Digital transformation is top of mind these days for not just finance, but across the enterprise. In fact, three-quarters of those responding to a recent APQC process and priorities survey said that they were undergoing a digital transformation in 2019, with the top justifications being to increase…

The finance function (and the role of the CFO) is increasing in scope and complexity, moving out of the more traditional role of “scorekeeper” into the role of a trusted advisor in business decision making, and FP&A is an integral part of this transition. APQC recently partnered with the…

APQC partnered with management consulting firm ScottMadden (and ScottMadden subject matter experts Brad DeMent and Trey Robinson) on our latest cycle of the finance shared services centers (SSCs) benchmarking study evaluating key performance indicators and practices (delivery model, scope of…

The finance function continues to evolve and improve in response to the availability of new tools and technologies like RPA and AI, and corresponding changes in roles and responsibilities. APQC has spoken with numerous organizations of late in the process of investigating or implementing digital…

In December of 2018, APQC conducted its annual survey to understand the common challenges and priorities of financial practitioners’ agendas for the year to come. There were 258 respondents to the survey across industries and geographies. Seventy percent of survey participants reported over $1…

Each year APQC strives to offer our members and customers actionable research across the breadth of transactional and strategic processes to help them optimize and improve their finance process performance. My colleague Lochlyn Morgan recently blogged to provide a recap of our 2018 research efforts…

As we prepare for and welcome the new year, we should reflect on what we’ve learned so that we benefit from our past indiscretions and don’t let bad habits slither back. With 2018 at a close, and the stock market becoming increasingly volatile, many are left unsure of what 2019 could bring. But one…

Top finance functions are embarking on substantive changes to their processes and their organizational role. APQC conducted a case study research project throughout 2018 seeking best practices from organizations transforming their finance and accounting functions, and found some common themes…

APQC is engaged in current and ongoing research on planning, budgeting, and forecasting through our Open Standards Benchmarking Survey on Planning and Management Accounting. As part of our research, we look at both key performance indicators, as well as practices data, about these processes…

Robotic process automation (RPA) has quickly become inevitable. In March of 2018, APQC interviewed Tilak Banerjee, a director at Dell-EMC, on RPA: “When we started in 2015, RPA was more or less a new concept in the shared services industry,” said Banerjee. “Right now, a lot of companies I talk to…