Strategic Finance articles from December 2008

Strategic Finance archives from December 2008

Tough times, tougher people: message from the chair.(Perspectives)
December 1, 2008... Like most Americans, I watched the presidential election last month with a good measure of anxiety and expectation: anxiety for what the outcome would be and expectation for what our new President-elect would pledge to accomplish. Political...

FRC and SBC Update.(Advocacy)(small business committees)(Financial Accounting Standards Board)(Conference news)(Editorial)
December 1, 2008... Although we're approaching the cold days of the fall and winter season, IMA's Financial Reporting and Small Business Committees (FRC and SBC) are "hot" with speaking out on various issues on behalf of IMA. In September, the FRC held its annual...

Financial statements unlike any you've seen (part 2).(Financial Reporting)(Editorial)
December 1, 2008... In last month's column, I introduced you to the "Preliminary Views on Financial Statement Presentation" discussion paper issued recently by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) and the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB)....

SOX Optimization opportunities still exist.(NEWS)(Sarbanes-Oxley Act)(Report)(Brief article)
December 1, 2008... Although companies have been complying with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) for a while now, significant opportunities still exist for them to reduce compliance costs and to use SOX to improve business operations. These are a couple of the...

IMA life.(streetwise)
December 1, 2008... IMA members, we need your help. Strategic Finance is starting a new monthly column called "IMA Life," and we want your contributions. Each column will be written by an IMA member and will be your reflections on some aspect of IMA. It can...

Try the new Strategic Finance DigiMag.(streetwise)(Brief article)
December 1, 2008... If you haven't tried the digital format version (or DigiMag) of Strategic Finance yet, now's the time. The DigiMag platform was redesigned, and the software was upgraded. Those of you who logged on to read the November 2008 issue may have been...

Changes to SFAS No. 157 less likely.(GOVERNMENT)
December 1, 2008... A Democratic-led Congress means less likelihood that any Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC) recommendations to ease the terms of Statement of Financial Accounting Standards (SFAS) No. 157, "Fair Value Measurement," will bear actual fruit....

Implementing lean successfully.(BOOKS)
December 1, 2008... Management accountants are familiar with lean production methods and Lean Accounting, the term used to describe the information management system of those methods. For example, using lean has made Toyota one of the best auto manufacturers in...

The CFO's best friend: purchasing isn't just a supply chain activity--it's a value-adding market activity that can make a significant contribution to profitability.(chief financial officer)(Cover story)
December 1, 2008... Many companies have long recognized the importance of cutting costs to become globally competitive. Consequently, organizations have put more emphasis on their supply chain activities, including purchasing. Everyone knows that if you spend a...

The SEC goes international.(Financial Reporting)(Securities and Exchange Commission)
December 1, 2008... In April 2005, Don Nicolaisen, then chief accountant of the Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC), laid out a "road map to convergence" for the melding of domestic and international accounting standards--specifically, those of the U.S....

Let's certify the quality of a manager's information.(Opinion)
December 1, 2008... Why do nations around the world require financial or cost audits performed by certified public accounting firms like the Big 4 to attest to the compliance and accuracy of an organization's financial reporting, but no such certification audit...

SOX, ERP, and BPM: a trifecta that can make your business run better.(Business Performance)(Sarbanes-Oxley Act)(enterprise resource planning)(business process management)
December 1, 2008... In 2002, Congress passed the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) to improve transparency and accountability in business processes and corporate accounting that should lead to increased confidence in public markets. One key provision of this law, Section...

AutoFilter secrets in Excel.(Excel)(Microsoft Corp. introduced excel software)(Column)
December 1, 2008... With every new version of Excel, the AutoFilter command becomes more powerful. It's simple to do basic AutoFiltering: Enable the filter dropdowns, and choose an item from the dropdown to filter a data set. This month's article, however, will...

Introduction to Access database software.(Access)
December 1, 2008... Databases are more complex than other software, so it takes longer to learn the details. For example, the processes and reasons for saving your work are a little different. With most software products, you save your file as you work, and you...

Tools of the trade.(Sony Corp. releases digital book reader)
December 1, 2008... The Sony PRS-700 Digital Book Reader was released in mid-November. Like its two predecessors, the PRS-700 has a six-inch E Ink[R] display, which offers a high-resolution paper-like image that can be read in direct sunlight. The improved...

The economic recovery will require a smarter planet.(Tech Forum)
December 1, 2008... AT A RECENT COUNCIL ON FOREIGN RELATIONS meeting in New York City, IBM Chairman and CEO Sam Palmisano compared the current economic crisis to the American Depression of the 1930s. And just as the New Deal programs built out infrastructure to...

America's first CTO.(End Note)(chief technology officer)
December 1, 2008... In a country so dependent on technology for its standing in the world, it's amazing that the United States doesn't have a cabinet-level position for a chief technology officer (CTO). We have department heads for agriculture, transportation, and...