Diagnosis of the budget preparation process and the challenges of the Group's strategic plan
Background and objectives mission
The Finance Department wishes to optimize its forecast management process in order to better manage budgets and the Group's strategic plan. The main objective is to carry out an in-depth diagnosis of existing financial processes, with particular emphasis on the budget preparation process. The aim is to clearly identify dysfunctions and strengths. The diagnosis must also analyze current governance and understand the strategic stakes at top management level. Finally, the potential impact of the target to be defined on processes, organization and information systems must be assessed, in order to guide future recommendations.
approach adopted
The process began with a mapping and analysis of the existing situation, based on documentation and interviews with key stakeholders. This enabled us to identify the stages in the current budgeting process, its weak points and areas of risk. The analysis included governance, the role of the various bodies and consistency with the Group's strategic objectives. Next, the potential functional, organizational and IT impacts of the target evolution were assessed. This approach was validated at every stage, to ensure buy-in. The summary of observations led to a presentation to the Group Executive Committee (CODIR), together with a detailed roadmap.
Benefits obtained
- Precise mapping of impacts on processes, organization and information systems, with pragmatic recommendations
- Identification of major dysfunctions: interdepartmental coordination and rigidity of the budget process
- Governance considered perfectible, particularly in terms of alignment between budget objectives and strategic plan
- Roadmap used as a guide for continuous improvement, reinforcement of financial management, and use of available data