- Information Governance: The Link to Better Enterprise Performance
Aligning corporate governance, risk management and compliance programs is the critical connection to enhancing business performance -- and getting the right IT assets in place to support these mutually dependant elements remains one of the greatest challenges for business leaders today. [more]
- Outsourcing F&A Pays Off, Says Hackett Group
Sending finance and accounting jobs overseas could potentially save Fortune 500 companies millions of dollars a year, according to Hackett Group research released yesterday. [more]
- Managing Relationships with External Audit
Although most CFOs play a pivotal role in assisting their audit committee with the selection and evaluation of auditors, the degree of their involvement in those decisions varies considerably. [more]
- First on the Strategic Agenda: Improve Strategy
According to a survey of executives with financial or strategic responsibilities at organizations with revenues of at least $500 million conducted by The McKinsey Quarterly in late summer, it seems that most companies' strategic plans could use a shot in the arm. [more]
- Growing Your Business in an Uncertain Credit Market
As the pace of the US economy slows -- as it appears to be doing -- the availability of credit will inevitably tighten. [more]
- How to Ensure a Successful Merger
Many mergers and acquisitions sound good on paper, but never realize their full potential because of inflexibility on the part of the acquirer, poor communication, botched integration, or failure to fully consider the "people part" of the equation. [more]
- Surveys Reveal Treasury's Driving Forces
Two recent surveys confirm that treasury departments are taking on more strategic duties while retaining traditional cash management tasks -- and becoming more efficient at both -- with a little help from automation and outsourcing. [more]
- Manufacturing Strategy Affects Measurement Type
A company's manufacturing strategy influences the extent to which it uses financial, quantitative nonfinancial and subjective performance measures, according to a study featured in Management Accounting Quarterly. [more]
- The Power of Private Equity
Taking a company public has long been viewed as the ultimate way to create value, but private equity firms have been raising capital at a record pace in recent years while public companies have had to grapple with new challenges. [more]
- Overcoming Roadblocks to Greater ERP Success
- Ventana Research's recent "ERP Innovation" study is worth another mention here, if only to drive home the point that most companies could be doing more with their enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems -- and reaping the benefits. [more]
- Building an In-House M&A Machine
- Mergers and acquisitions represent a core growth strategy for many companies, yet according to the September issue of Accenture's Outlook Journal, many acquiring companies lack the in-house integration capabilities to ensure that every deal "captures and preserves optimum value. [more]
- How to Get More From Your ERP Investment
- Ventana Research recently completed a study titled "ERP Innovation," which sought to determine if and how companies are moving beyond the first-generation objective of increasing efficiency through automation. [more]
- Hewitt Sets the Record Straight on Stock Options
- Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chief Accountant Conrad Hewitt issued an open letter to leaders of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and Financial Executives International (FEI) on Tuesday, leaving no doubt that backdating stock options is a no-no. [more]
- Shaping Business Strategy: Trends to Watch
- When it comes to business strategy, often companies either don't have it at all -- i.e., they operate in a reactive mode and spend the majority of their resources on execution -- or they concentrate too much on short-term trends and fail to analyze and properly prepare for long-term directional change. [more]
- Evaluating Your Company's Risk Intelligence
- It's tough for anybody to read the news these days, with the constant barrage of terrorism and war, natural and man-made disasters, avian flu and other potential pandemics. [more]
- Survey Finds CFO Confidence at Five-Year Low
- It's a bummer: One-third of CFOs surveyed in the most recent quarterly Duke University/CFO Business Outlook Survey are predicting a U.S. [more]
- Negotiation and Strategy in Dynamic Markets: Learning from the Marines
What do professional sports team managers and military leaders have in common with business strategists? [more]
- Is Phased Retirement a Win-Win?
Organizations that offer formal programs to retain retiree talent on a part-time basis extol the virtues of phased retirement. [more]
- Service Sharing Pays Off
Consolidating services, especially for support departments like IT and HR, is a trend that is gaining popularity because it can help already lean organizations cut costs. [more]
- How to Score Big With F&A Outsourcing
Most of the dangers that have hampered IT and HR outsourcing arrangements also confront finance and accounting initiatives. [more]
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