desk, per se, and making it more collaborative.

By integrating planning with the broader data strategy, organizations are able to create more dynamic and scalable financial models.

The Role of AI

AI is more than just a buzzword in data and planning. Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning are playing an increasingly important role in planning, enabling businesses to automate forecasting, detect anomalies, and implement predictive analytics.

This represents a significant shift from traditional planning that relies solely on historical data and static models. By improving forecast accuracy and enhancing speed, teams are more able than ever to use the insights they extract for real-time decision-making.
The shift toward continuous forecasting is also gaining traction, but AI is not a silver bullet.

While AI can automate routine forecasting—such as analyzing historical sales trends for predictable demand—it still requires human oversight. Businesses launching new products, entering new markets, or adjusting to unexpected disruptions must rely on strategic judgment to refine AI-driven insights.

Instead of relying on quarterly or annual budget cycles, organizations can now use AI to dynamically adjust projections based on real-time data. Businesses no longer have to wait for the next reporting cycle to react to market shifts—they can make proactive, data-driven decisions daily.

But AI Doesn’t Replace Human Expertise

Automation doesn’t mean eliminating human oversight, no matter how great the models are.

While AI can automate forecasting for repeatable, data-rich scenarios, it struggles with new product launches, market shifts, and one-time promotions, where human judgment is critical. For example, retailers launching seasonal products or franchises expanding into new markets still require hands-on adjustments to AI-generated models.

AI-powered planning reduces inefficiencies and enhances accuracy, but its real value lies in augmenting human expertise—not replacing it. The best planning strategies blend AI-driven automation with strategic oversight, ensuring businesses remain agile while maintaining control over financial outcomes.

Excel Is Evolving With Modernized Planning

Excel remains a go-to tool for financial planning due to its familiarity and flexibility. But, as Anthony told me, “Excel works great…until it doesn’t.” As businesses scale, manual errors, version control issues, and limited collaboration make it less reliable as a standalone solution.

Rather than replacing Excel, modern planning solutions integrate it with Power BI, allowing organizations to maintain usability while ensuring data accuracy, automation, and enterprise security. Most importantly, this familiarity ensures that people actually use the tools. There’s no point in creating great planning processes if the change ultimately makes people shy away.

Since Excel and Power BI are fully connected, teams choose the interface that works best for them without disrupting workflows.

Finance teams can still use Excel with the added security and structure of a centralized planning system, while operations and leadership teams access reports and dashboards in Power BI. Both interfaces pull from the same source of truth, ensuring consistency and data integrity.

With 95% of organizations using or planning to use Power BI, modern planning isn’t about eliminating Excel—it’s about enhancing it with enterprise-grade capabilities.

Making the Switch to Integrated Planning

Organizations that successfully modernize their planning approach start by aligning their financial models with their overall data strategy. Rather than selecting a planning tool based on immediate needs, businesses are taking a step back to evaluate their long-term objectives.

• A few key trends are shaping the way businesses are adopting modern planning solutions:
• Shifting from isolated finance-driven tools to enterprise-wide planning models.
• Bringing together finance, IT, and operations teams to ensure alignment.
• Leveraging AI for automation while keeping human expertise in decision-making.
• Integrating planning solutions with data lakes and analytics platforms like Power BI.

Organizations that approach planning with a long-term mindset are not just solving today’s challenges—they’re future-proofing their financial strategy for the next decade.

Another step you can take right now to invest in better planning for your organization is to subscribe to our YouTube channel to get notified for each new episode of Modernized Planning, giving you the tactical tools and techniques to make planning more impactful at your organization.

Planning should empower, not constrain, your organization’s success. Whether you’re modernizing your approach or looking for a partner to help implement a more integrated planning strategy, Collectiv is here to help.

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