You Want Me to Do What? Accelerate Payments?
Financial operations are in the spotlight -- really and truly -- as early economic recovery unfolds. This area has been getting attention from senior management teams that are adjusting their sights on...
View ArticleFinance in 2020 — Robots in the Dark
Last week, I got a call from Eric Krell, who also blogs in this space for Business Finance. He had been hired by a professional association to research the question: What will the finance function look...
View ArticleThe Risks You Don't Expect — CFOs Under 50, Take Notice!
"Our headquarters are situated two blocks away from a major downtown railyard, the central hub of multiple commercial rail lines. If there is a significant train collision -- something involving toxic...
View ArticleThe Economics of Shared Services Robots in the Cloud
Economists from all camps have been fiercely debating whether to end the U.S. government's fiscal stimulus program or expand it. In the process, they've been making predictions about the outlook for...
View ArticleGetting Bad Grades in Risk Management
How good are North America's largest companies when it comes to detecting and dodging risks that can disrupt the hunt for growth and profit? It turns out that they have a long way to go before...
View ArticleGetting the Jump on Performance Announcements
Last week, General Motors announced its return to steady financial footing. One equity analyst proclaimed in The Wall Street Journal that the automaker is now “lean, agile, and focused.” One can easily...
View ArticleBeware of the Distressed Opportunity: When Cash Finally Runs Dry
Over the next six months, we can expect to hear a lot about beleaguered businesses being snapped up by stronger companies looking to buy some good old-fashioned strategic value. The M&A experts...
View ArticleHow Shared Services Are Reinventing AP
A recent survey conducted by APQC revealed that managers of financial shared services operations are keen to deliver “business intelligence” to their internal customers who reside within business...
View ArticleRobo-signing and Sloppy Processes That Could Land You in Jail
Think you're having a bad day? Consider the CEOs and CFOs of the nation's biggest banks that have been caught up in the robo-signing scandal. They may be personally liable for staggering sums if judges...
View ArticleThe New Talent Crisis in Finance
A new talent crisis is about to hit corporate finance. The word “new” is deliberate. This time, the challenge is not about the rising cost of good people. It's about what good people do. About 5 years...
View ArticleGaining an Edge: Don't Tolerate Slow Financial Processes
The never-ending pursuit of cost reduction in financial management operations is all well and good — but do not overlook the negative impacts of slow process cycle times. APQC research conducted during...
View ArticleThe Cost of Accounting and Reporting -- The Gaps Raise Eyebrows
At this time each year, teams of corporate accountants work fervently to close the books on last year's financial results. APQC's benchmarking metrics show that some teams struggle mightily under the...
View ArticleReregulation Gone Wild?
CFOs and treasurers are unhappy with an SEC proposed rule change that would require "quantitative and qualitative" disclosures about short-term borrowings in the Management's Discussion and Analysis...
View ArticleSustainable Working Capital Improvements: Making Best Practices Stick
When the credit markets suddenly froze during the financial crisis, finance teams at large companies went into triage mode and raised spare-cash levels to unprecedented heights. What's happened since...
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