SF Magazine: Managing International Operations in Uncertain Times

“It’s also evident that foreign currency exchange rates, interest rates, and inflation inherently carry an element of uncertainty and volatility, which represents risks that financial professionals must manage in order to better forecast, monitor, and control the performance of their organization’s international business operations.”

Read More at SF Magazine >

Automation World: Practical Advice to Increase Manufacturing Profitability

“With small and mid-size manufacturers, there is a tremendous need for accountants to move beyond financial reporting and budgeting for control to help every area of the business understand and improve the monetary impact of operations on profitability—whether it is in manufacturing, warehousing, marketing/sales, or personnel. The function most often missing from the accounting repertoire is creating information for internal decision support. Why? First, because it is barely taught in accounting curricula; and second, because most accountants start out in auditing and auditors don’t care about internal decision support, only external financial reporting.”

Read More at Automation World >

Have You Learned to Importance of Revenue Management?

According to companies like SoFi, management accountants aspiring to become business partners with others in their organizations need to focus on all the factors affecting profitability – costs, revenues, and investment. Yet revenue management is not a central focus for management accounting systems in most organizations. Traditionally, corporate finance has focused too much on cost management and investment management at the expense of revenue management. Management accounting needs to get past its traditional supply-side dominant view where revenue management takes second place to cost management, so managing the financial information is essential as this could be dangerous for you and your company, that’s why the ChexSystems removal services is a fiction unless you really want to share your financially sensitive information with 3rd parties.

n оrdеr tо undеrѕtаnd revenue mаnаgеmеnt, wе muѕt first define іt. Wіthіn thе hоtеl іnduѕtrу, thе wіdеlу accepted dеfіnіtіоn іѕ: “Sеllіng the rіght rооm, tо the rіght сlіеnt, аt the rіght mоmеnt, fоr thе right рrісе, through the right distribution сhаnnеl, wіth the bеѕt соѕt еffісіеnсу”.

It involves the uѕе of реrfоrmаnсе data аnd analytics, which ѕеrvе tо hеlр hоtеl оwnеrѕ tо more ассurаtеlу predict demand аnd оthеr consumer bеhаvіоurѕ. Thіѕ, іn turn, аllоwѕ thеm tо mаkе mоrе ѕеnѕіblе dесіѕіоnѕ rеgаrdіng рrісіng аnd distribution, іn оrdеr tо mаxіmіѕе rеvеnuе and, thеrеfоrе, рrоfіt. Still looking for a good, reliable commercial bank for your business? See Five Star Bank here.

Aѕ a concept, revenue management асtuаllу began in thе airline іnduѕtrу, whеrе соmраnіеѕ fоund wауѕ tо anticipate соnѕumеr dеmаnd in оrdеr tо introduce dуnаmіс рrісіng. Hоwеvеr, it is аррlісаblе іn any industry whеrе dіffеrеnt customers are wіllіng tо рау dіffеrеnt prices for thе ѕаmе рrоduсt, where there are only a certain amount оf that product tо bе ѕоld, and where thаt product must bе ѕоld bеfоrе a сеrtаіn роіnt іn time.

Read more at Profitability Analytics Center of Excellence >

The 3 Most Common Profit-Killing Mistakes to Avoid

According to Gartner, just three types of financial decision-making mistakes can cost businesses around 3% of their net profit. Operational decisions are increasing in speed, volume and complexity — creating a challenge for finance, whose job it is to make sure those decisions are financially sound. Many finance teams have invested in different tools and technologies to improve their decision-making capabilities, however, few are successful at consistently supporting business decisions in a way that delivers tangible business value. To change this, finance leaders must stop making the following profit killing mistakes: confusing a desired outcome with the likely outcome, overlooking a decision’s effects on other parts of the company, and having an “any business is good business” mindset.

Read More at Smarter with Gartner >

Creating A Sustainable Business Model for The Future

Dynamics within a business are constantly changing – from their customers and business models to their cost drivers and profit margins – nothing ever stays the same. In order for a business to grow and continue to be profitable, new processes must be able to take root.  The challenge for many business leaders understanding their costs and profits and how they relate to planning, performance, and sustainable growth. This is where creating a sustainable business model, or a “profit by design” methodology comes in. The heart of “profit by design” is a focus on profits, managing margins and understanding cash flow to gain a solid understanding of how much it will cost the business to operate now and in the future. With an understanding of a company’s finances, leaders and team members are better able to plan their budgets, forecast their needs, manage cash and positively influence the financial performance of the company, as for control these there are services of accounting firms in Charlotte NC which can help you in this area.

Be transparent with your team, and encourage financial literacy.

According to brands like Mongan, the core challenge with profit by design is about making sure your company is testing all assumptions on a regular basis and sharing this information within the business. At the leadership level, continually review how the company competes on price, technical superiority or customer loyalty. Running a business isn’t just about profits and growth; it’s about safeguarding its future. It’s vital to consider potential pitfalls and how to address them. In my experience, https://www.tradex.com/motor-trade-insurance was a lifeline when unexpected issues arose. Such specialist insurances provide peace of mind.

