My BFM Appearance: The 3 maturity levels every executive must know
During my appearance on BFM Business, I wanted to provide an uncompromising assessment of corporate planning in France. My conclusion? There are three distinct maturity levels, and knowing where you stand literally determines your organization’s future.
The diagnosis I made on BFM
Facing BFM Business journalists, I started with a striking observation: 95% of finance departments still use Excel for planning. This statistic reveals a major structural problem in our companies.
Why? Because in an uncertain world, the past no longer serves to predict the future. Excel, with its data silos and collaboration limitations, becomes a barrier to agility rather than a decision-making tool.
The 3 maturity levels revealed on air
On BFM, I presented a framework we use at Jedox to evaluate our prospects. Three levels that tell the story of companies’ digital evolution:
Level 1: awareness
These companies finally recognize Excel’s limitations. They realize their data silos are paralyzing them and want to go further. It’s the first step, but many stop there, intimidated by the scope of necessary change.
Level 2: integrated planning
These organizations take the leap into cross-functional planning. When their indicators announce market growth, they simultaneously plan recruitment, temporary worker needs, impact on premises… An operational plan that considers all elements.
Level 3: augmented planning
The most advanced level: integrating artificial intelligence to cross-reference data and reveal correlations invisible to the naked eye. I cited the example of a client who discovered the true attributes of their loyal customers thanks to AI.
What TV format doesn’t allow me to explain
On BFM Business, I touched on these three levels, but airtime doesn’t allow for depth. How do you concretely move from level 1 to level 2? What are the pitfalls to avoid? How does AI reveal correlations between purchasing behaviors and payment methods?
What level is your company at? This simple question hides complex issues that I developed far beyond what TV format allowed.
The urgency I wanted to convey
My main message on BFM was clear: we can no longer afford to play catch-up. Companies that remain focused solely on financial indicators miss the weak signals that announce real trends.
The hospitality example I mentioned perfectly illustrated this logic: anticipating sporting or cultural events to optimize occupancy rates, and therefore financial performance.
Market validation
I also announced on BFM our $100M funding round with Insight Partners and our #1 ranking in “The Planning Survey 21”. These recognitions validate a conviction: integrated planning is no longer a luxury, it’s a survival necessity.
But beyond the numbers, these results confirm that our three-level approach corresponds to a real market need.
Your personal diagnosis
Do you recognize yourself in one of these three levels? Is your company stuck at level 1 with its scattered Excel files? Has it made the leap to integration? Or is it already exploring AI possibilities?
This self-assessment determines your digital roadmap. The details of each level, transition steps, pitfalls to avoid, and concrete benefits of each tier are developed in the complete video interview.
Because knowing where you are is already knowing where to go.