Author archive # James Richard Articles credited to James Richard in the Solving Finance archive. This page reflects the original credited name; it does not assert a biography, employer or professional qualification. [Editorial methodology](/methodology) · [Knowledge directory](/knowledge) Budgeting & Forecasting7 min read ### [Excel’s Limitations When It Comes to FP&A](/post/excels-limitations-fpa) James Richard · November 1, 2026 AI for Finance7 min read ### [AI Verification Takes Up a Quarter of Finance’s Time](/post/ai-verification-quarter-of-finance-time) James Richard · October 18, 2026 Reporting & Automation6 min read ### [How to Spot a Missed Forecast Before the Month-End Close](/post/how-to-spot-a-missed-forecast-before-month-end-close) James Richard · October 11, 2026 Reporting & Automation7 min read ### [Getting Real FP&A Automation While Staying in Excel](/post/getting-real-fpa-automation-staying-in-excel) James Richard · October 3, 2026 Budgeting & Forecasting7 min read ### [Questions to Ask on a Demo for Native Excel FP&A Software](/post/questions-to-ask-on-a-demo-for-native-excel-fpa-software) James Richard · September 17, 2026 Reporting & Automation7 min read ### [Getting Ahead on Your Annual Budgeting Process](/post/annual-budgeting-process) James Richard · September 10, 2026 AI for Finance5 min read ### [AI Will Make Excel Even More Popular Than It Is Today](/post/ai-will-make-excel-even-more-popular) James Richard · August 28, 2026 Budgeting & Forecasting6 min read ### [Forecasting has Become More Difficult with the Token and Credit Models](/post/forecasting-token-credit-models) James Richard · August 23, 2026 Reporting & Automation5 min read ### [5 Monthly Reports Every Finance Team Should Automate](/post/monthly-finance-reports-to-automate) James Richard · August 8, 2026 Budgeting & Forecasting6 min read ### [Highest Paid CFOs in 2026 by Individual and Industry](/post/highest-paid-cfos-2026-by-individual-industry) James Richard · August 8, 2026 AI for Finance5 min read ### [Supply Chain AI is Only as Strong as Its Data Foundation](/post/supply-chain-ai-data-foundation) James Richard · July 31, 2026 AI for Finance6 min read ### [How to be Audit Ready for AI in Finance](/post/how-to-be-audit-ready-for-ai-in-finance) James Richard · July 24, 2026 AI for Finance5 min read ### [Why Uploading a Spreadsheet to Chatbots is Not an AI Finance Strategy](/post/why-uploading-spreadsheets-is-not-an-ai-finance-strategy) James Richard · July 20, 2026 Reporting & Automation7 min read ### [Top Excel influencers](/post/top-excel-influencers) James Richard · July 11, 2026 AI for Finance5 min read ### [When AI Makes the Business Decisions, What’s Left of the FP&A Career?](/post/ai-business-decisions-fpa-career) James Richard · June 28, 2026 AI for Finance10 min read ### [Top AI Plugins for Excel](/post/top-excel-ai-plugins) James Richard · June 21, 2026 AI for Finance5 min read ### [AI in Excel for CPM Software](/post/ai-in-excel-for-cpm-software) James Richard · June 14, 2026 AI for Finance6 min read ### [AI Transparency in FP&A Reporting](/post/ai-transparency-in-fpa-reporting) James Richard · June 6, 2026 AI for Finance7 min read ### [AI Eliminating Manual Finance Work](/post/ai-eliminating-manual-finance-work-fpa-careers) James Richard · June 1, 2026 AI for Finance4 min read ### [3 Finance AI Workflows Teams Are Successfully Using with Results](/post/3-finance-ai-workflows-teams-are-successfully-using-with-results) James Richard · May 25, 2026 AI for Finance4 min read ### [Top Excel AI Podcast Episodes](/post/top-excel-ai-podcast-episodes) James Richard · May 12, 2026 Budgeting & Forecasting9 min read ### [Pricing Strategies and How They Affect the P&L](/post/pricing-strategies-affect-pnl) James Richard · May 3, 2026 Budgeting & Forecasting5 min read ### [100 Ways to Use Claude for FP&A](/post/use-claude-for-fpa-100-ways) James Richard · April 22, 2026 Excel & Modeling3 min read ### [Using Claude with Excel for Finance](/post/using-claude-with-excel-for-finance) James Richard · April 14, 2026 Budgeting & Forecasting4 min read ### [Why Excel is Still Perfect for FP&A](/post/excel-still-perfect-for-fpa) James Richard · March 23, 2026 Excel & Modeling6 min read ### [How Can CFOs and Finance Teams Reduce Their Reliance on Excel?](/post/finance-teams-reduce-reliance-on-excel) James Richard · March 12, 2026 Reporting & Automation3 min read ### [Free Excel Templates to Make Your FP&A Job Easier](/post/free-excel-templates-make-fpa-easier) James Richard · March 4, 2026 Budgeting & Forecasting5 min read ### [CFO’s Cling to Excel Despite Its Limitations as an FP&A Tool](/post/cfo-cling-to-excel-fpa-limitations) James Richard · February 19, 2026 AI for Finance6 min read ### [How to Choose the Best AI FP&A Software for Excel Users](/post/how-to-choose-the-best-ai-fpa-software-for-excel-users) James Richard · January 28, 2026 AI for Finance4 min read ### [Integrating AI Plugins with Excel: A Step-by-Step Guide](/post/integrating-ai-plugins-with-excel) James Richard · January 25, 2026 Excel & Modeling4 min read ### [54% of GenZ Finance Employees Still Love Excel](/post/genz-finance-employees-still-love-excel) James Richard · January 12, 2026 Reporting & Automation5 min read ### [Python in Excel for FP&A](/post/python-in-excel-for-fpa) James Richard · January 6, 2026 AI for Finance4 min read ### [How Microsoft is Using Excel and AI to Shape the Future](/post/microsoft-excel-ai-future) James Richard · December 16, 2025 Excel & Modeling4 min read ### [2025 Excel World Championship is in the Books and it did not Disappoint](/post/2025-excel-world-championships) James Richard · December 14, 2025 Budgeting & Forecasting6 min read ### [Excel Add-in Vs. FP&A Software: What’s Better?](/post/excel-add-in-vs-fpa-software-whats-better) James Richard · November 30, 2025 AI for Finance4 min read ### [What is Excel’s Plan with AI?](/post/excel-plan-with-ai) James Richard · November 23, 2025 Reporting & Automation4 min read ### [The 5 Financial Processes Every Startup Should Automate First](/post/financial-processes-startups-should-automate) James Richard · November 16, 2025 Reporting & Automation3 min read ### [5 KPIs Every FP&A Manager Should Track](/post/5-kpis-every-fpa-manager-should-track) James Richard · November 2, 2025 Reporting & Automation3 min read ### [Why your FP&A Team is Spending More Time Explaining the Numbers than Improving Them](/post/pa-team-explaining-numbers) James Richard · October 27, 2025 Reporting & Automation4 min read ### [Metrics for CFO Dashboards that Truly Matter](/post/metrics-for-cfo-dashboards-that-truly-matter) James Richard · October 19, 2025 Budgeting & Forecasting4 min read ### [How to Move from Spreadsheets to Smart Tools for Forecasting](/post/how-to-move-from-spreadsheets-to-smart-tools-for-forecasting) James Richard · October 13, 2025 Budgeting & Forecasting4 min read ### [FP&A Vs Accounting: Practical Differences](/post/fpa-vs-accounting-practical-differences) James Richard · October 5, 2025 AI for Finance3 min read ### [How CFOs Can Measure ROI on AI Investments](/post/how-cfos-can-measure-roi-on-ai-investments) James Richard · September 28, 2025 AI for Finance3 min read ### [Using AI In Variance Analysis](/post/using-ai-in-variance-analysis) James Richard · September 21, 2025 Reporting & Automation3 min read ### [Tips to Improve Your Financial Storytelling](/post/tips-to-improve-your-financial-storytelling) James Richard · September 8, 2025 AI for Finance3 min read ### [Agentic AI in Finance](/post/agentic-ai-in-finance) James Richard · August 31, 2025 Budgeting & Forecasting8 min read ### [What is COGS?](/post/what-is-cogs) James Richard · August 24, 2025 AI for Finance6 min read ### [How GenAI is Exposing New Opportunities and Risks for CFOs](/post/how-genai-impacts-cfo-opportunities-and-risks) James Richard · August 10, 2025 Budgeting & Forecasting4 min read ### [Financial Agility is the Key to FP&A and Real Estate](/post/financial-agility-is-the-key-to-fpa-and-real-estate) James Richard · August 3, 2025 Budgeting & Forecasting5 min read ### [3 Reasons Why the CFO’s Role is Not Changing](/post/why-cfo-role-is-not-changing) James Richard · July 27, 2025 Budgeting & Forecasting5 min read ### [Capital Allocation: How to Maximize Financial Returns](/post/capital-allocation-maximize-financial-returns) James Richard · July 27, 2025 Budgeting & Forecasting6 min read ### [What is Sales Performance Management?](/post/what-is-sales-performance-management) James Richard · July 20, 2025 Budgeting & Forecasting4 min read ### [The CFO’s Role in Cybersecurity](/post/cfo-role-in-cybersecurity) James Richard · July 13, 2025 Budgeting & Forecasting7 min read ### [From CFO to CEO: 5 High Profile Cases and Why It’s Becoming More Common](/post/from-cfo-to-ceo-5-high-profile-cases-and-why-its-becoming-more-common) James Richard · June 29, 2025 Reporting & Automation6 min read ### [Consolidated Financial Statements Definition and Examples](/post/consolidated-financial-statements-definition-and-examples) James Richard · June 22, 2025 Reporting & Automation4 min read ### [How to Improve Month End Close Using Financial Automation?](/post/how-to-improve-month-end-close-using-financial-automation) James Richard · May 18, 2025 6 min read ### [The Guide to Fixed Asset Depreciation](/post/fixed-asset-depreciation-guide) James Richard · April 28, 2025 Budgeting & Forecasting6 min read ### [Top Working Capital Metrics to Monitor](/post/working-capital-metrics-guide) James Richard · April 21, 2025 Budgeting & Forecasting6 min read ### [Short-Term vs Long-Term Cash Flow Forecasting](/post/short-vs-long-term-cash-forecasting) James Richard · April 12, 2025 Budgeting & Forecasting5 min read ### [What is Financial Modeling?](/post/what-is-financial-modeling) James Richard · March 31, 2025 Budgeting & Forecasting2 min read ### [How to Find Variance in Excel?](/post/how-to-find-variance-in-excel) James Richard · March 24, 2025 Reporting & Automation6 min read ### [5 Reasons the Month End Close Takes Too Long](/post/5-reasons-month-end-close-is-slow) James Richard · March 19, 2025 Excel & Modeling5 min read ### [How to Create a Data Model in Excel](/post/how-to-create-data-model-excel) James Richard · March 11, 2025 Reporting & Automation5 min read ### [What is the Month End Close Process?](/post/month-end-close-process) James Richard · March 3, 2025 Budgeting & Forecasting5 min read ### [Vertical Analysis in the Balance Sheet](/post/vertical-analysis-balance-sheet) James Richard · February 23, 2025 Budgeting & Forecasting4 min read ### [Accounts Receivable Turnover Ratio Explained](/post/accounts-receivable-turnover-ratio-explained) James Richard · February 17, 2025 Budgeting & Forecasting5 min read ### [The Complete Guide to Headcount Planning](/post/the-complete-guide-to-headcount-planning) James Richard · February 3, 2025 Reporting & Automation3 min read ### [5 Characteristics of an Effective KPI](/post/5-characteristics-of-an-effective-kpi) James Richard · January 26, 2025 AI for Finance5 min read ### [What is AI in Finance?](/post/what-is-ai-in-finance) James Richard · January 19, 2025 Budgeting & Forecasting6 min read ### [Target Operating Model for Budgeting](/post/target-operating-model-budgeting) James Richard · January 13, 2025 AI for Finance3 min read ### [AI Tools for Excel](/post/ai-tools-for-excel) James Richard · January 5, 2025 Budgeting & Forecasting4 min read ### [Difference Between Bookings, Billing, and Revenue](/post/difference-between-bookings-billing-revenue) James Richard · December 24, 2024 Budgeting & Forecasting4 min read ### [What is the Budget Burn Rate?](/post/what-is-budget-burn-rate) James Richard · December 15, 2024 Reporting & Automation10 min read ### [Step by Step Year- End Close Guide](/post/step-by-step-year-end-close-guide) James Richard · December 9, 2024 Budgeting & Forecasting6 min read ### [Guide to Integrated Business Planning](/post/guide-to-integrated-business-planning) James Richard · December 1, 2024 Budgeting & Forecasting3 min read ### [Year-End Incentives for Finance Professionals Expected to Increase](/post/year-end-incentives-for-finance-professionals-expected-to-increase) James Richard · November 24, 2024 Reporting & Automation3 min read ### [10 Step Month- End Close Checklist](/post/10-step-month-end-close-checklist) James Richard · November 17, 2024 Tools & Reviews7 min read ### [History of Finance Tools](/post/history-of-finance-tools) James Richard · November 12, 2024 Budgeting & Forecasting5 min read ### [Contribution Margin Income Statements](/post/contribution-margin-income-statements) James