Benchmarking: A Critical Element in Finance Transformation

February 6, 2012

Benchmarking should become an automatic and automated process within finance as it can provide insight not available by other means.

Statoil Transforms Its Business by Eliminating Budgets

January 30, 2012

Energy company Statoil has embraced an innovative, self-regulating management model.

6 Steps to Improving the Budgeting and Planning Process

January 10, 2012

The budget process does not have to be an annual pain in the spreadsheet, if you follow these six basic tips.

Fast Forecasting is Not Negotiable

December 16, 2011

Finance professionals need to genuinely embrace continuous improvement principles to keep pace in this topsy-turvy economy.

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The Keys to Successful and Ongoing Benchmarking

December 13, 2011

Chuck Wise, senior principal, finance and performance
management, Accenture speaks with Business Finance about the importance of benchmarking and how it can improve the performance of key corporate functions.

New Conditions Call for New Approaches to Forecasting and Planning

November 14, 2011

While a transformation in planning brings short- and long-term organizational benefits, it also requires concerted effort by senior management to explain the new approach, why it matters, and what changes it will involve, says Accenture's Scott Brennan and Robert Bergstrom.

Reporting Requirements Dominating the Time of Insurance Industry CFOs

October 28, 2011

With new requirements for international, state and local regulators, finance executives are finding the vast majority of their time tied to meeting reporting deadlines, rather than strategy or trend spotting.

A Practical Look at Driver-Based Planning

October 14, 2011

In today's unpredictable environment, it’s more and more important to replace the relatively static annual budget with agile planning. Driver-based models are a cornerstone of agile planning.

Corner View: Why We Still Cling to Flawed Forecasts

September 22, 2011

If the last five tumultuous years have taught us anything, it's that we fail to recognize a rapidly changing environment, even though it sure looks obvious in hindsight.

Going Beyond the Budget

September 13, 2011

Too often, the words planning and budgeting are used interchangeably. But they are two different processes with two different aims. And all too often, the planning element is given short shrift.