Adaptive Planning and BPM Forum Poll Shows Financial Professionals Facing Extraordinary Uncertainty in Global Economic Downturn

Quarterly Performance and Planning Poll Shows Companies Missed Recent Revenue Targets, Lack Confidence in Future Financial Plans

Seventy-five percent of financial executives in North America say economic conditions in their industry are worse or far worse than they were six months ago, nearly a third expect conditions to get even worse, and over half missed their revenue number for the current quarter, according to a Performance and Planning poll released today by Adaptive Planning and the Business Performance Management (BPM) Forum. The study points to continued concerns about business conditions over the next six months, identifies a significant lack of confidence in executives' abilities to hit future financial plans, and highlights the need for improved scenario planning to successfully manage through the extraordinary uncertainty caused by the global economic downturn.

The online poll surveyed financial professionals from seventeen different industries, in companies ranging in size from under $10 million to over $1 billion in annual revenues. It examined perspectives on key economic conditions, individual company performance, and the role of planning and forecasting in the current economic downturn. Key findings include:

--  A majority of respondents say the U.S. economy will not begin to
    recover for at least a year, with 27 percent expecting recovery in 2010 or
    beyond
--  57 percent came in below their revenue plans last quarter
--  47 percent expect revenues to decrease over the next six months
--  44 percent plan to decrease capital spending and 43 percent will
    reduce headcount
--  Nearly 50 percent expect margin erosion
--  Only 1/3 express confidence in hitting their financial plans in the
    next year
--  86% re-planned or re-forecast last quarter, with nearly half doing so
    two or more times
--  Over 50% expect they will need to re-plan or analyze "what-if"
    scenarios more frequently over the next six months
--  Yet over 50% of midsized and large companies (over $10 million in
    revenues) say it is difficult or very difficult to create timely and
    accurate plans and "what-if" analyses
    

"These survey results show that financial professionals are facing a level of economic uncertainty that is unprecedented in recent times," said William A. Soward, CEO of Adaptive Planning. "In today's unpredictable environment, it's not enough to have a single plan of record -- companies need to plan for multiple potential scenarios. While challenging, the companies that are prepared to quickly and appropriately respond to real-time information, across a variety of outcomes, will be best equipped to survive the downturn and prosper when the economy rebounds."

The results of the Planning and Performance Index come on the heels of a recently announced Recession Survival Kit released by Adaptive Planning to help finance and executive teams quickly and successfully gain control over their financial outlook, evaluate strategic and tactical actions and their overall cash impact, and reset financial plans to deal with economic volatility and a potential global recession.

The Planning and Performance poll will be conducted once per quarter and the results tallied against those of previous quarters to identify trends in overall economic conditions and planning practices. For more information on the summary report of the findings, visit http://marketing.adaptiveplanning.com/forms/ppindex.

About Adaptive Planning

Adaptive Planning is the worldwide leader in on-demand planning and reporting solutions that streamline financial processes, strengthen collaboration, and drive better-informed, more strategic business decisions in companies of all sizes. Adaptive Planning makes it easy to move beyond spreadsheets and automate budgeting, forecasting, and reporting, without the cost and complexity associated with traditional business intelligence and BPM software. With free software, free trials, and both on-demand and on-premise deployment options, Adaptive Planning provides the fastest and easiest approach to streamline and elevate your financial management. Adaptive Planning is headquartered in Mountain View, Calif. and can be reached at 650-528-7500 or www.adaptiveplanning.com.

About the BPM Forum

The Business Performance Management (BPM) Forum is dedicated to advancing performance accountability, process improvement, operational visibility and compliance in global organizations. It provides support to thousands of senior executives and practitioners representing enterprises with more than $500 billion in combined annual revenues. The BPM Forum's C-level members engage in research, thought leadership, and knowledge exchange programs around a variety of strategic issues and challenges. More information is available at: www.BPMForum.org.