Richard · November 4, 2024 Excel & Modeling4 min read ### [Best Excel Courses for Finance](/post/best-excel-courses-for-finance) James Richard · October 29, 2024 AI for Finance3 min read ### [AI Adoption in Finance Just Took Off](/post/ai-adoption-is-transforming-finance) James Richard · October 21, 2024 Budgeting & Forecasting3 min read ### [CapEx vs. OpEx: What’s the Difference?](/post/capex-vs-opex-whats-the-difference) James Richard · October 1, 2024 Budgeting & Forecasting6 min read ### [What is Sales and Operations Planning (S&OP)?](/post/what-is-sop) James Richard · September 22, 2024 Reporting & Automation6 min read ### [Power BI Dashboards for Finance](/post/power-bi-dashboards-for-finance) James Richard · September 16, 2024 Budgeting & Forecasting3 min read ### [Predictive Analytics in Finance](/post/predictive-analytics-finance) James Richard · September 3, 2024 Budgeting & Forecasting7 min read ### [Top FP&A Courses and Certifications](/post/top-fpa-courses-certifications) James Richard · August 27, 2024 Tools & Reviews4 min read ### [Total Debt-to-Equity Ratio](/post/total-debt-to-equity-ratio) James Richard · August 19, 2024 Excel & Modeling5 min read ### [Google Sheets vs. Excel](/post/google-sheets-vs-excel) James Richard · August 14, 2024 Excel & Modeling5 min read ### [List of the Best Free Excel Templates](/post/list-of-the-best-free-excel-templates) James Richard · August 6, 2024 AI for Finance3 min read ### [4 ChatGPT Prompts From Finance Professionals](/post/chatgpt-prompts-for-finance) James Richard · July 28, 2024 AI for Finance5 min read ### [How to Use ChatGPT for Finance](/post/how-to-use-chatgpt-for-finance) James Richard · July 23, 2024 Budgeting & Forecasting5 min read ### [What is Profitability Analysis?](/post/what-is-profitability-analysis) James Richard · July 14, 2024 Budgeting & Forecasting4 min read ### [Operating Income](/post/operating-income) James Richard · June 17, 2024 Budgeting & Forecasting6 min read ### [Best CFO Podcasts](/post/best-cfo-podcasts) James Richard · June 17, 2024 Budgeting & Forecasting4 min read ### [What is FP&A?](/post/what-is-fpa) James Richard · June 13, 2024 AI for Finance7 min read ### [CFO Guide to AI and Excel](/post/cfo-guide-ai-excel) James Richard · May 30, 2024 Excel & Modeling6 min read ### [What is a 3 Statement Financial Model?](/post/what-is-a-3-statement-financial-model) James Richard · May 20, 2024 Budgeting & Forecasting4 min read ### [How Scenario Planning Boosts Decision-Making for CFOs?](/post/how-scenario-planning-boosts-decision-making-for-cfos) James Richard · May 14, 2024 AI for Finance5 min read ### [How AI Is Shaping Finance Trends in 2024](/post/ai-shapes-finance-trends-2024) James Richard · May 7, 2024 Budgeting & Forecasting6 min read ### [How Scenario Planning Drives Results](/post/scenario-planning-drive-results) James Richard · April 29, 2024 AI for Finance6 min read ### [Will AI Replace Excel?](/post/will-ai-replace-excel) James Richard · April 23, 2024 Budgeting & Forecasting5 min read ### [Net Income vs. Gross Income](/post/net-income-vs-gross-income) James Richard · April 14, 2024 Budgeting & Forecasting5 min read ### [What are Data Silos and Why are They a Problem?](/post/what-are-data-silos-and-why-are-they-a-problem) James Richard · April 7, 2024 Excel & Modeling6 min read ### [Best Websites to Learn Excel](/post/best-websites-learn-excel) James Richard · March 31, 2024 Budgeting & Forecasting6 min read ### [What is CapEx?](/post/what-is-capex) James Richard · March 31, 2024 Excel & Modeling9 min read ### [Excel Models by Industry and Function](/post/excel-models-by-industry-and-function) James Richard · March 25, 2024 AI for Finance2 min read ### [3 Must-Read Daily Finance AI Newsletters for CFOs](/post/3-finance-ai-newsletters) James Richard · March 18, 2024 AI for Finance12 min read ### [Best Excel Plugins: Free, Paid, and AI Add-Ins](/post/best-excel-plugins-free-paid-and-ai-add-ins) James Richard · March 17, 2024 Budgeting & Forecasting3 min read ### [How to Develop Budgeting Skills?](/post/how-to-develop-budgeting-skills) James Richard · March 10, 2024 Budgeting & Forecasting4 min read ### [How to Calculate the