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Cube AI makes financial data decision-ready across every FP&A tool and workflow.
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The governed foundation — platform capabilities.
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The entire financial close and data management cycle, at a high level.
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Scenario planning on the numbers you actually close.
Model best, base, and worst case on live actuals in one governed model. Change a driver and the P&L, headcount, and cash recalculate together, in Cube or your spreadsheet, with every figure traced to the transaction behind it.
Revenue by scenarioEvery what-if starts with copying the model.
The CEO asks what happens if bookings slip a quarter, and someone duplicates the workbook, rewires the links, and hopes nothing breaks. By the time the answer arrives, the question has changed.
Copies multiply
Each scenario is a separate file, so a change to one assumption has to be made by hand in all of them.
The base is stale
Scenarios are built on last month’s actuals, so every case starts from the wrong number.
Answers arrive late
A simple what-if takes days to rebuild, and the decision it was meant to inform has already been made.
Run any what-if without copying the model.
Cube builds scenarios on the live base model, so every what-if starts current and compares side by side.
Scenarios inside one model
Branch the plan in Cube instead of copying the file.
Always on live actuals
Every scenario starts from the latest actuals.
Answers in minutes
Change a driver and see revenue, cost, and cash move right away.
Every case, built on the same governed base.
One base, every case
Scenarios branch from the same live actuals, so the gap between cases is the assumption, not a copy error.
Drivers anyone can check
Price, volume, hiring, and timing are visible inputs, so anyone can see what changed between cases.
Compare side by side
Base, upside, and downside line up on one view, with every figure traceable to the source.
Every scenario number opens.
A downside case is only useful if the board trusts the base under it. In Cube, every scenario figure traces to the actuals and the driver change behind it.
Where teams put scenario planning to work.
Best, base, and worst case
Three cases from one live base, compared on one view.
Hiring plan
Roles, start dates, and comp modeled by case, tied to the P&L.
Board scenario reporting
The cases the board asks for, in the deck, from the governed model.
Pricing and demand shocks
A price change or a demand drop, recalculated across every entity.
Runway and capital planning
Cash runway under each case, so funding decisions come early.
Bookings scenarios
Commit, best, and pipeline cases flow into the plan by segment.
Scenarios on live actuals.
Cube connects your GL, CRM, and HRIS, three of the hundreds of source systems it speaks to, so every scenario starts from the same current base.
One governed model that turns what-ifs into operating intelligence. Actuals, pipeline, and headcount are mapped once, reconciled, and traced to the transaction.
Change one driver. Every case recalculates.
Actuals land from NetSuite, pipeline from Salesforce, and headcount from Workday. Cube runs the governed formulas behind every cell, and each scenario publishes back to the model.
Every scenario, on every surface.
Cube connects the systems where your data lives to the tools where decisions happen. When a number changes in Cube, it updates in the spreadsheet, the board deck, the dashboard, and the answer in Slack or Claude. Everyone keeps their own view and permissions, and every figure traces back to the transaction.
Cube Web
Full planning, reporting, Boards, workflows, and the AI Analyst in the browser, with drilldown on every number.
Explore
Excel & Google Sheets
Fetch live actuals into your own templates and publish plans back in one click, permissions intact.
Explore
AI assistants
+Any MCP-compatible assistant queries governed data, with answers traced to the source.
Explore
Slack & Teams
Ask the AI Analyst plain-English questions in chat and get answers from the same governed source, in a thread.
Explore
PowerPoint & Google Slides
Cube Decks puts live visuals in PowerPoint that refresh in place.
Explore
BI tools
+Governed exports and Cube’s APIs sync Tableau, Looker, and Power BI.
ExploreYour digital finance team works while you sleep.
Four FP&Agents handle the always-on work across your data, reports, plans and business partners. Agents scale finance's capacity, while the people remain in control.
Collects, maps and reconciles data from every source so every figure is right before anyone opens a file.
Meet The Data Managers →Explains variances to the transaction, flags anomalies and answers ad hoc questions in plain language.
Meet The Analysts →Reruns forecasts as new actuals land, builds scenarios and keeps budgets current between cycles.
Meet The Planners →Brings answers to department heads in Slack, Teams and email, so finance is in every decision.
Meet The Business Partners →Board-ready means audit-ready.
Delivering numbers everywhere only works if access travels with them. In Cube it does, enforced in the layer rather than in each tool.
Every AI feature respects your permissions, and every edit, sync, and publish lands in one audit trail.
See three scenarios on your own numbers.
Turn what-ifs into action. Bring one question from your last board meeting: we connect the sources, build the cases live, and trace a figure to the transaction behind it.
Scenario planning questions, answered.
What is scenario planning?
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Scenario planning is the practice of modeling how the business performs under different assumptions, usually a base, upside, and downside case. It shows leaders the range of outcomes before they commit to a plan. In Cube, every scenario branches from the same live actuals, so the difference between cases is the assumption that changed.
What is the difference between scenario planning and forecasting?
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A forecast predicts the single most likely outcome. Scenario planning models several possible outcomes side by side, so leaders can prepare for each. Cube runs both in one governed model, so the forecast and every scenario share the same actuals and definitions.
How do you automate scenario planning?
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Build scenarios on one connected model instead of copied workbooks, so actuals refresh every case at once and a driver change recalculates the P&L, headcount, and cash together. Cube connects to your GL, CRM, and HRIS, and FP&Agents can build a new case from a plain-English prompt.
What is the best scenario planning software?
