It’s 9 pm on a Friday.
You’re toggling between Salesforce, QuickBooks, and a spreadsheet named Actuals_FINAL_v6. The revenue numbers don’t line up. HR headcount is off by four people (again). And you’re trying to figure out if it’s a formula error — or if something actually changed.
This is how most FP&A teams prep for a board meeting. Not with strategic insights or forward-looking plans, but by stitching together last month’s actuals by hand.
The tools have changed over the years, but the pain hasn’t.
Why this happens
Most teams have a model they trust, but that model only stays accurate if the inputs stay current. And in practice, that’s where things break down.
Actuals live in disconnected systems — across ERP, CRM, HRIS, and ad platforms. So you export them, clean them up, and paste them into your forecast. Then you double-check everything. You version-control. You try not to overwrite someone else’s work.
It’s a slow, error-prone process. And it gets worse as the company grows — that lag starts affecting decisions. Eventually, you spend more time defending the numbers than discussing what to do about them.
What if your model just... stayed up to date?
That’s what Runway’s integrations are built for.
Runway connects your model directly to the systems your business already runs on — over 750 of them, including NetSuite, SAP, QuickBooks, Salesforce, and HubSpot.
You choose what syncs, and Runway handles the rest. Your model stays current automatically.
What this unlocks
- No more reconciling numbers manually
- No lag between business changes and forecast updates
- No more second-guessing your inputs before a board meeting
You get time back.
You get trust back.
And you shift from cleaning up the past to planning for the future.
Real-world examples
e-Commerce team optimizing spend
An online retailer connects Shopify and Google Ads. When conversion rates drop, future spend adjusts automatically — no one has to lift a finger.
SaaS team planning headcount
A growth-stage company syncs NetSuite and Rippling. Finance and HR stay in sync — one headcount forecast, one source of truth.
Teams scaling with confidence
Data volumes grow, teams change, and sync schedules evolve. With Runway, you don’t have to rework the model — it scales with you.
How to implement Runway
Step 1: Audit your data sources
Identify your key systems and their owners. Map current workflows.
Step 2: Connect your stack
Use Runway’s prebuilt connectors or custom SQL. Set sync cadence (real-time, daily, weekly). Define field mappings.
Step 3: Validate, and go live
Run sample syncs. Compare to known values. Tweak mappings before rollout.
Step 4: Monitor and adapt
Before integrating, log time spent on manual entry and reconciliation. Post-integration, measure time saved, error reduction, and forecast turnaround speed.
What changes when you stop chasing inputs
Automating actuals isn’t just about saving time. It’s about shifting finance from a reactive function to a forward-looking one.
When the data takes care of itself, you stop reconciling. And you start spotting patterns, testing assumptions, and guiding decisions.
Forecasts become more accurate — not just once, but continuously. Planning becomes faster. And teams trust the numbers, because they trust the process.
The real value of automation isn’t doing the same work faster — it’s getting to do better work altogether.
Book a demo to see how Runway’s real-time data integration can help you make better decisions, faster.