ROI?](/post/how-to-calculate-the-roi) James Richard · March 3, 2024 Budgeting & Forecasting5 min read ### [Key Terms for Building Financial Fluency Skills](/post/key-terms-financial-fluency-skills) James Richard · February 18, 2024 Reporting & Automation4 min read ### [How to Quickly Review an Annual Report?](/post/how-to-quickly-review-an-annual-report) James Richard · February 10, 2024 Budgeting & Forecasting3 min read ### [How to Understand the Cashflow Statement](/post/mastering-cashflow-statement) James Richard · February 3, 2024 Budgeting & Forecasting4 min read ### [Analyzing the Income Statement](/post/analyzing-the-income-statement) James Richard · January 28, 2024 Budgeting & Forecasting3 min read ### [Mastering Financial Statement Analysis by Decoding the Balance Sheet](/post/mastering-financial-statement-analysis-decoding-balance-sheet) James Richard · January 22, 2024 Reporting & Automation5 min read ### [Simple Tasks You Can Automate with Excel](/post/simple-tasks-automate-excel) James Richard · January 15, 2024 Excel & Modeling5 min read ### [How to Format Your Excel Spreadsheets](/post/excel-spreadsheet-formatting-guide) James Richard · December 13, 2023 Reporting & Automation7 min read ### [10 Essential KPIs for CFOs to Monitor in 2024](/post/top-10-cfos-kpis-2024) James Richard · November 20, 2023 Tools & Reviews4 min read ### [SaaS ERP vs. Cloud ERP: What’s the Difference?](/post/saas-erp-vs-cloud-erp-differences) James Richard · November 7, 2023 Budgeting & Forecasting6 min read ### [Business vs. Personal Bank Accounts](/post/business-vs-personal-bank-accounts) James Richard · October 30, 2023 Budgeting & Forecasting5 min read ### [What is a Receipt?](/post/what-is-a-receipt) James Richard · October 22, 2023 Excel & Modeling5 min read ### [How to Perform Financial Analysis Using Excel?](/post/financial-analysis-excel-guide) James Richard · October 15, 2023 Reporting & Automation5 min read ### [Complete Month-End Close Checklist](/post/month-end-close-checklist) James Richard · October 8, 2023 Budgeting & Forecasting5 min read ### [What is Vertical Analysis?](/post/vertical-analysis-explained) James Richard · September 23, 2023 Budgeting & Forecasting7 min read ### [Discounted Cash Flow Model in Excel](/post/excel-discounted-cash-flow-model) James Richard · September 16, 2023 Budgeting & Forecasting5 min read ### [What is a Chart of Accounts?](/post/chart-of-accounts) James Richard · September 10, 2023 AI for Finance12 min read ### [The Best AI Tools for Excel Users](/post/ai-tools-for-excel-users) James Richard · August 18, 2023 AI for Finance3 min read ### [6 Key Insights from Gartner’s AI-themed CFO & Finance Executive Conference 2023](/post/6-key-insights-from-gartners-executive-conference) James Richard · August 4, 2023 Budgeting & Forecasting4 min read ### [Leveraging Excel in Cash Flow Planning](/post/leveraging-excel-in-cash-flow-planning) James Richard · August 1, 2023 Budgeting & Forecasting6 min read ### [8 Ratios for Evaluating Your Company’s Financial Efficiency](/post/8-ratios-for-evaluating-your-company-s-financial-efficiency) James Richard · August 1, 2023 Budgeting & Forecasting4 min read ### [The Four C’s of Financial Planning to Keep an Eye On](/post/the-four-c-s-of-financial-planning-to-keep-an-eye-on) James Richard · July 30, 2023 Budgeting & Forecasting4 min read ### [The Ups and Downs of Zero Based-Budgeting](/post/the-ups-and-downs-of-zero-based-budgeting) James Richard · July 30, 2023 Budgeting & Forecasting5 min read ### [The 5 Best FP&A Courses to Improve Your Finance Career](/post/5-best-fp-a-courses-to-improve-finance-career) James Richard · July 28, 2023 Excel & Modeling4 min read ### [7 Quirky and Lesser Known Facts About Excel](/post/7-quirky-and-lesser-known-facts-about-excel) James Richard · July 19, 2023 Budgeting & Forecasting9 min read ### [Best FP&A Software Solutions for Excel Users](/post/best-fp-a-software-for-excel-users) James Richard · June 20, 2023 Reporting & Automation5 min read ### [How to Create Ad Hoc Reports in Excel](/post/how-to-create-ad-hoc-reports-in-excel) James Richard · June 11, 2023 AI for Finance4 min read ### [Will ChatGPT Replace Jobs? This Might Sound Familiar](/post/will-chatgpt-replace-jobs) James