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The best scenario planning software builds every case from live actuals, lets finance change drivers and see the full P&L, headcount, and cash impact at once, compares cases side by side, and traces every figure to the source. Cube does this as the Agentic FP&A Platform, in the spreadsheets, decks, and chat tools your team already uses.
What should you look for in scenario planning software?
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Look for scenarios built on live actuals rather than copies; driver-based modeling across revenue, headcount, and expenses; side-by-side comparison; version control and approvals; drilldown to source transactions; role-based access; and audited security such as SOC 1 and SOC 2. Also check whether the team can keep working in Excel or Google Sheets, since that decides adoption.
How many scenarios should a finance team model?
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Most teams keep three: a base case tied to the board plan, an upside, and a downside. Add targeted cases for specific decisions, such as a hiring freeze or a price change. In Cube, any number of cases share one base, so adding a scenario does not add a file to maintain.
What is driver-based scenario planning?
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Driver-based scenario planning changes the operating inputs, such as price, volume, win rate, headcount, and start dates, and lets the model calculate the financial result. In Cube, each driver is visible and adjustable by case, so anyone can see what moved between scenarios.
What data do you need for scenario planning?
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You need current actuals from the GL, pipeline from the CRM, headcount and compensation from the HRIS, and the operating drivers behind revenue and spend. Cube connects to hundreds of source systems, including NetSuite, Salesforce, Workday, and HubSpot.
What is the difference between scenario planning and sensitivity analysis?
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Sensitivity analysis changes one variable to see how much the result moves. Scenario planning changes several assumptions together to describe a full possible future. Cube supports both: flex a single driver, or build a complete case and compare it to the base.
How often should scenarios be updated?
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Refresh scenarios whenever actuals close, usually monthly, and build new cases when a decision calls for one. With Cube, actuals sync on the schedule you set, every case recalculates as soon as they land, and FP&Agents flag material changes overnight.
Can department heads build their own scenarios?
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Yes, within the access finance grants. Cube uses role-based permissions, so department heads can model their own cases while finance controls what gets published. They can work in Cube Web, Excel, Google Sheets, Slack, or Teams, from the same governed source.
Does scenario planning software replace Excel?
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No. Teams keep building in Excel or Google Sheets. Cube fetches live, governed numbers into their templates, and scenario edits publish back to the model, so every case stays in sync without copying files.
Is scenario planning software secure?
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It should be audited and access-controlled. Cube is SOC 1 and SOC 2 Type 2 audited, with SSO and SAML support, role-based permissions, encryption in transit and at rest, and a full audit trail on every driver, mapping, and plan change.
What is scenario planning?
Scenario planning models how the business performs under different sets of assumptions, so leaders can see the range of outcomes before committing to a plan. A typical model holds a base case, an upside, and a downside, plus cases built for specific decisions.
Scenarios are only as reliable as the base they start from. Cube builds every case on the same live actuals, so the difference between scenarios is the assumption, not a copy error.
Base, upside, and downside
Three cases that bracket the likely range of outcomes.
Driver-based scenarios
Change price, volume, hiring, or timing and let the model calculate.
Decision-specific cases
A hiring freeze, a price change, or an acquisition, modeled on demand.
Sensitivity analysis
One driver flexed to see how far the result moves.
Why scenario planning matters
Plans rarely play out as written. Scenarios show leaders what to do if bookings slip, costs rise, or a hire starts late, before it happens. Finance that can answer a what-if in minutes, on numbers the board trusts, moves from reporting the past to shaping the decision.
How to build a scenario model
The same five steps apply whether the model lives in a spreadsheet or in Cube.
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1.
Start from current actuals. Load closed actuals from the GL so every case begins from the same base.
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2.
Choose the drivers. Pick the few inputs that move the result most, such as price, volume, headcount, and timing.
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3.
Build the cases. Set driver values for the base, upside, and downside, and add any decision-specific cases.
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4.
Compare the outcomes. Line up revenue, EBITDA, headcount, and cash for each case, and agree on the triggers for acting.
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5.
Refresh as actuals land. Each period, update the base with actuals and check which case the business is tracking toward.
Key scenario planning metrics
- Base case
- The expected outcome, usually tied to the board-approved plan.
- Upside and downside
- Cases that bracket the realistic range around the base.
- Driver
- An operating input, such as price or headcount, that the financial result depends on.
- Sensitivity
- How much the result moves when one driver changes.
- Cash runway
- The months of operation current cash supports under each case.
- Trigger
- The signal, such as a bookings miss, that tells leaders to switch plans.
Scenario planning vs. forecasting
| Scenario planning | Forecasting | |
|---|---|---|
| Answers | What happens if our assumptions change? | What is most likely to happen? |
| Built from | Alternate driver values on the same base. | Current actuals and the latest pipeline. |
| Cadence | On demand, plus each planning cycle. | Monthly, on a rolling basis. |
| Accuracy depends on | A trusted base and the right drivers. | Clean, current actuals. |
| In Cube | Cases that branch from one governed base. | A rolling forecast from the same model, so both tie. |
Manual spreadsheet vs. Cube
| Step | Manual spreadsheet | With Cube |
|---|---|---|
| Gather the data | Paste actuals into each scenario workbook by hand. | Sources stay connected; actuals land in the model mapped and consolidated. |
| Build a new case | Duplicate the file and rewire every link. | Branch a case from the base and change the drivers. |
| Compare cases | Copy outputs from each file into a summary tab. | Every case lines up on one view, from one model. |
| Update a driver | Change it in every copy and hope they match. | Change it once; every case recalculates. |
| Defend a number | Trace it through pasted tabs and hope the trail holds. | Drill from the figure to the source transactions. |