Integrated Business planning by Robert Kugel – A book review

In his book, Integrated Business Planning, Robert Kugel of Ventana Research provides a comprehensive look at the importance of technology in Integrated Business Planning. It involves connecting all the pieces of the business together, from financials to operations, to create a unified plan. I personally really appreciated the book’s direct approach, linking the process and the business problem to technical facilitators.

From a technology standpoint Robert emphasizes the need for a multidimensional database structure in order to make this planning concept practical, and explains how a central database can help eliminate data silos. Using technologies like RPA and API’s connecting data from multiple sources, it is now easier to automate and more reliable than ever before.

Kugel also emphasizes the importance of plans that focus on “things” as well as finances, and explains how calculating the ratio of things or resources consumed to outcomes achieved can be used to measure operating efficiency and effectiveness.

Robert neatly combines these concepts in the objective of driver-based planning, which is to identify the most consequential factors that affect the performance of a business.

Overall, Integrated Business Planning is an informative and well-written book that provides a comprehensive look at the importance of technology in driver-based planning. It is an essential read for anyone looking to gain a better understanding of the concept and its practical applications to transform the current way of working of FP&A and rewrite their mission statement in the business to become a true business partner.