The State of Strategic Finance

Find out what Vena's 2022 benchmark report revealed about how finance teams are faring across people, processes and technology.

 

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Highlights From the 2022 Industry Benchmark Report

From supply chain breakdowns and the war in Ukraine, to rising inflation, interest rate hikes and predictions of a recession around the bend, the year has been defined by its unpredictability. And finance teams have been forced to keep up amidst all of that uncertainty.

The question is, are they up for the challenge?

We set out to learn exactly that in our latest industry benchmark survey. Now the results are in—and available for download—in Vena’s third annual benchmark report, The State of Strategic Finance: Industry Benchmark Report 2022.

 

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With the rapid pace of change and challenges around every corner, navigating through the always-evolving business landscape has never been more difficult.”

About The Survey

The Vena 2022 Industry Benchmark Report is based on a survey of 132 business leaders and finance and operations professionals. The survey took place in May 2022 and included respondents from companies ranging from under 100 to over 1,000 employees.

Industries included in the survey
13%
Software and technology
12%
Manufacturing and transportation
11%
Healthcare
11%
Professional services
7%
Not-for-profit
6%
Banking, credit unions and insurance
40%
Other
Company employee size
24%
Over 1,000 employees
20%
501-1,000 employees
39%
101-500 employees
17%
Under 100 employees

State of the World

Responding to Global Events

Today, if businesses aren’t prepared for anything, they risk everything. And in 2022, we’ve come to realize that there’s always a new challenge ready to emerge.

When asked what factors contributing to current global market volatility have affected their business most, it’s not surprising that the COVID-19 pandemic has still had the most impact. But other disruptive forces have made their mark as well. 

 

What are the top challenges impacting your organization in 2022?

 

42%
COVID-19
36%
Inflation
33%
A hyper-competitive labor market

State of Finance

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  • To meet the challenges and uncertainties in today’s market, agile planning is key. But without the right people, processes and technology in place to support it, organizations won’t get far. So, what are finance teams prioritizing in the face of current market conditions?

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The Right Skill Sets

To stay nimble in the face of change, create value and usher in continued growth, finance organizations need teams buoyed by the right mix of talent with diverse skills.

But all of that requires more than just a talent for numbers. It draws on communication, influence, leadership and problem-solving skills—as well as the technical abilities that allow your team to drive the tools and processes required to thrive.

 

Adding Strategic Value Through Finance Business Partnering

Finance organizations are using these core technical and non-technical skill sets to lead the way in acting as strategic business partners within their organizations. But this year’s survey results indicate that there’s still room for improvement in this area.

 

What’s holding back finance leaders from unlocking the full potential of strategic business partnering?
35%
Building the necessary skills on our team
33%
Struggling with inaccessible or siloed data
24%
Lack of collaboration from other departments
15%
Lack of support from leadership
14%
Nothing—we're already there

The Good Citizen

The challenges of 2022 and the years leading up to it have inspired many employees, customers and partners to look at the companies they do business with in a different light.

Finance can be a leader here—helping to usher in strong environmental, social and governance (ESG) efforts such as sustainable investments and hiring policies that embrace diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI).

The respondents we surveyed saw the importance of these kinds of efforts, but showed that more work needs to be done to put action behind those beliefs.

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How are finance professionals leading social change in 2022?

 

91%
Are prioritizing DEI
75%
Believe ESG is important to business strategy
35%
Always use DEI to inform hiring decisions
28%
Apply an ESG lens to investments

Next Steps: 4 Recommendations Going Forward

 

What else should finance leaders be doing to position their teams at the heart of strategy and set their organizations up for continued success—even as uncertainty continues to prevail amidst a gloomy global economic outlook?


Vena has four recommendations for the year ahead.
Download The State of Strategic Finance for all the insights from Vena’s 2022 industry benchmark survey and discover what steps you can take to future-proof your organization today against the challenges of tomorrow. 

 

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