CMA Management articles from June 2005

CMA Management archives from June 2005

Taking the advantage.(from the editor)
June 1, 2005... In mid-May, the U.S.'s Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) published additional guidance to auditors on how to implement the PCAOB's Auditing Standard No. 2, An Audit of Internal Control over Financial Reporting Performed in...

The HR Value Proposition.(Delivering value)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... Human resources professionals have gradually become strategic partners in organizations across Canada and North America. But they still have a way to go before they prove their full worth, according to the authors of The HR Value Proposition....

The Business Case For Network Security.(Delivering value)
June 1, 2005... Security issues are top of mind for both executive and IT management. With the advent of internal controls regulations in both Canada and the U.S., there is a pressing need for senior executives to clearly understand network security...

IT Portfolio Management Step-by-Step.(Delivering value)
June 1, 2005... The importance of calculating the return on investment (ROI) of critical IT functions has become clear in the last few years, as senior management, understandably, has started to question the vast amounts of money already invested in systems...

CSA publishes national corporate governance guideline published.(New and noteworthy information you can use)
June 1, 2005... In late April, the Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA) published, in final form, new corporate governance guidelines and disclosure requirements. National Policy 58-201 Corporate Governance Guidelines (the Policy) and National Instrument...

Eliminating U.S. GAAP reconciliation.(New and noteworthy information you can use)
June 1, 2005... U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chairman William Donaldson and European Union Internal Market Commissioner Charles McCreevy met in April to discuss a range of topics of mutual interest for the Commission and the EU, including the...

Canadian regulators implement national registration system.(New and noteworthy information you can use)
June 1, 2005... The Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA) have launched the National Registration System (NRS), which makes important improvements to the registration regime of individuals and firms by harmonizing and streamlining the process across all...

E-Government growing in Europe; Canada still on top.(News and noteworthy information you can use)
June 1, 2005... Growing demand from residents and businesses has led many European cities to deliver their services electronically, according to the eCitizenship for All 2004 survey, a joint initiative of EUROCITIES and Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu's public sector...

Alliances and joint ventures: making them work.(News and noteworthy information you can use)
June 1, 2005... The expanding pressure to grow, strong competition, the continued development of world markets, and the increased popularity of outsourcing all require that companies collaborate efficiently and effectively. A new publication by KPMG, however,...

Outsourcing falling from favour.(News and noteworthy information you can use)
June 1, 2005... Many of the world's largest organizations that were quick to participate in information technology and business process outsourcing are bringing operations back in-house and exploring alternatives, according to a new study released recently by...

New software.(News and noteworthy information you can use)
June 1, 2005... Visit www.managementmag.com for more information on the following software and applications packages: * CyberMatrix Meeting Manager Version 6 * NetSuite CRM+ * Microsoft Business Solutions' improved Great Plains 8.0

Travelling lighter.(HIGH TECH)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... Although notebook computers have come a long way in the last 10 years, most could still shed a few pounds. Of course, companies are making that happen. Dell, for instance, recently introduced its slimmest offering yet--the Latitude X1. Weighing...

Finding return in risk management: banks will benefit from the implementation of Basel II requirements. Introducing the right technology is a crucial piece of the process.(management trends)
June 1, 2005... The major regulatory changes that are now happening among all publicly listed companies came slightly earlier to the world's banks. They have been working through the requirements set by the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision for many years...

A great leap forward? Canada's Accounting Standards Board proposes big changes in its new five-year strategic plan. With it, international standards may arrive sooner than expected, but many issues remain.
June 1, 2005... Earlier this year, the Accounting Standards Board (AcSB) released its draft strategic plan for 2006-11--Accounting Standards in Canada: Future Directions. The broad policy objectives recommended in the report demonstrate the remarkable shift...

Learning from SOX: Canadian regulators prepare to introduce a kinder, gentler internal controls instrument.
June 1, 2005... It has been more than a year now since organizations south of the border, and those listed on U.S. exchanges, began implementation of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX). The greatest challenge in the process appears to have been the implementation of...

Fine-tuned controls: at BMO Financial Group, document management systems are adding more than just convenience. They're also bringing a bit of regulatory peace of mind.
June 1, 2005... In the March issue of CMA Management, we visited the offices of two mid-sized accounting firms to see how their new document management systems were changing the way they did business. As the feature noted, they were communicating with clients...

Executive compensation disclosure--are Canadian companies doing it right? A new study out of HEC Montreal suggests that savvy shareholders still aren't getting enough information from executive compensation reports. In the interest of improving shareholder relations, companies would do well to review the issue.
June 1, 2005... Executive compensation has surfaced as a highly polarizing issue in corporate governance. Terms like "excessive" and "abusive" are used to describe compensation plans that seem, at least to outsiders, to reward top management while the...

Creating the go-to team: accounting experts can be seen as friends or foes by the other functional units within an organization. CMA Glen LeBlanc has positioned the financial expertise of his team as a critical component of every department's success at Aliant. Senior management has never had such good neighbours.(PROFILE)(Cover Story)
June 1, 2005... Few industries have changed more rapidly than telecommunications over the past 15 years. From the introduction of the competitive long distance market in 1992, the launch of cellular in 1987, Internet in 1995, to the ascendance of Voice over...

Smart regulation, smart governance: the federal government has set itself a daunting task with its smart regulation report, but there are signs it might be creating worthwhile change.(government issues)
June 1, 2005... The word "regulation" carries the baggage of associations with frustration and inefficiency for most Canadians. Something worthwhile can't be done because a regulation doesn't allow it: one government regulation isn't consistent with another; a...

Strengthening international bonds: IFAC takes aim at standard setting and developing nations.(global view)
June 1, 2005... CMA Management occasionally highlights the individual work of CMAs who support improved governance and accounting practices internationally. Of course, these individuals don't do this alone. Many organizations are involved in creating better...