Richard · June 7, 2023 Reporting & Automation5 min read ### [Effective Dashboard Practices as an Excel User in 2023](/post/effective-dashboard-practices) James Richard · May 27, 2023 Budgeting & Forecasting4 min read ### [10 Free Finance Guides from Top Creators](/post/10-free-finance-guides-from-top-creators) James Richard · May 19, 2023 Budgeting & Forecasting3 min read ### [5 Important Financial Ratios For Assessing the Health of a Company](/post/5-important-financial-ratios-for-assessing-a-company) James Richard · May 8, 2023 Excel & Modeling5 min read ### [Upgrade Your Financial Processes: Say Goodbye to Waterfall Chasing in Excel](/post/upgrade-your-financial-processes-say-goodbye-to-waterfall-chasing-in-excel) James Richard · May 3, 2023 Budgeting & Forecasting4 min read ### [The Top 5 Cash Flow Forecasting Mistakes](/post/the-top-5-cash-flow-forecasting-mistakes) James Richard · April 27, 2023 Reporting & Automation4 min read ### [Financial Reporting with Excel Done Right](/post/financial-reporting-with-excel-done-right) James Richard · April 27, 2023 Excel & Modeling3 min read ### [Is Excel a Programming Language?](/post/is-excel-a-programming-language) James Richard · April 22, 2023 Budgeting & Forecasting3 min read ### [Top 3 Excel-based Financial Planning Software for 2024](/post/3-platforms-to-improve-your-company-s-spreadsheet-efficiency) James Richard · April 21, 2023 Reporting & Automation6 min read ### [Variance Analysis: Top 4 Best Practices to Report in Excel](/post/variance-analysis-top-4-best-practices-to-report-in-excel) James Richard · April 20, 2023 Budgeting & Forecasting5 min read ### [4 Common Problems in Budgeting & Forecasting with Excel & How to Fix Them](/post/problems-budgeting-forecasting-with-excel) James Richard · April 14, 2023 Excel & Modeling5 min read ### [The Top 5 Dangers of Using Spreadsheets for Financial Modeling](/post/the-top-5-dangers-of-using-spreadsheetsfor-financial-modeling) James Richard · April 14, 2023 Budgeting & Forecasting3 min read ### [The Soft Skills FP&A Professionals Need to be Successful](/post/the-soft-skills-fp-a-professionals-need-to-be-successful) James Richard · April 13, 2023 Reporting & Automation5 min read ### [The Guide to Creating a Variance Analysis Report in Excel](/post/creating-variance-analysis-report-in-excel) James Richard · April 9, 2023 Budgeting & Forecasting6 min read ### [The Top Communities for Finance Professionals](/post/top-4-communities-for-finance-professionals) James Richard · April 5, 2023 AI for Finance4 min read ### [Will AI Help Solve the Finance Employee Shortage?](/post/will-ai-help-solve-the-finance-employee-shortage) James Richard · April 2, 2023 Excel & Modeling4 min read ### [Mastering the Art of Excel: Best Practices for Creating Spreadsheets](/post/best-practices-for-creating-excel-spreadsheets) James Richard · March 30, 2023 Excel & Modeling3 min read ### [Mastering Cohort Analysis in Excel: A Comprehensive Guide](/post/cohort-analysis-in-excel) James Richard · March 25, 2023 Reporting & Automation4 min read ### [Key takeaways from Microsoft’s Finance Team: Excel, Automation, and Efficiency](/post/takeaways-from-microsoft-s-finance-team) James Richard · March 23, 2023 Budgeting & Forecasting4 min read ### [What is EBITDA in Finance?](/post/ebitda-in-finance) James Richard · March 19, 2023 Budgeting & Forecasting5 min read ### [Top Finance and FP&A Books](/post/top-finance-fpa-books) James Richard · March 12, 2023 Budgeting & Forecasting7 min read ### [Calculating Projected Sales: FP&A Leaders’ Guide](/post/calculating-projected-sales-fpa-leaders-guide) James Richard · March 2, 2023 Excel & Modeling8 min read ### [Best Excel Courses for Financial Teams (2024)](/post/best-excel-courses-for-finance-teams) James Richard · February 28, 2023 Excel & Modeling4 min read ### [Top 13 Excel Tips for Accounting](/post/13-excel-tips-for-accounting) James Richard · February 22, 2023 Budgeting & Forecasting5 min read ### [FP&A Skills and Trends of the Future](/post/fp-a-skills-and-trends-of-the-future) James Richard · February 17, 2023 Reporting & Automation3 min read ### [How to Connect the Numbers to Non-Financial