Strategic Finance articles from July 2003

Strategic Finance archives from July 2003

The write stuff: how to prepare effective reports. (Careers).
July 1, 2003... Business reports are a common assignment for accountants today. You'll most likely be asked to provide analysis on a variety of topics from budget considerations to technology investments and operational issues. If you're like many accounting...

Analysis of CFM exam completers for 2001. (Certification).
July 1, 2003... IN THE DECEMBER 2001 ISSUE OF STRATEGIC Finance, we ranked the top 20 colleges and universities producing successful Certified in Financial Management (CFM) exam completers through December 2000. This report updates that information based on...

Hey, what happened? (End Note).
July 1, 2003... Getting a little tired of enthusiastic colleagues and competitors showing you their new websites or some hopping Java app that they've just added to a Web page? One way to get everyone else's fingerprints off your computer screen is to try a...

Roles and practices in management accounting today: results from the 2003 IMA-E&Y survey. (Cost Management).
July 1, 2003... Management accounting is at a critical juncture. Increased competition and uncertain business conditions have put significant pressure on corporate management to make informed business decisions and maximize their company's financial...

The balanced scorecard at Futura Industries: relentless commitment to employees results in company success. (Performance Measures).
July 1, 2003... Many companies use the balanced scorecard (BSC) to focus on the financial aspects or the operational metrics required by ISO quality certification. But that isn't all one unique company uses the BSC for. At Futura Industries, President Susan...

Being present at your own life. (Best Practices).
July 1, 2003... THERE'S A FEELING DESCRIBED AFTER PRACTICALLY every championship game, no matter what the sport. The athletes on the winning team attribute their success to being focused, in the groove, in the flow, or in the zone. They talk about eliminating...

10 ways e-business can reduce costs.(Cover Story)
July 1, 2003... In a survey of members of IMA's Cost Management Member Interest Group, 46% of the respondents reported that their companies use e-business, and another 28% said they plan to, but only 16% sell goods or services over the Internet. In follow-up...

Increasing IMA's value. (Perspectives).
July 1, 2003... I want to thank everyone in IMA for giving me the opportunity to lead our Institute. This is a prestigious position, and I will do all in my power to live up to the legacy of those who have gone before me. I will work hard to make our Institute...

Strategic finance: quiz 3 CPE credits.
July 1, 2003... How to Participate 1. Complete the quiz order form below. 2. Circle your answer for each quiz question on the next page. All questions asked in this quiz comply with NASBA. 3. Sign the statement that attests that you have read the...

The value market: creating profitable growth through consistent strategy execution. (Management Systems).
July 1, 2003... When Hewlett and Packard started their business, they posted the following Rules of the Garage: "Believe you can change the world. Work quickly, keep the tools unlocked, and work whenever. Know when to work alone and when to work together....

Strategic decisions and cash flow. (Strategic Management).
July 1, 2003... The foundation of Return Driven Strategy (see the February 2002 column) is superior corporate performance measurement and valuation built with the solid concept of cash flow analysis. The challenge for management is to understand the true...

Is offshoring for you? (News).
July 1, 2003... OFFSHORING, OR MOVING SOME OF YOUR COMPANY'S OPERATIONS TO another country, has gone from "leading edge" to "absolute necessity" in just over five years, according to a recent study by Gunn Partners. In fact, GE, Ford, HP, American Express,...

Globalization job loss? (streetwise).
July 1, 2003... Claims of massive job loss in America because of globalization of the economy are exaggerated, says workplace authority John A. Challenger, CEO of the international outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc. "The movement toward...

Dr. Mundell is on target. (Readers' Input).
July 1, 2003... Thank you for an excellent interview in the May issue with Dr. Robert Mundell. The questions and answers were very interesting and thought provoking. One issue that was raised was whether or not there should be corporate taxes. Dr. Mundell...

