What is strategic planning?

Strategic planning is creating and implementing business strategies designed to promote the long-term health of an organization. It's a disciplined effort that produces fundamental decisions and actions that shape and guide what an organization is, whom it serves, what it does, and why it does that.

Why is strategic planning important?

Strategic planning is vital because it helps keep an organization on track. It takes in a lot of different inputs like business activity, financial plans, and market conditions and sees whether or not they align with the company's strategic goals.

What are the 5 steps in strategic planning?

The 5 steps of strategic planning are to... (1) gather stakeholders (2) do research—a SWOT analysis is helpful here (3) determine your goals (4) make a plan around those goals (5) continuously monitor your progress and adjust the plan as needed

Strategic Finance Planning

The Finance Fix

Need your finance & FP&A fix? Sign up for our bi-weekly newsletter from former serial CFO turned CEO of Cube, Christina Ross.

The Strategic Finance Hierarchy of Needs: evolving from data analyst to business partner

Learn more about the Strategic Finance Hierarchy of Needs: a layer-by-layer framework for finance teams ready to lead.

AI in finance: How CFOs are evolving beyond automation and driving strategy in 2026

Learn how CFOs apply AI in FP&A and finance to strengthen financial intelligence, improve forecasting, and move beyond automation into a more strategic leadership role.

How to create a strategic financial plan for your business in 2026

Learn how to build a strategic financial plan that aligns goals, forecasts performance, manages risk, and supports sustainable business growth throughout 2026.

Learn these 5 new skills to excel in your FP&A career

Learn these 5 new skills to excel in your FP&A career.

Benchmarking for success: use these financial metrics to guide your strategy

Explore the financial benchmarks and metrics that really matter, why they’re crucial, and how you can use them to shape a winning strategy.

A perfect pairing: How to create a great relationship between HR & finance

Wondering how to build a bulletproof relationship between HR and Finance that can take your business to new heights? Let's dive in.

The strategic value of data hygiene: Guide for finance leaders

Discover the strategic value of data hygiene for FP&A leaders. Learn best practices and see how Cube's FP&A software can enhance your data management.

Navigating financial risk: tools and strategies for today’s finance leaders

Wondering how to approach financial risk management the right way? Learn how to effectively identify and mitigate financial risks in no time.

Efficient cap table management: key strategies for finance leaders

Learn how you can leverage your cap tables to drive strategic business outcomes.

FP&A for real estate: a guide for finance leaders

Want to learn about FP&A for real estate? This guide offers practical tips so finance teams can stay agile and find better ways to drive growth.

New year, new plan: Mapping your 2026 finance strategy

Learn how finance leaders map an effective 2026 finance strategy with expert insights on planning, prioritization, and execution.

The Finance Fix

Need your finance & FP&A fix? Sign up for our bi-weekly newsletter from former serial CFO turned CEO of Cube, Christina Ross.

Transform your finance team into strategic business partners with Cube's Finance Acceleration Framework™️

Learn how to transform your finance team into strategic business partners with Cube's Finance Acceleration Framework.

Pipeline planning, simplified: a complete guide to S&OP software

Learn why S&OP software is not just a smart addition but a necessity for finance and FP&A professionals who want their businesses to thrive.

Risk management in financial planning: mitigating uncertainties for a stronger future

Dive into the crucial role of risk management in financial planning and discover a road map for identifying, assessing, and mitigating risks effectively.

How to use FP&A software to drive strategic planning

Explore how FP&A software can help you take your strategic planning to the next level.

10 KPIs finance leaders need to track for organizational health

In this blog, we'll delve into the essential KPIs finance leaders need to track for organizational health to ensure you're always a step ahead.

The makings of an effective financial planning calendar

Discover the main components of an effective financial planning calendar (and best practices to set your business up for success).

Compliance management: Build a culture of compliance on your FP&A team

Learn tips and tricks to build a culture of compliance on your FP&A team.

