Creating value, driving behaviorIn times of economic downturn, businesses look to the finance function to lead the way with sound financial management. This means benchmarking performance to identify efficiencies and savings. It means improving your systems and processes so that your business information is more accurate and readily available. And it means considering alternative operating models for running your finance function, such as a shared services or outsourcing arrangement. Ernst & Young can work with you in this. We have the breadth of experience that comes from working with many of the world’s leading and fastest growing companies. We can help you make sure you have effective processes that enhance control, create value and drive organizational behaviors. So your finance function has the agility it needs to advance the changing business agenda and sustain future business success. | $1.1 trillion dollars tied up in working capital Up to US$1.1 trillion of cash is being unnecessarily tied up, according to our annual working capital survey of 2,000 large companies (pdf, 931.32kb). Nearly two-thirds of these companies also saw their performance deteriorate in 2009. See how the gap is widening between the best and worst performers. US financial regulatory reform Q&A The US Congress has completed its work on the most significant overhaul of financial regulation since the 1930s. Read about its significance and expected impact, its provisions for the financial services sector, the key corporate governance and SEC provisions, and what comes next. Why capital matters for competitive advantage Uncertainty is the only certainty in today’s market. In our new study, Why capital matters, we surveyed 490 senior executives from 32 countries, and show that it’s how you manage your capital agenda today that will define your competitive position tomorrow. Survey shows rising confidence toward economy and M&A Ernst & Young's second Capital Confidence Barometer - a survey of more than 800 global executives - updates findings from November, and shows greater optimism toward the market and increasing appetite for acquisition. Nearly 60% of respondents are likely or highly likely to acquire in the next 12 months, almost double that amount from November. Globalization and the changing world of business Has the “flat world” become reality? Together with the Economist Intelligence Unit, we looked at how businesses and countries are adapting to new rules of globalization. Finance performance improvement starts with framework Amid signs of economic recovery, we suggest in The future of Finance (pdf, 248.8kb) that CFOs establish and implement a holistic framework that identifies weaknesses and potential improvements, and which helps enable Finance to be more effective, lower costs and help deliver more value to the bottom line. |
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