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Could You Please Direct Me to the Talent Aisle?
Talent is all around us and we don’t even know it. Well, hold on. Let me modify that statement. Talent is all around us and sometimes we don’t even know it. I’m a volleyball player, so when I compete against a tall, athletic-looking guy, I’m generally not surprised to find out that he’s a…
What is Blockchain?
Much is being said these days about blockchain, also referred to as distributed ledger technology, and its impact on business. Let’s be honest with each other: are you familiar with blockchain? If you are not, then the good news is that you are not alone. And if you are extremely familiar, you are…
Overconfidence in Full Effect
Every so often, I hear the hilarious statistic cited that ninety percent of drivers think that they are better than the average driver. It goes without saying that this is a mathematical impossibility. And it demonstrates the proven cognitive bias known as “illusory superiority.” Why, in an…
CFOs Now Waking Up to Cyber Crime in AP
A new report on corporate payments fraud carries some stunning facts. The Association for Financial Professionals has released its 2017 AFP Payments Fraud and Control Survey. Seventy four percent of finance professionals reported that their organizations experienced “attempted or actual payments…
Worthless Words about Priceless Memories
I’m going to start off this blog with a few (seemingly) random facts. First, it’s springtime. Second, my friends and I are in our late twenties. Finally, I participate in social media. These facts are relatively meaningless on their own, but, when taken in combination, they can mean only one thing…
Ask Us Answered: How Do I Measure Financial Benefits of Benchmarking?
What’s on the minds of other process and knowledge practioners? Ask Us Answered is an APQC blog series that shares a sample of the questions members submit to APQC’s Ask Us service along with the resources and expertise provided. If you’re an APQC member and have a question you’d like us to…
Finance Needs More Know-How
APQC recently conducted a survey of financial management professionals’ improvement goals and priorities. The results reveal vexing challenges in financial process standardization, labor cost reduction, and better decision support. These issues intersect—and not in a good way for many finance teams…
6 Proven Knowledge Retention Ideas To Avoid Disaster
We’ve all heard the saying “the only constant in life is change.” Change is happening faster than ever in companies around the world—whether it’s implementing new software, automating processes, or hiring/losing employees—your company will inevitably face change. One of the most valuable…
7 Cyber Security Questions CFOs Need Answers For
The growing sophistication of cyber-attacks has made it clear that even corporations with savvy prevention and protection systems are vulnerable. Cyber security is not just an IT issue but instead a cross-functional concern for the digital enterprise that requires attentive executive- and board-…
Creating Work-Life Balance in 2017
Perhaps largely due to the nature of their business, professional services firms have high expectations, and consequently some struggles, when it comes to the demarcation of work and home life. Work tends to be ubiquitous, and employees often struggle with guilt if they take advantage of benefits…