Financial planning & analysis services | UK
Know what moved.
See what matters.
Plan your next move.
Turn reporting into insight, forecasts into decisions and a growing set of numbers into a clearer view of the business.
Consult EFC provides FP&A support for management teams, founders and finance leaders. We connect actual performance, operating drivers and the forward plan, so you can challenge the numbers and act on the result.
See the thinking behind the service
The useful reporting loop
From actuals to action.
A repeatable cycle with clear assumptions and owners.
The question behind the report
What happened is the start.
What happens next is the decision.
What changed?
Explain the movement against budget, forecast and prior periods. Separate volume, pricing, mix, cost and timing effects.
What does it mean?
Connect the result to customer behaviour, capacity, contribution, cash and the assumptions in the operating plan.
What do we do?
Identify the decisions, alternatives and owners. Make the next forecast a better-informed view of the business.
FP&A works when finance and the business share definitions, challenge assumptions and follow through on the discussion. The reporting pack is part of that process.
What we build with you
A connected planning
and performance toolkit.
Budgets and operating plans
Translate priorities into revenue, delivery, headcount, overhead and investment assumptions. Agree input owners and an approval process.
Rolling forecasts
Update the outlook using new trading information. Keep a clear bridge from the previous view and document the assumptions that changed.
Management and board reporting
Combine financial results, operating drivers and commentary. Keep definitions consistent and the main messages easy to find.
Variance and driver analysis
Investigate what sits behind a movement. Distinguish a timing difference from a structural change in pricing, margin, capacity or demand.
Cash and working capital
Connect trading to collections, payments, stock, tax and other commitments. Explain why accounting profit and available cash may move differently.
Scenario and decision analysis
Explore the effect of hiring, pricing, customer mix, cost changes and investment. Compare alternatives with their assumptions and constraints.
Explore an illustrative business
Small driver changes.
A different financial result.
Try a simple monthly example. Change the operating inputs to see the relationship between revenue, direct costs and operating profit. This is an illustration of driver-based analysis, not a forecast or an industry benchmark.
Revenue = units × price. Contribution = revenue less direct costs. Operating result = contribution less fixed operating costs. This simplified example excludes tax, financing, depreciation, capital expenditure and working capital. It does not calculate cash flow.
A pack that earns its place
Make every page
answer a management question.
A good reporting pack makes the important movement easier to understand.
We agree the audience, measures, definitions and commentary before filling a dashboard. The pack should connect the current result to the forward view and identify what management needs to do.
Where the underlying data is unreliable, that becomes an explicit workstream. A polished report cannot repair inconsistent source records on its own.
| Example output | Decision it supports |
|---|---|
| Revenue and margin bridge | Is performance changing because of volume, price, mix or delivery costs? |
| Headcount and capacity view | What can the business deliver, and when is another hire justified? |
| Cash and working capital view | Where will the plan require funding or operational changes? |
| Forecast and downside case | What changes if a key assumption does not hold? |
| Risks and action log | Who owns the next step, and when will it be reviewed? |
Different models. Different drivers.
Keep the analysis close
to how your business works.
Technology, AI and data
Analyse customer and product economics, subscriptions or usage, delivery effort, compute and data costs, implementation and support. Separate commercial activity from revenue recognition and cash collection.
Useful measures depend on the contract and delivery model. A single headline growth metric should not obscure the cost of serving each new customer.
Services, product businesses and SMEs
Track the drivers relevant to your operating model, such as utilisation, project margin, order volumes, stock, capacity and debtor days. Bring operational information into the financial discussion.
Start with a manageable set of measures that management can explain and influence. Add complexity only where it helps the decision.
How we work
Set the foundations.
Then run a useful cycle.
Define the decisions and outputs
Agree the business questions, audience, reporting rhythm, forecast horizon and level of detail.
Establish reliable inputs
Review accounts, operational data and current models. Reconcile the starting position, agree definitions and document gaps.
Build and test the reporting cycle
Create the agreed forecasts, analysis and pack. Test calculations, review scenarios and discuss how the outputs should be used.
Embed ownership and repeat
Agree input deadlines, review responsibilities and action owners. Update the forecast and improve the analysis as the evidence develops.
The proposal separates initial setup from recurring support. Systems changes, extensive data remediation or specialist projects are identified separately when needed.
Choose the right layer of support
FP&A, modelling and CFO support.
Connected, with clear roles.
Need a defined model?
A financial modelling project can create a specific forecasting or decision tool, with an agreed scope and handover.
Need recurring analysis?
FP&A brings the forecast, reporting and performance discussion into a repeatable cycle.
Need senior financial leadership?
Fractional CFO support can add challenge, prioritisation, financial leadership and stakeholder conversations.
Need to rebuild the process?
Financial transformation addresses the wider processes, systems, controls and responsibilities behind finance.
Your questions
FP&A services, explained.
What are FP&A services?
Financial planning and analysis connects budgets, forecasts, performance reporting and commercial analysis. It helps management understand what is driving results, how the outlook is changing and which actions to consider. The right outputs depend on your business model and decision cycle.
How does FP&A differ from management accounts?
Management accounts report actual financial performance. FP&A uses the actuals alongside operating drivers and assumptions to explain the result, update the outlook and support decisions. Reliable accounts and clear reconciliations are important foundations, rather than competing services.
Can you build a rolling forecast?
Yes. We agree the horizon, level of detail, input owners and update frequency. A rolling forecast should reflect new information while preserving a clear explanation of changes. It is distinct from rewriting the budget so that every variance disappears.
What does an FP&A reporting pack include?
An agreed pack may include actual versus budget and forecast, revenue and margin drivers, cash and working capital, selected operational metrics, risks and actions. We tailor the analysis to the audience and business. More charts are not automatically more useful.
Can you work with our existing systems and spreadsheets?
Yes. We start by reviewing the information available and how it moves between systems. Some businesses need a controlled spreadsheet model; others need improved data flows or reporting tools. Systems selection and implementation are separately scoped where required.
Do you support AI, technology and data businesses?
Yes. Analysis can connect usage, contracts, pricing, customer retention and delivery effort to compute, data, implementation and support costs. We distinguish recurring and project activity where useful, and keep operating metrics, recognised revenue and cash collections clear.
What information do you need to start?
Typical starting information includes recent management accounts, the trial balance, the current budget or forecast, revenue and cost data, headcount plans, cash and working capital schedules. The request list is tailored to the decision, systems and quality of the records.
How long does FP&A setup take and what does it cost?
The initial setup depends on data readiness, reporting complexity, model requirements and stakeholder availability. We agree the work, milestones, fee, VAT treatment and recurring support before starting. There is no universal setup period or standard price for every business.
Can we combine FP&A with fractional CFO support?
Yes. FP&A can provide the recurring analysis and forecast cycle while fractional CFO support adds senior challenge, prioritisation and stakeholder support. We define the workstreams and responsibilities so the combination is useful and avoids unnecessary duplication.
Does a forecast predict what will happen?
No. A forecast is a structured view based on assumptions and available evidence. Scenarios show how the outcome changes when assumptions change. We explain the main limitations and sensitivities so management can use the forecast with appropriate judgement.
Start with the business question
Bring the reporting challenge.
Leave with a clearer brief.
Tell us what you need to understand, which information you have and when the next decision is due.
Engagements are led by Kishen Patel, ICAEW Chartered Accountant, with experience across Big Four audit, investment banking and corporate advisory.
We agree the outputs, responsibilities, fee and timing before work begins. Please keep sensitive financial records out of this first message.