Executives](/post/how-to-connect-the-numbers-to-non-financial-executives) James Richard · February 11, 2023 Excel & Modeling5 min read ### [The 5 Secrets to Excel’s Survival](/post/the-5-secrets-to-excel-s-survival) James Richard · February 2, 2023 Budgeting & Forecasting5 min read ### [The History of Budgeting: When did it Start and the Evolution Over Time](/post/retrospectively-understand-budgeting) James Richard · January 31, 2023 Reporting & Automation5 min read ### [How to Create an Efficient Board Reporting Package](/post/the-must-haves-for-board-reporting) James Richard · January 24, 2023 Excel & Modeling7 min read ### [Excel Accounting with Bargain Purchases](/post/excel-accounting-with-bargain-purchases) James Richard · January 18, 2023 Reporting & Automation4 min read ### [How to Accelerate the Month-End Close Process](/post/how-to-accelerate-the-month-end-close-process) James Richard · January 10, 2023 Budgeting & Forecasting4 min read ### [Accelerate Your Invoice Error Repair this Quarter](/post/accelerate-your-invoice-error-repair-this-quarter) James Richard · January 4, 2023 Budgeting & Forecasting4 min read ### [The Transition from Growth At Any Cost to Sustainable Growth](/post/the-transition-from-growth-at-any-cost-to-sustainable-growth) James Richard · December 28, 2022 Budgeting & Forecasting6 min read ### [Leveraging What-If Analysis in Excel](/post/leveraging-what-if-analysis-in-excel) James Richard · December 22, 2022 Reporting & Automation5 min read ### [Guide Your Company Into Corporate Governance Excellence](/post/guide-your-company-into-corporate-governance-excellence) James Richard · December 17, 2022 Budgeting & Forecasting4 min read ### [Gaining a Competitive Edge by Mastering FP&A Storytelling](/post/mastering-fp-a-storytelling) James Richard · December 16, 2022 Excel & Modeling5 min read ### [What to do When Excel Doesn’t Meet Your Spreadsheet Needs](/post/what-to-do-when-excel-doesnt-meet-your-needs) James Richard · December 12, 2022 Reporting & Automation5 min read ### [KPIs vs. Metrics: The Complete Guide](/post/when-to-change-kpis-the-complete-guide) James Richard · December 5, 2022 Budgeting & Forecasting4 min read ### [Scenario Analysis vs. Sensitivity Analysis: Which one is Better for your Organization?](/post/scenario-analysis-vs-sensitivity-analysis) James Richard · November 30, 2022 Reporting & Automation4 min read ### [Tech Skilled Candidates Can Help Solve the Finance Job Shortage](/post/tech-skilled-candidates-can-solve-finance-shortage) James Richard · November 26, 2022 Budgeting & Forecasting7 min read ### [Dear Excel, How can FP&A professionals make the most of their spreadsheets?](/post/dear-excel-how-can-fp-a-professionals-make-the-most-of-their-spreadsheets) James Richard · November 21, 2022 Budgeting & Forecasting5 min read ### [The Ultimate Guide to Trend Analysis](/post/the-ultimate-guide-to-trend-analysis) James Richard · November 13, 2022 Budgeting & Forecasting6 min read ### [Creating Better Cash Flow Statements](/post/creating-better-cash-flow-statements) James Richard · November 8, 2022 Budgeting & Forecasting4 min read ### [What is Seasonal Forecasting?](/post/increase-fp-a-accuracy-with-seasonal-forecasts) James Richard · November 2, 2022 Excel & Modeling4 min read ### [The New Functions To Add To Your Excel Toolbox](/post/the-new-functions-to-add-to-your-excel-toolbox) James Richard · November 1, 2022 Excel & Modeling5 min read ### [Excel Chart & Graph Methods Every Finance Department Should Use](/post/excel-chart-graph-methods-every-finance-department-should-use) James Richard · October 17, 2022 Excel & Modeling4 min read ### [Almost 90% of Excel Spreadsheets Contain Errors: Here’s how to Avoid this Statistic](/post/90-percent-of-spreadsheets-have-errors) James Richard · October 11, 2022 Budgeting & Forecasting6 min read ### [Enhancing Performance with Driver-Based Budgeting](/post/enhancing-performance-with-driver-based-budgeting) James Richard · October 3, 2022 Excel & Modeling5 min read ### [Excel is not a Database!](/post/excel-is-not-a-database) James Richard · September 29, 2022 Excel & Modeling4 min read ### [How Software Fills the Gaps in Excel](/post/striking-a-middle-ground-in-contemporary-finance) James