CFOs and their finance teams will play a critical role in supporting the vital Sustainability/ESG agenda in the coming years. In this introductory blog Richard Marshall covers some of the basic concepts in bite-sized chunks. Climate: relating to changes in the earth’s climate as a result of “Anthropogenic” (i.e. caused by human activity) atmospheric … Continued
Blackline’s acquisition of FourQ this week for a reported $165m (plus earnout consideration of up to $75 million over the next three years) is a timely reminder that intercompany eliminations are still a big deal – but shouldn’t be! FSN’s 2021 Agility in Financial Reporting & Close research highlights that only 11% of finance organisations … Continued
Can “Cloud À LA CARTE” GIVE CFOS A DIGITAL ADVANTAGE? The last 10 years has witnessed a rapid transition from on-premise solutions to the cloud. In the main, it’s been a process of like-for-like substitution, for example, taking an on-premises ERP or CPM solution and replicating it in the cloud. But is such an approach providing … Continued
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, several global epidemiological data collection and harmonisation efforts were initiated to provide guidance on data definitions, data formatting, and data sharing. Although it took a long time to ramp up, what was achieved in such a short period of time, on a global basis was remarkable. The pandemic has … Continued
A recent LinkedIn poll in the Modern Finance Forum illustrates how little reliance finance professionals place on analysts’ awards and accolades. 80% said they had little or no influence on their choice of software. This stark finding begs the question, what can finance functions rely on to corroborate and support their software evaluation? Choosing software … Continued
FSN’s top 5 predictions for 2022 based on research findings from the Modern Finance Forum on LinkedIn FSN’s top 5 predictions 1 The skills shortage will delay finance transformation 2 The frenzy in advanced budgeting, planning and forecasting will continue 3 The planning, budgeting and forecasting software market will consolidate 4 ERP will be in … Continued
Is It Time To Appoint A Chief Planning Officer (CPO) To The Board? Over the last 18 months we have all spent a great deal more time discussing planning budgeting and forecasting – especially scenario planning – than almost any other topic. It seems that everyone is desperate to get a handle on the future, … Continued
ZERO BASED BUDGETING IS A MARKER OF AGILITY IS ZERO-BASED-BUDGETING (ZBB) THE WAY TO GREATER FINANCIAL PLANNING AND ANALYSIS ACCURACY? If you want to improve accuracy, then FSN’s latest research, “Agility in Planning, Budgeting and Forecasting” highlights that ZBB is the way to go. The question is why? The idea that a budget is recalibrated … Continued
THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THOSE USING ROLLING FORECASTS JUST 19% OF ORGANISATIONS LEVERAGE THE POWER OF ROLLING FORECASTS. WHY? FSN’s research highlighted the crucial advantages of rolling forecasts over re-forecasting 4 times a year, yet only 19% of organisations leverage the agility they provide. The fourth graphic in the series of research infographics suggests why many … Continued
WHICH IS BETTER? – ROLLING FORECASTS OR FORECASTING 4 TIMES A YEAR? FSN’s latest research infographic provides compelling evidence that rolling forecasts are better than simply re-forecasting four times a year. In fact, when we compared the performance of organisations that use rolling forecasts, with those that reforecast quarterly, we find that rolling forecasters outperform … Continued