Strategic Finance

Inplenion’s Strategic Finance starter kit covers every layer of a best-practice long-range planning model. From the core financial statements through to scenario management, FX effects, cost allocations, and group treasury, each module is prebuilt and ready to configure for your business. The sections below walk through what is included and how each part of the model works.

Inplenion’s Strategic Finance starter kit creates an Excel-like environment that is immediately familiar to finance teams, built on a cashflow model approach. This is the same methodology finance departments use for long-range projections.

The full P&L and Balance Sheet are projected period by period. The Cash Flow Statement is automatically derived from these two statements and never entered separately. The balance sheet always balances: cash or debt becomes the plug, forcing full visibility into the capital implications of every planning decision.

Working capital, leverage, and liquidity metrics calculate automatically from the integrated model. Finance teams work in a familiar grid layout with row and column navigation similar to Excel, so no specialist platform training is required.

Prebuilt forecast methods

Commonly used forecast methods are pre-configured for every account and can be changed by the business user without developer support. Results update instantly across all periods.

Available methods include growth over prior period, input times driver, and direct input for accounts where formula-based projection is not appropriate. The starter kit covers 80–90% of typical accounts out of the box, and all forecast method changes are visible in the Forecast Methods tab for review and audit.

Depreciation calculator and Debt Issuer

Some calculations are too detailed for manual entry. Inplenion’s planning tools automate the most complex parts of the financial model.

The Depreciation Calculator lets planners select the depreciation method (straight line and others) and useful life per asset class. Depreciation on forecast CAPEX is then calculated and allocated to the P&L automatically.

The Debt Issuer allows planners to configure issue date, maturity, principal, interest basis (fixed or floating), and payment frequency. The tool generates the full payment schedule including principal, interest, and remaining balance. Multiple debt instruments are supported across entities and scenarios, and debt lines feed directly into the Balance Sheet, interest expense, and Cash Flow statement.

Funding Manager

The Funding Manager gives planners precise control over how each entity funds itself. Individual lines of debt are defined per entity and appear directly in the balance sheet. Draw-down priority is configured so the model accesses lines in the intended sequence, and each line can be set as intercompany or external — the foundation for group cash pooling. For revolving lines of credit, maximum balances and minimum draw thresholds can be set to reflect facility terms. All changes flow automatically through the Cash Flow Statement and interest expense.

Allocation engine

Shared service and overhead cost centers are modelled separately from the business units they support, then allocated using configurable keys — without IT involvement.

Cost centers such as R&D, IT, Finance, and HR are forecast independently in dedicated entities. Allocation rules are defined with senders, receivers, and the accounts to be allocated. Allocation keys — headcount, revenue, area, or custom ratios — are applied and allocations can be run and cleared from the dashboard. Results are immediately visible in operating entity P&Ls. An Allocation Rules Report and Allocation Key Overview are included for governance and auditability.

FX Effects

Global companies typically plan by management organisation in group currency, while individual business units transact in local currencies. The FX Effects module makes exchange rate sensitivity visible and actionable.

Projected exchange rates are entered per currency pair and planning period. Changes in projected rates instantly show the impact on reported P&L, Balance Sheet, Cash Flow, and performance reports. FX-driven variance can be isolated from operational variance in scenario comparisons, and the module supports multiple functional currencies across the entity structure.

Strategic Finance includes a set of advanced analytical tools that turn the long-range model into a decision-support engine.

Goal Seek

Set a target value on any account in any period. The engine iterates to find the input required to hit that target — no manual trial and error needed.

IRR and investment analysis

Calculate Internal Rate of Return for project investments directly within the financial model, using projected cash flows. Project-level investment decisions can be evaluated alongside the group financial plan in one environment.

Monte Carlo simulation

Run thousands of simulations by varying key input assumptions within a defined statistical distribution. The result is a full range of outcomes for any target account — helping finance teams understand risk, not just the plan.

Acquisition analysis

Model potential acquisitions directly within the strategic plan. Set the acquisition start period and purchase price, and goodwill is automatically calculated from purchase price versus net assets acquired. Cash outflows are correctly classified as investing activities in the deal period, and ongoing operating cash flows from the acquired entity integrate from the following period. The Acquire Target scenario can be compared side-by-side with the Basecase for synergy and return analysis. The Debt Issuer can be used alongside the acquisition model to model acquisition financing structures.

Group cash position and treasury planning

Operating entity cash positions are consolidated to Holding for each scenario, and the Holding entity manages external treasury based on the group’s net cash position.

Entity-level cash surplus and deficit positions roll up to Group automatically. Intercompany cash flows are tracked and eliminated at group level. The Holding entity manages external funding, investments, and dividends based on the consolidated net position. A Treasury tab provides Debt and Equity views and debt-by-date schedules. Treasury planning works consistently across Basecase, Upside, and all other scenarios.

Prebuilt reports and performance metrics

Finance teams have immediate access to a full suite of analytical reports across entities and scenarios:

• Single-entity and consolidating reports for P&L, Balance Sheet, and Cash Flow
• Operations, Indirect Cash Flow, and Treasury reports in one analysis view
• Performance metrics: EBITDA margins, ROIC, leverage ratios, and working capital KPIs
• Credit analysis report with benchmark-based rating indicators
• EVA (Economic Value Added) analysis prebuilt and ready to use
• EBITDA waterfall variance showing scenario-to-scenario bridges

OneStream native functionality

Strategic Finance is built on OneStream’s enterprise-grade platform, not a third-party add-on. Every native OneStream capability is available alongside the planning model.

The Data Integration Engine supports direct connection to ERP, GL, and HR systems, as well as CSV import for manual data sources, with a full load history and audit trail. Intercompany matching and elimination at group consolidation is applied consistently between actuals and plan, with drill-through to entity-level source data. Built-in planning workflow means entities submit, reviewers approve, and status is visible to all stakeholders without external project management tools. Role-based security at entity and scenario level ensures finance controls who can read, enter, and approve data without IT involvement.

• OneStream Diamond Partner, recognised for deep platform expertise and successful implementations across EMEA
• Proven methodology with best-practice implementation tailored to your industry and finance structure
• End-to-end support from solution design through to post-go-live optimisation