(Quality Magazine, 2 May 2012) In Brief: Upper management does not speak the same language quality professionals do, so be sure to couch your ideas in terms they will understand. For example, rather than focusing on how a particular strategy will reduce the risk of defects, explain how the shortcomings will lead to losses in [...]
Read more(thestar.com, 27 March 2012) In Brief: Organizations that set unrealistic key performance index (KPI) targets are putting themselves at risk, this writer says. Executives should first understand employees’ capabilities, and avoid making the KPI system “profit- or target-oriented.” Instead, ensure that your staff is well-equipped to create sustainable growth. Our View: It is often said [...]
Read more(Strategic Sourceror, 6 April 2012) In Brief: Effective communication skills are important in any profession and Procurement is no exception. Whether it is making a business case or developing stronger strategic relationships with suppliers and business partners, honing a few communication skills can serve Procurement executives well. The writer of this article emphasizes the importance [...]
Read more(Telegraph, 28 March 2012) In Brief: Companies are buried deep in KPIs when they should narrow their focus on a few to really have a chance at improving performance. All of your company’s KPIs should fit on one sheet of paper, according to this writer. Our View: As the Operations function grows more complicated, companies [...]
Read more(The Wall Street Journal, 6 March 2012) In Brief: Almost half (49%) of CFOs appointed at Fortune 100 companies in the past three years had a corporate strategy or development background. Our View: As much as anything the strategist’s role is to help the organization make tough choices. Most companies have too many projects going [...]
Read more(Innovate on Purpose blog, 1 March 2012) In Brief: Clear metrics and milestones are critical for evaluating new ideas, but companies must ensure they are realistic, according to this writer. He says that companies with measurements that focus on revenue growth in time frames that are too short will find their goals impossible to achieve. [...]
Read moreInternal Audit department budgets increased by 10.3% between 2010 and 2011. Looking to 2012, 66% of CAEs reported that they expect some budget increase. The average expected budget growth from 2011 to 2012 is 6%. Despite these increases many CAEs find themselves resource constrained as expected risk coverage and department responsibilities have expanded further and [...]
Read moreThis webinar is designed for Heads of FP&A and those that work in the FP&A function, although anyone can join. This is the first installment from a four-part Financial Planning & Analysis Series, in which we will discuss emerging topics and tactics employed by progressive organizations to combat the uncertain economic environment. This webinar will [...]
Read moreThe Evolution of Today’s CFO In the last decade we have seen CFOs undergo several distinct stages of role evolution, and we have organized our research initiatives around their biggest challenges. Sarbanes-Oxley forced CFOs deep into compliance and assurance activities, with Controllers and CPAs finding themselves ideally qualified for the role. The ensuing efforts to [...]
Read more(Scientific American, 29 December 2011) In Brief: Despite the vast differences between R&D programs, there are three quantitative measures that are often used to determine the success of R&D investments: return on investment (ROI), patent counts, and bibliometrics. Our View: In an uncertain economy, effective R&D organizations recognize the importance of selecting the most appropriate [...]
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