Hiring your first FP&A analyst

Hiring is exciting. But you might have questions or reservations if you've never hired an FP&A analyst. Let's cover those in this guide.

Essential parts of a strategic plan

What's a strategic plan? And how do I know when I've included enough? Learn the essential elements of a strategic plan in this blog post.

Organizational plans: a quick primer (with examples)

Organizational plans are how the finance team creates plans for the future. Some examples include strategic, tactical, driver-based, and contingency plans.

Operational planning vs strategic planning: How they work together

Learn the difference between operational and strategic planning. Discover how these vital processes differ and align for organizational success

The Finance Fix

Need your finance & FP&A fix? Sign up for our bi-weekly newsletter from former serial CFO turned CEO of Cube, Christina Ross.

Strategic planning

Featured articles

Strategic Finance: An exhaustive and practical guide for CFOs in 2026

The best strategic finance publications in 2026

Essential parts of a strategic plan

Rolling Forecast Best Practices for FP&A | Cube

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Getting buy-in for your next finance transformation project

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Chart of accounts: How it works and best practices

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22 best business budgeting software solutions

Feel the burn: a guide to gross burn vs. net burn

Best Cash Flow Management Software in 2026 | Cube

Quick ratio vs. current ratio: the quick difference

Why I joined Cube: A product person’s perspective

Financial Planning and Analysis (FP&A) in 2026 Guide | Cube

Workday Adaptive Planning: Complete review & top alternatives [2026]

16 best FP&A software tools: 2026 comparison

The complete FP&A software evaluation checklist (for 2026)

Explaining the Numbers: An FP&A Guide | Cube

Becoming a “have” in B2B SaaS starts with FP&A

The 5 best mid-market planning tools for business [updated for 2026]

Spreadsheet-Native: The Clear Approach to FP&A

Pitching VCs? Here's the deck we used to raise $30M with Battery Ventures

Cash flow: What's the difference between the direct vs. indirect method?

What is budget forecasting?

Month-end close process: Steps, checklist, and how to automate

14 best budgeting software tools & apps [updated for 2024]

Best financial reporting software for 2026: Top 31 review

Best financial planning software in 2026: Top Picks for Businesses

Best finance software solutions for 2026 to streamline your business

Datarails reviews 2026: Pricing, features, and alternatives

Anaplan vs. Adaptive vs. Planful vs. Vena vs. Datarails vs. Cube

Best financial statement software for balance sheets, reporting, and more

Corporate performance management: A primer for 2026

14 of the best financial close software tools [2026 review]

G2 recognizes Cube’s customer service, high performance, and ease of use (Summer ‘22)

Netsuite review: Pros, cons, ratings, & alternatives

Net dollar retention: why NDR is your new north star

Strategic workforce planning for CFOs: from strategy to execution

23 best corporate performance management software solutions [2026]

What's an FP&A job? (Plus helpful FP&A job descriptions)

Best financial modeling software [2026 review]

Driver-based planning: let the numbers lead the way

Anaplan review: Features, pros, cons, & alternatives [2026]

Our review of Jirav: how does the business planning tool measure up?

Slides: The top 5 mistakes CFOs make when communicating with the board

16+ best Anaplan competitors & alternatives for FP&A teams [in 2026]

What-if analysis: a beginner's guide to scenarios + goal seek in Excel

20+ best budgeting and forecasting software solutions [2026 review]

Why is sensitivity analysis important in strategic finance?

What is strategic financial planning and management?

Cube ranks #1 for ease of use on G2; receives 20 badges across FP&A categories (Fall '22)

NetSuite vs. QuickBooks: how do they measure up?

Cash inflow and outflow: keeping tabs on your financial health

Cash runway: How (and why) to calculate your company’s cash runway

32 FP&A interview questions to land your dream FP&A job

What are the three financial statements?

Capacity planning: the CFO's guide

Pro forma template: Free Excel budget templates

What is headcount forecasting? [Free template]