Archive

Globalisation, increased risk and information overload have created a challenging business environment that for many businesses is fraught with inefficiencies and complexity. And yet research shows that many business leaders continue to make crucial decisions based almost entirely on intuition and personal experience rather than hard facts and intelligent information. How can you build a more pred... [read more]

In a world of increased risk and regulatory compliance, having a helicopter view of business processes can be key to avoiding disaster and arming business with the intelligence it needs to thrive. But what information strategies should businesses adopt to create a single source of data truth.

With budgets under ever increasing scrutiny, being able to justify any IT investments has never been more important. But where should you start when it comes to proving your IT infrastructure's worth? What are the metrics to consider and are there tools out there to help you measure the value technology adds to the business?

Cost and currency fluctuations, customer and supplier vulnerability and all manner of global risks are pushing supply chain management up the agenda of most finance departments. How can FDs and their teams better understand customer demand - and improve their visibility of threats to their supply chain? Drawing on recent research and interviews with 400 finance professionals, this latest Insider B... [read more]

Justifying investments in technology is tough at the best of times, but in a recession IT rollouts are under even more scrutiny. In this session we ask where technology budgets should be focused, how to establish the return on investment of technology projects and, just as importantly, how to sell those investments to the rest of the board

How are current market conditions affecting pension schemes and what new models for pension scheme management can be used to address the depression gripping financial markets? And what impact will the crisis have on the relationship between employers and the pension schemes that run in their name? In this latest Insider Business web seminar, our experts will also be examining the future of the pen... [read more]

As any bank will tell you, the events of recent weeks have highlighted the speed at which change impacts on business. The furious pace of today’s work environment - combined with the challenges that an increasingly globally integrated economy creates – is causing organisations to redefine their concept of ‘normal’. Yet despite knowing that adaptation is vital, many chief executives and f... [read more]

Access to cheap money is no longer an option and analysts are scrutinising levels of working capital as the threat of a slower economy becomes real. Recent IBM research has identified that many leading companies seem to have taken their eye off working capital with peer comparison showing that there is a widening gulf between the best and the rest on key debtor and inventory indicators. What shou... [read more]

Energy costs for UK businesses have increased by 50% over the last 12 months – and further rises are expected. With property and facilities management accounting for up to 25% of a typical company’s cost base, it’s a growing headache for finance directors. And with 40% of UK CO2 emissions coming from buildings, companies are looking to make better use of their office assets to drive down cos... [read more]

Smart companies and finance directors are using the downturn to position their companies for future business growth. But how can you best balance short-term delivery with future change – especially when faced with demanding customers inside and outside the organization? This session will draw on a recent IBM survey of more than 1,000 chief executives from around the world about their future pla... [read more]

As tough trading conditions force businesses to focus more and more on margins, the need to understand customer profitability is paramount. But too many companies do not know which channels and customers are their most profitable - either through a lack of information or by failing to use the information available to them properly. In this session our experts look at how businesses can improve mar... [read more]

Despite often substantial investment in systems, the production of management information and subsequent reconciliation continues to cause pain for finance teams and business units alike. The promise of the nineties that mega ERP, CRM and executive information systems would deliver information integration failed to materialise and companies continue to battle to identify a single and accurate sou... [read more]

As the credit crunch bites and the threat of recession looms, how should finance directors respond to what the Bank of England describes as the most challenging economic environment they have seen for a decade? How can FDs manage investment with less funds available, cope with shocks when there is less room to be flexible and still meet market and stakeholder expectations? And how can finance t... [read more]

After what was the most exciting PBR of recent years - our experts look at the fall-out for corporates. Headline measures may effect private equities recent market dominance and the new capital gains regime is bound to influence investment decisions - but what lies underneath? We will be answering these and other questions as well as taking a look at the latest measures introduced in the new com... [read more]

Seventy-five percent of companies say their inability to develop future leaders is a critical issue. Yet no complex organisation can transform itself without great leaders – those who can deliver business results while guiding an organisation through ongoing turbulence and uncertainty. What new leadership skills are needed in finance teams to cope with the new challenges associated with globaliz... [read more]

As finance directors look to spend more of their time focusing on strategy, do shared service centres have a role to play in freeing up their diaries? How can FDs and senior members of their teams best manage the roles and responsibilities of a centralised function and of the core team that's left to run the organisation? How can they become intelligent customers of centralised services? And how c... [read more]

A company must have a clear picture and understanding of what assets they own before they can even begin to manage their IT effectively, however many organisations fall some way short of this. In this session we look at how companies can better identify, manage and value IT assets. Should IT be treated any different from other more tangible assets? What are the essentials of an effective governa... [read more]

Companies face a real challenge in simultaneously managing costs and growth initiatives. These activities are not however mutually exclusive since monies saved from effectively managing a company's cost structures can be applied to new business transformation initiatives. The challenge facing FDs is to be successful in driving growth and cutting costs at the same time - in other words, innovatio... [read more]

The last few years have seen a rise in private equity activity and the market is transforming the business landscape. Our panel of experts explore the role of the finance director in a private equity-backed business, including the expectations placed on the FD by the private equity investors, and examines the importance and pitfalls associated with the exit process.

How can businesses best combine corporate social responsibility with their responsibility to shareholders when it comes to green issues? Our experts discuss issues around greener business – from energy management to taxation, and managing wider stakeholder interests to ensuring your supply chain shares your concerns.