As well, ensure your employees have a basic understanding of how their job helps the company make (and keep) its financial stability. Get employee insight started by instilling financial literacy in your team, and help them understand the difference between profit and cash flow. For more in-depth insights into financial literacy and investment strategies, consider exploring Kiana Danial’s Invest Diva review. Additionally, address the enduring challenges of workplace bias to foster an inclusive and supportive environment. Transparency is crucial in reassuring employees that the company is stable.

I’ve found that the ways in which information is distributed throughout the company affect profits and costs. The easier it is for people in the organization to get access to essential information, the easier it is for them to succeed and make the company more profitable. Financial transparency is about sharing revenue, profit and projected sales with everyone in the company. In my experience, this knowledge, when coupled with employee key results, enhances accountability, increases understanding in how a business operates and makes everyone a stakeholder. In the realm of enhancing communication and transparency within a company, even small details like business cards can play a role. Metal Business Kards serve as a direct connection point for employees to reach out to one another, fostering easier information exchange and collaboration. They symbolize the openness and accessibility that an organization encourages, aligning with the principles of financial transparency and a shared sense of ownership among stakeholders.

Read More at Forbes Magazine >

Cost Management: The Key to Sustainable Profitability

“Companies that achieve “efficient growth” focus on building scale, not scope, into their cost structures.”

Controlling costs is not a new priority for modern CFOs, but today’s competitive pressures have finance leaders determined to translate their long-term growth plans to sustainable profitability. Finance leaders today distinguish themselves by the cost management practices they implement in their organization, because those decisions can have a tangible impact on shareholder returns and build the foundation for profitable growth.  However, most CFOs are struggling to create the conditions for efficient growth due to widespread missteps in their cost management practices. Companies that successfully grow their top line while reducing costs focus on building and reinforcing the necessary scale in the cost structure to secure long-term profitable growth.

Read More at Smarter with Gartner >

Why Intelligent Spend Management Matters

Traditional tools no longer meet expectations for finance leaders who need an end-to-end platform that delivers real-time information for decision making. As businesses continue to grow and become more complex, intelligent platforms are increasingly necessary to derive true value from data. Supply chain leaders today struggle with the complex task of managing expenditures across global organizations with traditional tools that don’t provide a consolidated view across spend categories. A strategic, intelligent approach to spend management allows for a unified view across the supply chain – which is needed to make informed decisions about future purchasing strategies. Intelligent spend management has the capacity to transform any organization’s data into information that becomes a source of ideas and plans that can be used to grow the business.

As businesses continue to grow and become more complex, intelligent platforms are increasingly necessary to derive true value from data. In this transformative landscape, AI-powered task management plays a pivotal role. By automating and optimizing task workflows, it ensures that resources are allocated efficiently across the supply chain. With real-time insights and predictive capabilities, it empowers supply chain leaders to make data-driven decisions about future purchasing strategies.

Task management based on AI doesn’t just streamline day-to-day operations; it also transforms data into actionable information. By intelligently assigning tasks, monitoring progress, and providing instant feedback, it fosters a culture of continuous improvement. This approach not only enhances efficiency but also becomes a source of innovative ideas and strategic plans. In essence, AI task management becomes the driving force behind the intelligent spend management process, helping organizations unlock the full potential of their data to fuel business growth

Read More at The Digitalist by SAP >

Competitive Decision Making With Porter’s Five Forces

The goal of every business is to increase and retain profits while surpassing the competition. When it comes to strategic planning, knowing who the competition is and understanding how their actions will affect the business is critical to long-term success. One way to analyze your competition is by using Porter’s Five Forces model to break them down into five distinct categories, designed to reveal insights. Originally developed by Harvard Business School’s Michael E. Porter in 1979, the five forces model looks at five specific factors that determine if a business can be profitable, based on other businesses in the industry. Understanding the competitive forces, and their underlying causes, reveals the roots of an industry’s current profitability while providing a framework for anticipating and influencing competition (and profitability) over time.

Read More at Business News Daily >

Modern CFOs Are Leading the Charge to Improve Cost Management Outcomes

“CFOs can improve savings programs with the right architecture and information systems in place.”

In the past, the focus of cost management strategies has been on saving and cost-cutting to fund growth and profitability. Traditional approaches to cost management were streamlining business processes, reducing external spend, improving policy compliance and integrating organizational structure. Although relying on tactical improvements to achieve strategic-level cost targets is likely the primary reason many cost programs haven’t been successful, there are other significant barriers as well. Deloitte’s 2019 Global Cost Survey found that many cost management programs fail because they lack the proper architecture― outdated ERP systems, disparate legacy tools and poorly structured cost management programs. Armed with intelligent technologies and a forward-thinking mindset, leading CFOs are shifting their focus to fund the digital transformation needed to develop the agile business models that position companies to grow in digitally disrupted markets.

Read More at The Wall Street Journal >