In February 2008, CFO Research Services, a unit of CFO Publishing and part of The Economist Group, began a research project with Business Objects, an SAP company, asking senior finance executives to give views on their priorities and challenges around integrating operational and financial planning processes.

The report is based on the results of an online survey of more than 400 senior finance executives in the US, UK, Germany and France, and in-depth interviews conducted with CFOs of the following companies:

• Biogen Idec
  
• Designed Alloy Products Inc.
  
• Gemalto
  
• Goodrich Primary Flight Control
  
• Hager
  
• Mustang Engineering
  
• NMHG
  
• Sykes
  
• Timken
  
• United Biscuits

Two confidential interviews were also conducted with a French multinational and a German consumer goods company.

CFO Research Services and Business Objects developed the scope of the research jointly. Business Objects funded the research and publication of our findings, and CFO Research Services would like to acknowledge the Business Objects team for its input and support.

CFO Research Services and Business Objects would also like to thank all the finance executives who took the time to share their valuable views with us.