AI for FP&A: what works today

AI helps FP&A teams most today with work that is repetitive and grounded in known data: explaining variances, drafting commentary, answering ad hoc questions and preparing first-pass forecasts. It helps least where the definitions behind the numbers are unclear. The fastest route to value is to fix key metric definitions first, then point AI at them.

Preql was named a Cool Vendor in the 2026 Gartner® Cool Vendors™ in AI for Financial Planning & Analysis report.¹ What we hear from finance teams is consistent: the model matters less than the data and definitions underneath it.

Where AI helps FP&A now

1. Variance explanations. Drafting the first explanation of why actuals moved against budget, for an analyst to check.
2. Commentary. Turning a set of figures into a first draft of monthly or board commentary.
3. Ad hoc questions. Answering "what drove the change in X" without a new report request.
4. Forecast support. Producing a baseline forecast for the team to adjust.

Where it struggles

1. Unclear definitions. If three reports define the same metric three ways, AI may pick one without saying which.
2. Data spread across systems. AI can't reconcile what the organization hasn't.
3. Judgment calls. Assumptions about the business still need people.

How to evaluate AI tools for FP&A

1. Test it on questions you already know the answer to.
2. Check whether it shows where each figure came from.
3. Ask how it learns your definitions, and who approves them.
4. Confirm it respects data permissions.
5. See whether it works with the tools your team already uses, such as Excel and your planning platform.

How Preql helps

Preql gives FP&A teams and their AI tools one approved set of definitions mapped across systems such as ERPs, warehouses and spreadsheets. When AI tools and reports read the same approved logic, their numbers are far more likely to match.

FAQ

Will AI replace FP&A analysts?

It can take over first drafts and repetitive questions. Judgment, assumptions and business partnering stay with people.

What should we fix before buying an AI tool?

Your top metric definitions. Without them, any tool will produce fast but inconsistent answers.