Financial planning and analysis (FP & A) Mature is the key to organizations that navigate in a turbulent and insecure business environment. These systems, which are supported by the efficiency of automation tools, have proven for cost optimization and strategic planning, a new survey.
Customs tariffs have at least a moderate influence on the profitability and financial forecast for organizations, but financial leaders are confident that their teams will continue to survive the storm, according to Proteivit's 2025 Global Finance Trends Survey Report.
Similar to the results of Protiviti 2024, FP&A remains a top priority that depends somewhat behind the security and privacy of data and almost strategic planning on a list of 15 priorities for the financing function in the next 12 months.
While the wish of stakeholders according to FP&A, Finance teams, prompted practices to improve the practices in 2025 last year, the tariff pressure continued to highlight strategic planning considerations in 2025. The uncertainty by changing the tariffs affected the organizations in several business areas. 59% of the financial leaders report that profitability was at least moderately influenced. In view of the disorders, the ability of their organization influence timely and reliable financial forecasts (64%) and create reliable financial reporting and forecast information in good time (62%).
In response to this, companies expand the skills of FP&A systems with automation tools to promote the innovation goals and reduce costs. A large part of the CFOS and finance teams reports that these tools delivered measurable success in the cost optimization efforts last year.
Protiviti interviewed over 900 financial operators worldwide in the second quarter of 2025.
“In the middle of the changing tariff landscape, FP and A as a area that requires the greatest attention of financial organizations,” the survey showed. Most managers said that their organizations are equipped to prepare for future shocks: 88% of the financial managers and experts in public companies are very or reasonably confident that the ability of their organization can navigate the current economic challenges and uncertainties. More than two thirds (68%) in private companies said the same thing.
“These results speak for the improved FP&A and the strategic planning skills that CFOs and financial teams have developed in recent years – first during global pandemic – to become predictable and react with precision and mobility,” the survey said.
The survey added, 51% of CFOs and finance managers, however, made no progress adjustment of the business process Outsourcing (BPO) or offhoring models. In order to strengthen the supply chains, companies then move to improve and increase communication with selected suppliers (60%) and to improve risk management processes (52%) this year.
Other important snack bars from the survey:
Security and data protection is in the foreground. “CFOS and finance manager still consider the security and privacy of data as the top priority that can be addressed this next year,” says the survey. A majority of managers and specialists cite concerns about this risk through the increasing use of artificial intelligence technologies (AI).
The AI provision has accelerated worldwide. A vast majority of financial organizations (72%) currently employs KI, including generative and agents -KI – more than twice as much percent compared to the survey of last year (34%).
Organizations report a considerable ROI of Tech Enablement. “Process Transformation and ERP Enablement are among the top technology areas that offer valuable cost and efficiency advantages for financial teams,” the survey said. Cloud-based applications also enable cost optimization, cyber security, FP and maturity and strategic planning.
– To comment on this article or to propose an idea for another article, contact Steph Brown at Stephanie.brown@aicpa-cima.com.