June 2014 - Carlson Management Consulting

Woburn, MA and Waterbury, VT – June 19, 2014 – Carlson Management Consulting (CMC), a leading Cloud solutions and services provider with a growing list of clients nationwide, has been selected by Bentley University to implement Adaptive Insights’ corporate performance management solution and assist with enhancing the university’s reporting and strategic planning capabilities.

“We are very excited to be working with Bentley University on this important project. We are looking forward to leveraging our experience as the leading Adaptive Insights solution provider for Higher Education to enhance Bentley University’s financial planning and analysis capabilities. Consistent with their reputation as a leading business-focused university, they will be implementing ‘best in class’ Cloud technology and strengthening their strategic planning program.” states Ethan Carlson, CEO of CMC.

“During our evaluation process, it became clear that Adaptive Insights software paired with Carlson Management Consulting’s systems expertise would make for a successful partnership with the university on this important initiative.”

A study by Adaptive Insights, the leading Cloud CPM solution provider and CMC partner, shows that 64% of annual forecast targets are obsolete after 4 to 6 months. Indeed, in our experience with clients, we have found that most of their forecasts are already out of date by the time they are completed. This is a surprising finding that has serious implications for most businesses. At CMC, one of our mantras is that your plans should NEVER be out of date. Easier said than done, you may be thinking. Well, in our more than 100 years combined financial planning and analysis experience, this is achievable when you implement rolling forecasts. There are several reasons to implement rolling forecasts rather than relying solely on the traditional annual forecast. A rolling forecast:

identifies opportunities and risks in a dynamic business environment
enables driver-based planning and “what if” scenario analysis
provides the flexibility to redirect resources and priorities to better align with strategy
facilitates a culture of inclusion and empowerment

The rolling forecast allows finance professionals to identify opportunities and risks that contribute to or imperil success. It allows you to better monitor the pulse of the company so that more timely decisions can be made to ensure the company is moving forward according to plan. When a variance is found, you can then drill down to determine the underlying cause and make the appropriate adjustments.

Bentley University Selects Carlson Management Consulting for Budgeting and Forecasting System Implementation

The Benefits of Rolling Forecasts