Data visualization is a keen topic of interest for accounting and finance professionals who want to more effectively and clearly communicate their message to their stakeholders. According to a recent study to be released by APQC later this month on “Leading Practices for Financial and…

The general accounting process is a core transactional process within the finance function, involving maintaining the chart of accounts; processing journal entries, allocations, and adjustments; conducting reconciliations, consolidations, and eliminations; and finally, preparing trial balances…

In APQC’s September financial management community call, retired finance talent development executive Amy P. Youngblood talked about the importance of developing a growth (versus fixed) mindset for finance professionals, a mindset that involves continuous learning for finance professionals who…

Fall means lots of things to different people: Football season, changing leaves and cooler weather (we can only dream of this in Houston), and back to school! If you are a parent, chances are that your school-age children have already returned to school this Fall in the frenzy of excitement…

As part of our mission as a nonprofit to find and disseminate best practices information, one of the most fascinating parts of my job as the principal research lead for financial management at APQC is all of the amazing thought leaders that I get to speak with and interview. We regularly tap into a…

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…