Should finance influence ethics in other functions? (Ethics).
July 1, 2003... AS CORPORATE CONTROLLER, STEVE SMITH IS REQUIRED TO HAVE RELATIONSHIPS with every function in the company. Steve's assistant controller for budgeting and planning is responsible for guiding the process for CEO approval of the expense budgets of...

Pushing and shoving on tax bill. (Government).
July 1, 2003... ALTHOUGH PRESIDENT BUSH'S tax cut proposal didn't touch the 35% corporate tax rate, that hasn't stopped various business groups from pushing various proposals on Congress as it prepares its version of the President's plan. At the behest of the...

The fall of Arthur Andersen.
July 1, 2003... * ONE FORMER PARTNER OF ARTHUR ANDERSEN called the 88-year-old prestigious firm "the Marine Corps of the accounting profession." But former partner Barbara Ley Toffler says in its last years it felt more like The Firm, a real-life version of...

Father and son CMAs. (CMA).
July 1, 2003... IT'S PRETTY RARE (WE THINK) THAT A FATHER WHO has earned his CMA gets to present the same certificate to his son, but Bill and Michael Bowers shared that honor recently. Michael earned both the CMA and CFM this spring and was delighted to have...

Maynard Manufacturing: an analysis of GAAP-based and operational earnings management techniques. (2004 Student Case Competition).
July 1, 2003... The Student Case Competition is sponsored annually by IMA to promote sound financial/accounting analysis and presentation skills. John Robbins, CFO of Maynard Manufacturing Company, sat back in his chair and reflected on the negative...

Adobe[R] Photoshop[R] Album. (Two New Photo Tools and Sight and Sound in Your Pocket).
July 1, 2003... Adobe[R] Photoshop[R] Album is an image organizer that includes a basic set of tools for photo repair, e-mail, and printing and presentation modes that produce slide shows, photo albums, cards, calendars, and books. The software creates a...

SanDisk Digital Photo Viewer[TM]. (Two New Photo Tools and Sight and Sound in Your Pocket).
July 1, 2003... If you have room for another set-top box on your TV, the SanDisk Digital Photo Viewer[TM] is an inexpensive image projector that plays the digital cards you use to record pictures in your digital camera. It will read the most popular memory...

Creative NOMAD[R] MuVo[TM]. (Two New Photo Tools and Sight and Sound in Your Pocket).
July 1, 2003... The Creative NOMAD[R] MuVo[TM] plugs into your computer's USB port as a removable storage device that will hold 64MB of data files--that's its business side. The memory module snaps into a custom battery pack that converts it to a pocket-size...

The Audio Lumifier[TM] from Zelco Industries, Inc. has three functions built into its 4-inch long profile to assist readers. (Two New Photo Tools and Sight and Sound in Your Pocket).
July 1, 2003... The Audio Lumifier[TM] from Zelco Industries, Inc. has three functions built into its 4-inch long profile to assist readers. It has a rectangular, retractable 2-times magnifying lens with very low edge distortion. The lens swings left or right,...

Thresh, a product of Biz Vigilant, is a low-cost customer relationship management (CRM) software package for small businesses. (Two New Photo Tools and Sight and Sound in Your Pocket).(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
July 1, 2003... Thresh, a product of Biz Vigilant, is a low-cost customer relationship management (CRM) software package for small businesses. The program can be installed by the user and be up and running in minutes rather than days or weeks. Thresh tracks...

Has IT reached the down side of the hill? (Tech Forum).
July 1, 2003... * THE DOOMSAYERS' PREDICTIONS have been echoing in the tech and popular press for several months now. It began in January when Larry Ellison, head of Oracle, the second largest software company, said the best days [for the software industry]...

Preparing to publicize financial controls. (Trends In Financial Management).
July 1, 2003... UNDER FINAL RULES ENACTED by the Securities & Exchange Commission in late May 2003, most senior managers of public companies will have to report and certify the adequacy of their companies' internal financial controls and financial reporting...