The Ledger

Curated content for
analytical business leaders

Valuable FP&A Requires the Right Tool

June 4, 2018

CFOs often worry about how much value their analytics are actually providing their company. AI and digitalization completely changed the way that finance leaders operate. Too many of them still rely on planning tools that aggregate budgets but provide little in terms of anything else, and many  are still devoted to spreadsheets. These past-generation tools assist in one regard immensely: looking back and reflecting. However, these tools are no longer sufficient to completely base important business decisions on them. Finance needs to be able to act in the moment and not provide value after the fact, which is why a dynamic FP&A tool is necessary.

Read More at The Digitalist by SAP >

 

Analytics Leaders In Finance Have Higher Profitability

May 31, 2018

Analytical leaders don’t leave data and analytics to departments – they hold it centrally or impose uniform standards for how it is gathered, stored and used. Top ranked finance analytics leaders all have four characteristics in common: They support a strategic capability, their approach was enterprise-wide, the senior management team was committed, and the company made a significant strategic bet on analytics-based competition. Firms that get their analytics programs right see significant profits.

Read More at Forbes Magazine >

 

Technology Fundamentally Changes Your Brand

May 30, 2018

Many mature industries are experiencing significant technological disruption. The automotive industry is being disrupted by electric vehicles and self-driving cars, just as home appliances is being disrupted by smart appliances, home entertainment by on-demand content providers, and apparel by online personal stylists enabling consumers to turn their home into their dressing room. Leaders in every industry are no doubt keeping a vigilant eye on such developments and they are noticing the impact that technology has on their premium brand.  The traditional drivers of brand premium are being joined by newer, tech-enabled variables: software, interactive products, digital interactions, immersive experiences, and predictive services, to name a few.

Read More at The Harvard Business Review >

 

Why You Should Be Leveraging an Intelligent Finance Solution

May 29, 2018

The role of finance professionals is defined by the technology they use to determine how they can add value and influence across their business. What finance teams are able to do, how they are viewed within their stakeholder base, and where their strengths and weaknesses lie are very much dependent on that underlying technology capabilities (or limitations). Instead of relying on spreadsheets or outdated systems, new, more sophisticated software is being used to determine how they work as opposed to being boxed in to a predefined role. These enterprise technologies are changing the way we work and the value finance is bringing to the organization.

Read More at The Digitalist by SAP >

 

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