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ONLINE PLANNING WEBINAR SERIES - WEBINAR 1 OF 3
● NASBA-COMPLIANT CPE WEBINAR • 1.0 CPE CREDIT • FREE
Your forecast doesn't have to be right forever. It has to be ready for the moment.
Accuracy is being right the day you built it. Responsiveness is being ready the moment someone questions it. That's the difference that matters!
Hosted by Heather L. Cole, host of the Financial Executives International Podcast,
Executive Advisor, and one of only 32 IBM Lifetime Champions worldwide
Founder & CEO of Lodestar Solutions & Heatherized
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| Format | Live webinar, Q&A included |
| Duration | 60 minutes |
| CPE Credit | 1.0 credit hour |
| Field of Study | Finance |
| Cost | Free, no purchase required |
LIVE DEMONSTRATION FEATURING
IBM PLANNING ANALYTICS
A 60-Second Look at What You'll Learn
Hear directly from Heather on why forecast responsiveness, not just forecast accuracy, is the real 2026 problem.
THE REAL 2026 PROBLEM
Your forecast doesn't have to be right forever.
It's about whether it can stay right when the ground shifts under it. That's forecast responsiveness, and most annual forecast cycles were never built to handle it. But strategic CFO's have planning processes that empower them to defend the numbers.
From market noise to a forecast you can act on!
FORECAST ACCURACY: THE OLD STANDARD
A forecast built once, reviewed quarterly, and defended in the meeting where everyone already knows it's wrong. It was accurate the day it was built. It isn't accurate today.
FORECAST RESPONSIVENESS: THE 2026 STANDARD
A forecast built to move. Driver-based and current, so a tariff, a lost customer, or a cost spike updates the plan in the time it takes a spreadsheet to open, not days of rebuilding.
This isn't a product demo. It's a live look at what causes static forecasts to break down, and how to solve it with IBM Planning Analytics.
Your Host
Heather L. Cole
Founder & CEO, Lodestar Solutions
Heather Cole is Founder and CEO of Lodestar Solutions and one of only 32 IBM Lifetime Champions worldwide. She serves as an Executive Advisor, hosts the Financial Executives International Podcast, and is a long-time member of Financial Executives International's Tampa Chapter. For more than 25 years, Heather has worked with financial executives to improve the FP&A process, helping CFOs and finance teams move from static, annual forecasts to driver-based planning that stays accurate as conditions change. She will lead today's session live and stay on for questions.
What You'll Walk Away With
Presented at a Basic level. No prerequisites or advance preparation required.
01
Why static, annual forecasts break down under current volatility, and what to do instead.
02
The real difference between "forecast accuracy" and "forecast responsiveness."
03
How driver-based planning updates a full forecast in the time it takes a spreadsheet to open.
04
A live look at how this works in a real system, powered by IBM Planning Analytics.
Built for CFOs and Finance Leaders Navigating Change
This session is for finance leaders navigating change faster than the annual forecast cycle was built to handle.
Chief Financial Officers
VPs of Finance
Controllers
FP&A Directors & Managers
Treasury & Corporate Finance Leaders
Finance Business Partners
Reserve Your Seat and See How Forecast Responsiveness
Works in a Real System
Free. No purchase required. Register now to hold your spot. No replays are
scheduled at this time. If you can't attend live, register anyway and we'll notify you if
this webinar is added back to the calendar.
How to Improve Financial Forecast Accuracy When Business Conditions Keep Changing
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ALIGNED PLANNING WEBINAR SERIES
This Is Webinar 1 of 3. Two More Sessions Are Coming Up.
THURS, OCT 15, 2026 -
1-2 PM ET
Financial Scenario Planning: How to Prepare for Disruption and Make Faster Decisions
Build on session one. Go deeper on scenario modeling so your team can move fast when conditions change. 1.0 CPE credit.
THURS, OCT 22, 2026 -
1-2 PM ET
Is Your Budgeting and Forecasting Software Built for Where You're Going, or Just Where You've Been?
Most CFOs underestimate the cost of inaction by six figures. Find out where your current tools are quietly costing you. 1.0 CPE credit.
[email protected] · 813-415-2910
CPE SPONSOR INFORMATION
Lodestar Solutions is registered with NASBA's National Registry of CPE Sponsors. Sponsor ID: 167915. State boards of accountancy have final authority on acceptance of CPE credit. Complaints regarding registered sponsors may be submitted to NASBA at www.nasbaregistry.org.
© 2026 Lodestar Solutions. All rights reserved. · Free program, no fees collected, no refund applicable. Cancel anytime via [email protected]. · Presented at a Basic level; no prerequisites or advance preparation required.