The APQC Blog
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Consultants to Regain Negotiating Leverage in 2013
APQC’s analysis of consulting procurement practices finds that pricing pressure should be less intense in 2013. In 2012, 94 percent of organizations surveyed by APQC said they expected larger fee discounts (below book rates) than the year before; that percentage plummets to 14 percent in 2013.…
Process Strategy 2.0: A New Direction?
As we move into 2013, many organizations are planning for change. The Harvard Business Review Blog Network ran a piece about the emerging trends in process and process improvement: Three Examples of New Process Strategy. In this discussion, Brad Power talks about Process Strategy 2.0 and how…
Measure and Improve Product Development Performance
How does your organization’s product development function compare with that of other organizations? In this post I want to talk about data for a few key performance indicators in product development. The data presented here is taken from APQC’s Open Standards Benchmarking in product development…
Stop Overpaying for Fixed Assets
In the wake of the recession, the topic of fixed asset management has become increasingly important. When an organization has a good handle on its fixed assets, meaning it is able to do a good job of tracking, managing, and accounting for depreciation, it not only avoids errors on its financial…
The Current State of Project Management Offices
Creating an effective, productive project management office (PMO) is a key concern for many organizations. The Project Management Institute (PMI) released a 2012 pulse of project management report that examines the current trends of more than 1,000 project management professionals. Some of the…
Financial Reporting Increasingly Complex
As 2012 begins to come to a close and finance departments are consumed with the year-end close-to-disclose process, it seems fitting to reflect back on how this “last mile” of finance has transformed over the past few years. The close-to-disclose process involves all activities needed to close an…
Should Compensation Be Linked to Performance Measures?
When it comes to performance measurement systems, staff buy-in, support, and participation are key. Many times, organizations assume that because management and leadership support measurement, employees will be onboard as well. Yet, employees find measurement threatening—many worry that it will…
Why Former Consultants Make Deliberate Buyers
Selling consulting services to a former consultant requires a different mindset than when pitching a project to someone who has never sat on your side of the negotiating table. APQC’s analysis of 72 organizations’ consulting procurement practices found some key distinctions you should be aware of…
3 Talent Development Best Practices
Talent development lessons for all can be found in best-in-class finance functions. This was my big take-away after co-presenting a webinar for Business Finance Magazine on developing finance professionals. In the webinar, The New Rules for Finance Talent Development, my colleague Mary Driscoll and…
Finance Best Practices Report Released
Earlier this month, APQC released the latest financial management (FM) Best Practices Report Building a Best-in-Class Finance Function. This research describes 14 best practices common among best-practice organizations. Topics include: the strategic purpose of the…