It’s no surprise that the very area where the downturn arguably exposed glaring deficiencies in the finance function is the same area where innovation is now taking root.

Forecasting Slide1a

As forecasting capability becomes more of a central focus for most finance organizations, forecasting software is once again under scrutiny. While spreadsheets still dominate the finance department, new forecasting applications are proving effective in the area of cash forecasting. more

Earlier this month I noted (here) that for cash-strapped states, turning up the heat on unclaimed property audits is “basically a no-brainer because compliance with unclaimed property regs is so poor.”

A new poll from the Tax and Accounting Business of Thomson Reuters confirms that many companies are indeed out of compliance and, whether knowingly or not, are courting audit penalties. more

To establish and maintain a competitive advantage, companies must correctly gauge, monitor, and leverage strategic risk. Rick Funston, principal, Deloitte & Touche, LLP, explains how risk avoidance too often undermines successful strategy. ###

In my last post, I shared some of the comments made at a recent brand-building conference for financial services firms.

One of the ironies about financial services firms is that while they are quick to praise client companies for investing in brand-building, they don’t always practice what they preach.

To underscore this point, I quoted one of the presenters, Omar Saad, global head of brand investing at Credit Suisse. Mr. Saad I found especially interesting, but not because of anything I revealed in my last post. Instead, what made Saad of keen interest to me was his unforgiving dismissal of social media as a means for brand-building. more