Upfront: Outsourcing Finance May Enhance Governance

A high proportion of companies that have outsourced a finance process say it has improved compliance.

Companies that have considered outsourcing their finance function but decided against it often cite worries about corporate governance and compliance. But those fears may be groundless, according to an Accenture global survey of more than 200 senior executives at midsize and large companies.

Among participants whose organization had outsourced a finance process, 44 percent said that the move had caused no adverse impact on governance and compliance. And a surprisingly high proportion -- 43 percent -- said that outsourcing had improved governance and compliance.

"The findings show that executives increasingly believe that outsourcing of the finance function can enhance an organization's ability to ensure effective governance and compliance," said Barbara Duganier, Houston-based vice president of Accenture Finance Solutions. "We believe that this significant shift in mind-set is led by companies that have already outsourced their finance functions. As companies seek to achieve high performance in their business, we expect that trend to continue."