Do you ever feel like everything is moving faster now than it did even just a few years ago? It seems like every month, sometimes every week, there’s a new technology advancement or policy announcement or world event that reshapes the business and economic landscape.
The rapid pace of change makes it challenging to plan for the future. Jim VandeHei (co-founder and CEO) of Axios recently wrote that the speed of change has grown so much that his “confident line of sight is six weeks tops” (“The age of post-processable velocity,” Aug. 9, 2026). That’s a major change from when companies could work on yearly planning cycles with a reasonable level of confidence that certain things would stay the same.
The Need for New Strategy
This shift in reliable planning timelines affects CEOs and CFOs across industries. In recent option column, Yvette Connor (Risk Advisory Practice Leader) and Drew Illingworth (managing director) of CohnReznick said, “Not long ago, finance leadership could rely on fixed financial inputs to act in predictable patterns as part of annual planning cycles” but now “those assumptions have been upended” (“3 shifts CFOs are making to navigate volatile market conditions,” May 19, 2026). Market influences shift rapidly in today’s business landscape, and company policies designed for a slower world can’t keep up.
Strategic planning and budgeting traditionally relied on stable facts, regular monitoring, and gradual course corrections. But businesses can no longer assume that familiar technologies, stable supply chains, and established competitors will be the same a few weeks or months from now.
Tips for Adapting In A Changing World
Strategy is still important, but savvy CFOs are adapting their strategies to account for a volatile, ever-changing business landscape. Connor and Illingworth state that CFOs who successfully adapt to the modern world “have evolved scenario planning to a standing discipline rather than a quarterly exercise.” As the business world rapidly evolves, strategic planning becomes iterative with multiple scenarios.
VandeHei offers similar advice. He suggests C-suite executives should prioritize strong directions, but loosen their reliance on specific plans. Expect to reexamine tools, focus, and priorities on a monthly basis. Also, don’t let the new AI tools that so many companies are rushing to implement take your attention away from the importance of human intelligence and experience.
Visibility and Simplicity with BPA
Connor, Illingworth, and VandeHei also emphasize the importance of simplicity and visibility. Simpler systems can be more easily adapted to changing scenarios. Visibility into financial management is vital for quick pivots in response to changing conditions. Business Process Automation (BPA) software helps your company achieve both goals.
Implementing BPA automation streamlines and simplifies financial workflows. BPA supports centralized data integration and enables real-time visibility into financial processes. It also helps provide a solid foundation for developing AI-assisted predictive analytics. Contact NextProcess today to share your company’s goals and pain points, and we’ll set up a customized demo to show you how our software can support your company.
