The job market for finance and accounting professionals is holding steady despite the economic downturn.

An open, multi-vendor environment, collaborative workspaces, profitability and cost management tools -- the ERP giant's latest foray into the enterprise performance management space offers plenty to interest finance users.

Throughout the world, the use of finance and accounting outsourcing (FAO) by small, medium, and large enterprises is rising. This guidance centers on what might be done at each of the following three stages of the FAO life cycle to create and manage a successful FAO initiative.

Sales force effectiveness is crucial in a tightening economy, but aligning pay with performance is tricky. CFOs and sales leaders have some work to do.

Is it safe to go back into the M&A waters? With private equity players still largely sidelined, now may be a good time for strategic buyers to steal some deals, according to new research from The Boston Consulting Group. Business Finance talked with Jeff Gell, Boston-based partner with the firm and co-author of the report, about the changing M&A environment.

A startlingly high proportion of business transformation efforts go nowhere, says a new report. The heart of the problem: people issues.

The Midwest floods caught many companies flat-footed and punched holes in their disaster response plans. Not Verizon Business, though.

They're everywhere, and everybody knows they're a risk. But what to do about it?

The good news is that companies these days treat cost containment as a discipline and an ongoing process rather than reactively. The not-so-good news is that they tend to focus on minor, low-yield initiatives and on squeezing expense out of their processes.

... or any other presentation, for that matter. Kevin Daley, founder of Communispond, shares tips gleaned from nearly 40 years' experience in training executives to handle high-stakes communication situations.