In its latest study, IBM dubs the CFO “the new value integrator.” Think about that the next time you bump into the CIO. Check out IBM’s full CFO study here, along with a ton of related content, including a discussion forum and video.

Here’s IBM’s rationale: Value integrators are skilled at navigating uncertainty, and on every measure that IBM examined – revenue growth, EBITDA, and return on invested capital – their enterprises outperformed their peers’. They do so in large part because they excel at integrating information company-wide, analyzing it, and converting it to a competitive asset – new intelligence.

Pretty heady stuff, until IBM adds: “Our study also shows that too many finance organizations have yet to seize this opportunity – or meet their own [or maybe IBM’s] expectations.” Let’s take a look at some of the key findings.

The report is based on a survey of 1,900 CFOs and senior finance leaders worldwide. It found that while the importance of core finance responsibilities has not diminished, the CFOs’ focus has broadened and sharply increased. As IBM puts it: “CEOs and Boards are counting on their CFOs to be fact-based voices of reason and insight.” Why you shouldn’t expect the same from all C-level executives, IBM doesn’t say.

Finance groups that rank highest in both finance efficiency and business insight are designated “value integrators.” Value integrators report higher compound annual growth rates (CAGRs) in earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) and revenue, as well as a higher average return on invested capital (ROIC). That’s 20x greater EBITDA, 49 percent greater revenue, and 30 percent higher ROIC, according to IBM.

The value integrators are more enterprise-focused than they were 5 years ago. In particular, involvement in enterprise risk management jumped 93 percent. Involvement in pushing the integration of information across the enterprise rose 109 percent.

One CFO is quoted in the study as saying: “If I had complete freedom, integration of information would be my number one priority. Unfortunately, there are too many IT and business unit barriers at present.” Ouch! You can feel CIOs and line-of-business managers wince.

The CFOs in the study are hard on themselves as well, reporting their own finance groups falling down when it comes to providing inputs into enterprise strategy (28 percent gap between importance and effectiveness) and developing the people in the finance group (35 percent gap). They are even critical of their role in driving information across the enterprise (34 percent gap).

IBM also captured some characteristics of efficient finance organizations. For example, they are 145 percent more likely to assume process ownership through such things as appointing process owners. They also are 47 percent more likely to push for a common platform and 69 percent more inclined to accept alternative delivery models, such as shared services.

The study makes for interesting reading, providing more details than can be reported here. It also includes some deep dives into particular CFO experiences through a handful of cases. Check it out, if you haven’t done so already. You’ll have to register, but the study is free.

If leveraging information integration and dissemination are the new keys to CFO success, maybe it’s finally time to get chummy with the CIO. ###