Dynamics 365 Finance extended planning and analytics (xP&A) feature will license Acterys IP and call on recent Microsoft acquisitions

Microsoft plans to launch a new extended planning and analytics (xP&A) solution for Dynamics 365 Finance that will use technology from recent acquisitions and a new IP licensing agreement.

Adding xP&A tools for D365 Finance represents a progression from existing financial planning and analysis capabilities, wrote Microsoft VP Georg Glantschnig in announcing the company's intention last week.

"Our objective is to usher in a new generation of planning capabilities for CFOs by unifying data across business processes, delivering near real-time insights to anticipate the future, and using the latest advancements in AI and natural language processing to provide a solution that goes beyond traditional FP&A solutions and redefining how finance operates," he wrote.

Microsoft has licensed Acterys xP&A technology for use in the solution, including planning, budgeting, and forecasting capabilities.  A Microsoft spokesperson told MSDW that the licensed IP will be integrated with D365 Finance and that Microsoft will customize the technology further for its own requirements.

The Acterys planning engine provides a set of Power BI visuals but also works in Excel and other interfaces, according to the company. Their suite supports use cases related to budgeting & forecasting, S&OP, cash flow forecasting, financial close, workforce planning, and others.

D365 Finance xP&A will also include spend analytics based on technology from spend insights vendor Suplari, which Microsoft acquired in 2021. Process mining capabilities in the solution will be aided by technology from Minit, which ...