The Ledger
Curated content foranalytical business leaders
The Relationship Between Accounting and FP&A
February 24, 2020
Many people in the finance and accounting industries would agree that accountants know finance, but not all finance personnel understand accounting. Granted, both functions have different skill sets and responsibilities. It may be an oversimplification, but accounting departments are focused on what has happened, whereas FP&A uses the information provided by the accounting department to posit what might happen.
When You Have Too Much Tech
February 21, 2020
Surveys show CFOs generally see the need to incorporate technology to help them improve their finance and accounting functions. But knowing which technology is right for their operations and which isn’t — and also when the time is right — is the “opportunity and the curse,” says Bryan Lapidus, FP&A, director of the FP&A practice at the Association for Financial Professionals. “Until you look at your needs and take an honest look at where your team is culturally, he suggested, the CFO might be better served resisting the addition of new tech for its own sake.”
2020 CFO Priorities Includes Integrated Insights
February 19, 2020
A recent survey from CFO Magazine and Duke University Fuqua School of Business identifies four priorities for CFOs with “Move from Disconnected Spreadsheets to Integrated Insights” topping the list. Finance teams need tools to understand the interdependencies of the decisions made without spending 2.24 hours per day on average sifting through spreadsheets.
The Future of Finance is Digital
February 3, 2020
A recent McKinsey study found that more that 40% of a typical CFOs time is spent on activities that “fall firmly outside the traditional role of accounting, controlling, and budgeting. CFOs are dedicating more time to strategic leadership, organizational transformation, and performance management.”
