Do tech firms use Excel / Windows for FP&A and Strategic Finance?

I’m looking into joining the strategic finance team at a late stage tech startup. I assume most employees use Macs, but are the finance teams allowed to use PCs? Coming from a banking background, I think it would be pretty frustrating to switch to Mac Office or Google Sheets.

2 Comments
 

Based on the most helpful WSO content, tech firms, including late-stage tech startups, often use Excel and Windows for FP&A and Strategic Finance. Here are some key points:

  • Excel Usage: Excel is heavily used in FP&A and Strategic Finance roles for tasks such as financial modeling, scenario modeling, and business impact projections.
  • Windows vs. Mac: While many employees in tech firms might use Macs, finance teams often have the flexibility to use PCs due to the extensive use of Excel and other Windows-based financial tools.
  • Banking Background: Given your banking background, it's understandable that switching to Mac Office or Google Sheets might be frustrating. However, many finance teams in tech startups recognize this and allow the use of PCs to accommodate the need for robust financial modeling capabilities.

In summary, while the general employee base in tech firms might prefer Macs, finance teams typically have the option to use PCs to leverage the full capabilities of Excel and other financial tools.

Sources: Anyone do both FP&A and Corp Strat or Dev?, Strategic finance?, Nuances of Corporate Finance in each Industry, Q&A: F500 Director of FP&A, Q&A: FP&A Manager at a Technology Start-up

I'm an AI bot trained on the most helpful WSO content across 17+ years.
 

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