APQC has just released a report containing new research on financial planning and analysis (FP&A). Data shows that while some organizations have stellar FP&A processes, we should expect to see CFOs building more effective FP&A capabilities that include advanced analytical techniques;…

APQC is currently conducting a study that focuses on indirect procurement. This research will provide insight into what benefits can be obtained by modernizing aspects of the procure-to-pay process and explore cross-functional collaboration and alignment between…

I, like many, have benefited from low oil prices in the last several months. Last week I filled up my car with gas in Dallas, Texas for $1.75 per gallon; I didn’t know whether to take these rates as a happy surprise or a sign of the apocalypse. I then wondered how oil and gas…

As many of our members know, a company that cannot get a handle on fixed asset accounting—a fundamental, meat-and-potatoes aspect of financial management—can raise a lot of eyebrows. Investors want to see that a company can get the basics right. In this video, Mary Driscoll gives a primer…

Financial forecasting and resource planning can be challenging under any circumstances, but today there is more demand from operating managers for forward-looking, driver-based analysis and scenario testing. APQC has found early indications that CFOs and controllers want to strengthen…

The deadline for filing your company’s Specialized Disclosure Report (or Form SD) and Conflict Minerals Report is looming (effectively June 2nd). The theory behind exposing human rights violations in corporate supply chains is important, but the mix of social consciousness and SEC filings…

APQC recently talked to Dean Sorensen, founder of IBP Collaborative, on the benefits and challenges of integrating sales and operations planning (S&OP) and enterprise performance management (EPM) in finance and supply chain functions. Dean Sorensen, a management consultant, helps…

In this short You Tube video, Dean Sorensen explains in simple terms the incremental business capabilities provided by the next generation of enterprise performance management (EPM), which he calls EPM2. These capabilities enable organizations to achieve financial, operational, and strategic…

In the chart below, we see that companies that prepare and file their quarterly statements in 10 or fewer days are top performers. Accounting close expert Gabe Zubizarreta presents an interesting nuance to this information: the very fastest companies actually spend 50 percent less than their bottom…