Richard · September 18, 2022 Excel & Modeling3 min read ### [Excel vs Google Sheets: Why Excel Is Better](/post/excel-vs-google-sheets) James Richard · September 10, 2022 Excel & Modeling5 min read ### [The Excel User’s Guide to Data Accuracy](/post/the-excel-user-s-guide-to-data-accuracy) James Richard · September 6, 2022 Excel & Modeling7 min read ### [The Wall of Shame for the Worst Excel Errors](/post/the-wall-of-shame-for-the-worst-excel-errors) James Richard · August 26, 2022 Excel & Modeling4 min read ### [The Most Powerful Excel Functions You Aren’t Using](/post/the-most-powerful-excel-functions-you-aren-t-using) James Richard · August 11, 2022 Excel & Modeling4 min read ### [10 Important Excel Web and Desktop Updates](/post/10-excel-web-and-desktop-updates) James Richard · August 6, 2022 Budgeting & Forecasting4 min read ### [Addressing the 4 Most Common Data Integration Challenges](/post/4-data-integration-challenges) James Richard · July 30, 2022 Reporting & Automation3 min read ### [Study: Dysfunctional FP&A Reporting Processes Costs US Companies $7.8 Billion](/post/7-8-billion-lost-in-dysfunctional-fp-a-reporting) James Richard · July 20, 2022 Budgeting & Forecasting6 min read ### [The Top Women in Finance and CFO Positions](/post/women-are-leading-the-way-towards-modern-finance) James Richard · July 14, 2022 Budgeting & Forecasting5 min read ### [5 Questions To Consider About Strategic Budgeting and Forecasting](/post/5-questions-to-consider-about-strategic-budgeting-and-forecasting) James Richard · July 4, 2022 Excel & Modeling3 min read ### [Microsoft Excel Vs. Apple’s Numbers: Who is Superior?](/post/microsoft-excel-versus-apple-s-numbers-who-is-superior) James Richard · June 16, 2022 Excel & Modeling5 min read ### [Analyzing large datasets with the power pivot in Excel](/post/analyzing-large-datasets-with-power-pivot-in-excel) James Richard · June 10, 2022 Excel & Modeling5 min read ### [How to use VLOOKUP, HLOOKUP and INDEX MATCH in Excel](/post/how-to-use-vlookup-hlookup-and-index-match-in-excel) James Richard · June 3, 2022 Excel & Modeling3 min read ### [How to Use Microsoft’s “Money in Excel” to Manage Your Finances](/post/how-to-use-microsoft-s-money-in-excel-to-manage-your-finances) James Richard · May 25, 2022 Budgeting & Forecasting4 min read ### [xP&A: Extending FP&A Principles Beyond the Finance Department](/post/xp-a-extending-fp-a-principles-beyond-the-finance-department) James Richard · May 17, 2022 Budgeting & Forecasting4 min read ### [How Technology Can Help FP&A Bridge the Strategy Execution Gap](/post/how-technology-can-help-fp-a-bridge-the-strategy-execution-gap) James Richard · May 10, 2022 Budgeting & Forecasting2 min read ### [How to Execute Good FP&A Practices in a High-Tech World](/post/how-to-execute-good-fp-a-practices-in-a-high-tech-world) James Richard · May 3, 2022 Budgeting & Forecasting3 min read ### [Common FP&A Problems With Excel & How to Fix Them](/post/common-fp-a-problems-with-excel-and-how-to-fix-them) James Richard · April 30, 2022 Excel & Modeling5 min read ### [6 Excel Skills Every Finance Professional Should Know](/post/6-excel-skills-every-finance-professional-should-know) James Richard · April 23, 2022 Reporting & Automation6 min read ### [Utilizing Spreadsheet Automation](/post/utilizing-spreadsheet-automation) James Richard · April 10, 2022 Budgeting & Forecasting5 min read ### [An Outline of the Forecasting Methods You Need](/post/an-outline-of-the-forecasting-methods-you-need) James Richard · April 5, 2022 Budgeting & Forecasting3 min read ### [Profit and Loss Statements: 3 Steps for Better Insights](/post/profit-and-loss-statements-3-steps-for-better-insights) James Richard · April 2, 2022 Excel & Modeling4 min read ### [How to Create a VBA To Show Details For A SUMIFS Function](/post/vba-to-show-details-for-a-sumifs-function) James Richard · January 30, 2021 Excel & Modeling4 min read ### [Best Practices for Financial Modeling](/post/best-practices-financial-modeling) James Richard · January 27, 2021 Reporting & Automation2 min read ### [Time is Money: Automate your VLOOKUP Formulas](/post/time-is-money-automate-your-vlookup-formulas) James Richard · January 15, 2021