Planning, Budgeting and Forecasting
Run budgeting, rolling forecasts and driver-based planning in Power BI. Business teams contribute to the plan where they already review performance, Finance reforecasts as conditions change, and the models, scenarios and financial logic behind the plan stay governed, without another spreadsheet to reconcile.
Bring the business into the plan, and keep Finance in control
Plan where the business already works
Business teams can ontribute forecasts, assumptions and commentary through the Power BI reports they already use, while Finance keeps the plan governed and Excel stays available where Finance values it.
Model the change before it becomes the plan
Your Finance team can use driver-based models, scenarios and what-if analysis in Power BI, with Planning Intelligence, to see how Revenue, OPEX, Workforce and CapEx assumptions affect the plan before committing.
Govern every version and approval
Versions, workflow, approvals, permissions and audit history sit behind every input in Power BI, so your Finance team knows which forecast is current, who changed it and how it became part of the plan.
Planning and write-back in Power BI, with Excel where Finance values it
Business teams enter forecasts, assumptions and commentary directly in the Power BI reports they already use, writing back to governed planning data rather than another file. Finance works in Power BI or in Excel through Smart XL, all against the same governed planning model.
Driver-based modeling and scenarios
Your Finance team can build driver-based budgets and rolling forecasts, run what-if scenarios in Power BI and compare outcomes, then use Planning Intelligence, including forecasting methods, anomaly detection and recommendation engine, to surface what deserves attention. Finance stays in control of the assumptions and decisions that become part of the plan.
Versions, workflow, approvals and governance
Every contribution in Power BI is backed by version management, workflow, approvals, permissions, commentary and audit history, so your Finance team can trace changes, establish ownership and control how inputs become part of the plan without adding a manual governance step.
Consolidation and management reporting inside Power BI
For teams running multiple entities, currencies and source systems, Acterys brings post-close actuals into consistent management views in Power BI alongside plan and forecast, with hierarchy, currency and intercompany-elimination logic.
Where Finance uses Acterys
- Budgeting & Rolling Forecasts
- Driver-Based Planning
- Scenario & What-If Analysis
- Revenue & OPEX Planning
- Workforce Planning
- CapEx & Project Planning
- Variance & Commentary
- Financial & Management Consolidation
Built on the Microsoft environment you already use
Power BI
Planning and write-back happen in Power BI, where your teams already analyze performance, so contribution stays in the same experience people use every day.
Excel (Smart XL)
Finance keeps a spreadsheet-oriented planning surface through Smart XL, working against the same governed planning data as Power BI.
Microsoft Fabric
Fabric, Azure SQL and SQL Server provide the governed data foundation, giving the Data & Analytics and IT teams who own Power BI and Fabric a governed way to extend the environment they already manage.
Case Study: AMAG cut its budget cycle in half
Planning, Budgeting & Forecasting Resources
Frequently asked questions
Can we run budgeting, rolling forecasts and driver-based planning in Power BI?
Yes. Your teams can run annual budgets, rolling forecasts, driver-based planning, scenario management and what-if analysis in Power BI, with governed versions, workflow and approvals behind the process. Business contributors participate through Power BI while Finance works in Power BI or Excel where each experience makes sense.
Can Finance keep working in Excel?
Yes. Business teams contribute through planning and write-back in Power BI, and Finance continues to use Excel through Smart XL where it adds value, all against the same governed planning data.
How does Acterys handle versions and approvals for budgets and forecasts?
Planning and write-back in Power BI are backed by version management, workflow, approvals, permissions, commentary and audit history, so your Finance team can see which forecast is current, who changed what and how each input became part of the plan.
Can we plan across multiple entities and currencies?
Yes. You can manage multi-entity and multi-currency modeling and bring post-close actuals into consistent management views in Power BI alongside plan and forecast, with hierarchy, currency and intercompany-elimination logic. This is management consolidation and reporting, not statutory financial close.