Most companies have become accustomed to working in silos, with each department wholly dedicated to whatever they are called to focus on – be it marketing, finance, or human resources. This is natural because the concentration of skills and resources leads to better specialization and streamlined workflows. However, it can also be counterproductive for creating cohesion and a shared vision throughout the organization. 

Each department develops its own incentives, performance metrics, tools, and planning cultures that are unique to what that particular division is focused on. This can make it difficult for management’s overall strategy to reach all corners of the organization as each division is naturally running its own race. 

Unified planning provides a powerful means of aligning these departments and encouraging collaboration during the planning and performance measurement processes – all of which can lead to a more consistent vision and culture across the organization. 

The power of unified planning 

FP&A software like the solutions we create here at Apliqo, can assist in eliminating departmental silos by bringing all data and planning into one system. When the planning function is standardized and made easily accessible to all, it allows for strategic decisions to be made from an informed and balanced point of view, taking into account the complexity and nuance of every department within the company. 

This single source of truth is a powerful antidote to misaligned incentives and it means that everyone is pulling in the same direction regardless of where they happen to sit in the company. The strategic benefits here are significant because a coherent and holistic vision can permeate through every team and drive better results consistently. 

In addition to the strategic benefits of having a unified planning platform, there are also a number of intangible benefits that arise from better collaboration: 

• Inclusive culture. Cross-departmental collaboration fosters an inclusive environment where each division feels that they are working together for a common goal, and therefore, that their work is neither less nor more important than other departments. A sense of inclusion and equality is achieved. 

• Employee engagement. Employee disengagement is at an all-time high at 85%, especially following the COVID-19 pandemic. Connection is an important tool for engagement within an organization and this will increase as departments work with one another, using holistic planning. Research shows that employees that collaborate are more likely to stick with any given task for 64% longer than those that work alone. 

• Saving time. By having one platform that houses all the data and planning for each department, time is saved by reducing duplicated research which can be a time-consuming process. Decisions based on real data can be made holistically, with all departments having contributed their unique insights. 

These are just a few of the benefits that collaborative and holistic planning across departments can provide, and it also gives an important boost to morale and productivity across the board. If this is something that resonates with you, get in touch and let us show you how to embark on your own unified planning journey.