Solver, a leading provider of planning and performance management software, has rebranded its solution from Corporate Performance Management (CPM) suite to Extended Financial Planning & Analysis (xFP&A) platform. This strategic shift reflects the growing demand for enterprise-wide planning capabilities that break down silos and empower finance teams to serve as strategic partners in decision-making.
From CPM to Modern Planning
Corporate Performance Management (CPM) encompasses the processes, methodologies, and tools organisations use to align strategies and goals with execution – covering budgeting, forecasting, reporting, consolidation, and dashboards. Historically, Solver’s CPM suite (formerly BI360) offered an Excel-native interface for financial planning, reporting, and centralised data warehousing. This enables finance teams to automate manual tasks and consolidate information from multiple sources.
Market Drivers for Change
Finance leaders are increasingly focused on value-added advisory activities over transactional work. In 2020 (updated in 2024), a McKinsey & Company study found that over 50% of finance leaders were dedicating significant time to FP&A and related strategic tasks, and this number is expected to rise.
What is xFP&A
Extended Financial Planning & Analysis (xFP&A) builds on traditional FP&A by centralising planning, reporting, consolidation, and analysis within a cloud-native environment. This unified approach automates data consolidation, supports driver-based and scenario planning, and embeds collaboration tools that accelerate decision-making across finance and business teams.
Solver’s Transition: From CPM Suite to xFP&A
In mid-2024, Solver formally announced “CPM is out, xFP&A is in,” signaling its commitment to an extended planning framework. It is a pivot from finance-centric toolset towards a holistic, enterprise-wide planning ecosystem. This is not a mere rebrand but Solver’s intent to help organisations move beyond static budgeting into dynamic, driver-based modeling and real-time scenario planning. This change is also reinforced through updated QuickStart templates and industry-specific solution models, ensuring that implementation projects immediately reflected the new extended planning direction.
Key Features Driving the Transition
- Solver Copilot AI: An embedded chat-based assistant that provides instant answers, best-practice guidance, and task support – reducing the learning curve and enabling users to maximise platform value.
- Unified Data Warehouse & Integration: Pre-built connectors and a modern cloud data warehouse bring ERP, CRM, and other systems into a single source of truth, ensuring data consistency and real-time insights.
- Native Excel Experience: Maintains a familiar Excel interface for designing reports and budget forms while leveraging cloud-scale computing for complex calculations and collaborative workflows.
Industry-Specific xFP&A Models from Solver
Solver delivers powerful, extended financial planning and analysis (xFP&A) solutions for various industries including banks, construction, credit unions, distribution, education, government, healthcare, hospitality, insurance, manufacturing, media, nonprofits, pharmaceuticals, professional services, real estate, retail, SaaS, senior living, sports teams, technology, and more. Among latest addition:
- Construction, SaaS, and Senior Living: In October 2024, these models offer tailored KPIs, driver-based planning forms, and dashboards designed for each industry’s specific challenges and growth drivers.
- Nonprofit: In April 2025, the nonprofit model includes grant tracking, donor analytics, and mission-focused performance metrics to help organisations optimise funding and demonstrate impact.
Benefits of xFP&A Compread to Traditional CPM
Comprehensive Automation and Enhanced Accuracy
Traditional CPM workflows often rely on manual spreadsheet consolidations and siloed data uploads. xFP&A platforms automate the extraction, transformation, and loading of data from ERPs, CRMs, and other operational systems into a central cloud-based data warehouse.This end-to-end automation saves time on repetitive task and also enforces a single source of truth.
Real-Time Agility and Driver-Based Planning
xFP&A empowers finance teams to build driver-based models that recalculate automatically as underlying business metrics change. Sales volumes, headcount shifts, or cost-inflation assumptions can be updated in real time, enabling “what-if” scenario analysis without waiting weeks for new budget rounds. This continuous planning capability positions finance as a strategic advisor that can pivot plans on the fly in response to market volatility or emerging opportunities.
AI-Driven Decision Support
Modern xFP&A suites embed intelligent assistants like Solver Copilot that provide instant, context-aware guidance directly within the planning interface. Users can ask natural-language questions, get step-by-step report design suggestions, or troubleshoot integration hiccups without leaving the platform. This AI-powered support accelerates user onboarding, reduces dependency on scarce technical resources, and ensures that both novice and expert users can exploit advanced features confidently.
Broad Operational Integration
Unlike CPM tools that focus narrowly on finance, xFP&A extends planning across the enterprise, integrating financials with operational data from sales, supply chain, HR, and marketing. Pre-built connectors and a unified data warehouse mean every department can collaborate on shared forecasts and dashboards. This cross-functional alignment breaks down silos, improves accountability, and ensures that strategic plans reflect the full spectrum of organisational drivers.
Self-Service Analytics and Empowerment
Traditional CPM environments often create bottlenecks as business users wait days for finance to build custom reports. xFP&A flips this model by offering self-service analytics with dashboards, ad-hoc drilldowns, and report builders that non-technical users can operate on their own. With permission-based access to real-time data, teams across organisations can explore insights instantly, make data-driven decisions, and free up finance to focus on higher-value strategic activities.
The Future of xFP&A with Solver
Solver’s roadmap includes deeper AI and ML integration for predictive forecasting and anomaly detection, as well as extending xFP&A capabilities to operational planning domains such as HR, sales, and supply chain. Evolving from a traditional CPM to a comprehensive xFP&A platform equips organisations to navigate an increasingly complex business landscape. With automated insights, industry-specific models, and a unified planning environment, Solver’s xFP&A solution empowers finance and business leaders to make faster, data-driven decisions.
Sources:
solverglobal.com/xfpa-solution/
solverglobal.com/blog/what-is-xfpa-going-beyond-financial-planning-and-analysis
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