It's 11:59 PM the night before your board meeting.
You're flipping between spreadsheet tabs — Plan_FINAL, Scenario_3B, Actuals Import (Jan-Apr). You’re hoping the formulas didn’t break, the numbers are up to date, and no one overwrote column H.
This is what happens when your model doesn’t talk to your systems.
The solution: a model that updates itself. Automatically.
That’s what Runway’s automated actuals deliver: real-time syncing of revenue, expenses, headcount, and cash flow — directly from your source systems. No exports, no broken formulas, no copy-paste.
Where spreadsheets break down
Finance teams spend 50%+ of their time consolidating data, not analyzing it.
It shows up in three places:
- Manual imports — downloading CSVs, fixing formatting, re-checking formulas
- Version chaos — 12 different files, all claiming to be the “final” model
- Stale data — last month’s numbers still driving this month’s plan
This results in delays, blind spots, and decisions made on incomplete info.
How Runway updates actuals automatically
Runway connects directly to your accounting, HRIS, and payment systems — including QuickBooks, NetSuite, Xero, Stripe, Gusto, and BambooHR.
- Connect: Authorize your source system. Runway handles secure authentication.
- Map: Drag and drop your chart of accounts into the right model categories. Runway recommends mappings to get you started faster.
Runway takes care of the rest — data syncs, and lands right where it belongs.
Forecast smarter: 3 real examples
Revenue growth modeling
Say you're projecting 15% monthly revenue growth for Q4. With spreadsheets, you’d update October’s numbers by hand and recalculate.
In Runway, October’s actuals sync right from QuickBooks. Just change your growth to 18%, and your whole forecast updates instantly. You compare forecast vs. actual on the spot, and adjust in real time.
Headcount planning
Your engineering team wants 3 new hires by year-end. In Excel, you'd estimate salary, benefits, taxes for each role by hand.
With Runway, real compensation data from Gusto or BambooHR fills in salary bands and tax assumptions automatically. Add the roles to your headcount plan and see the full impact on burn and runway instantly.
Pricing experiments
Say you’re testing a 20% price increase on your Premium tier. In Excel, you’d create yet another tab, export MRR, and build assumptions.
In Runway, Stripe subscription data flows in. You create a new scenario, tweak the pricing assumption, and immediately see the effect on MRR, LTV, and runway.
You simulate outcomes live.
Collaboration without chaos
Forget emailing v4_final_v2 at 11 pm.
Runway gives you:
- One shared workspace — everyone works off the same model, with version history built in.
- Scenario branching — spin up multiple what-if plans without touching the base.
- Live audit trail — see exactly who changed what, and when.
- Driver descriptions — embed reasoning and explanations inside your model.
What you gain
- Time back for strategy — users report 50–100X efficiency gains.
- Real-time visibility — no more stale numbers; you’re always board-ready.
- Agility in action — tweak live forecasts during exec reviews or in board meetings.
Indie.io cut board prep from multiple days to a few minutes by automating actuals. See how.
Automated actuals are the foundation of real-time finance
When your forecast reflects reality as it happens:
- Forecasts are honest, accurate, and current
- Planning sessions become strategic conversations
- Finance leads, not reacts
If you’re still waiting overnight for stale numbers, it’s time to flip the script.
Book a demo to see how Runway connects your actuals, model and plans — automatically.