xFP&A Blog

Browse featured stories and the latest posts on a variety of extended financial planning and analysis topics. 

solver-ascend-2027-registration-is-open-aug-16-to-19-in-dana-point

3 min read

Registration Open: ASCEND 2027 is August 16-19 in Dana Point

It’s official: Solver ASCEND 2027 is heading home to Southern California! Join us August 16 to 19, 2027, at the newly renovated Ocean Cliffs at Dana Point, a JW Marriott Resort, (formerly Laguna Cliffs Marriott Resort & Spa). Registration is open...

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Solver’s Commitment to Dynamics GP: Now and for the Next Decade

2 min read

Solver’s Commitment to Dynamics GP: Now and for the Next Decade

When Microsoft moved Dynamics GP to its Modern Lifecycle Policy, many organizations asked the same practical question: what happens to the tools...

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what-is-fpa-definition-functions-and-strategic-role

7 min read

What Is FP&A? Definition, Functions, and Strategic Role

Financial planning and analysis (FP&A) is the corporate finance function responsible for budgeting, forecasting, and analyzing financial performance...

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solver-xfiles-the-case-of-the-never-ending-integration

2 min read

Solver xFiles: The Case of the Never-Ending Integration

Welcome to xFiles, Solver's investigative video series that uncovers the most perplexing mysteries plaguing finance teams everywhere. Each episode...

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excel-based-fpa-software-a-buyers-checklist-for-2026

4 min read

Excel-Based FP&A Software: A Buyer's Checklist for 2026

The criteria that matter most are the ones that go beyond what Excel already does on its own. Excel now supports co-authoring and cell-level change...

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top-excel-based-fpa-tools-for-2026-how-to-compare-them

3 min read

Top Excel-Based FP&A Tools for 2026: How to Compare Them

The tools worth considering in this category share four traits: a native Excel interface rather than an Excel export or import layer, a centralized...

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Driver-Based Planning in Excel: Is FP&A Actually Possible?

4 min read

Driver-Based Planning in Excel: Is FP&A Actually Possible?

Driver-based planning is a forecasting approach where a budget or forecast is built from the underlying business activities that create it, such as...

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the-limits-of-excel-for-fpanda-how-to-fix-them

4 min read

The Limits of Excel for FP&A (and How to Fix Them)

Excel's limitations in FP&A show up at scale, and they are narrower than they used to be. Modern Excel supports real-time co-authoring and records...

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plan-your-community-summit-2026-setlist-find-solver-in-nashville

5 min read

Plan Your Community Summit 2026 Setlist: Find Solver in Nashville

Microsoft customers and partners are heading to Music City for Community Summit North America (NA) 2026, October 11-15 at the Gaylord Opryland Resort...

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excel-vs.-cloud-fpanda-why-you-dont-have-to-choose

4 min read

Excel vs. Cloud FP&A: Why You Don't Have to Choose

The real difference is not whether a spreadsheet is involved. It is where the data and the controls live. Excel-based FP&A keeps the Excel interface...

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