Opinion
The Key Role of CFOs in Customer Retention Strategy
Facing economic uncertainty brought by the pandemic, CFOs play a key role in customer retention. This article explores how to enhance customer loyalty while maintaining financial health through flexible billing and collection policies, supplier negotiations, and customer experience management.
How CFOs and Supply Chain Leaders Can Unlock Value Amid Turmoil
Traditionally, the relationship between CFOs and Chief Supply Chain Officers has been cost-centric, but today supply chain has become key to value creation. PwC's June survey shows that 30% of CFOs believe supply chain drives revenue growth more than talent, markets, or acquisitions. Oliver Wyman research indicates that supply chain costs account for 10% to over 20% of revenue, and optimization can reduce costs by up to 25%. This article uses case studies to illustrate how collaboration between CFOs and CSOs, supply chain transparency, and real-time data can help companies balance cost and resilience, unlocking hidden value.
Post-pandemic CFOs need to adjust their mindset: employees before shareholders
The pandemic has disrupted the traditional workplace, and the focus of CFO responsibilities is shifting from shareholder interests to employee well-being. This article explores employee-centric digital transformation strategies, emphasizing the importance of empathy, flexible tools, and centralized management.
Returning to Growth with Agile Planning: A Finance-Led Approach
Facing market turmoil caused by the pandemic, Vena Solutions CFO Darrell Cox shares how his company tackled challenges with agile financial planning: from adjusting sales quotas and multi-scenario stress testing to closely tracking key metrics like customer churn, and leveraging automation tools for rapid decision-making. He believes that finance-led agile planning will be key to restoring normal operations and achieving long-term growth.
Real-time planning helps CFOs address key 'what-if' questions amid the pandemic
Facing the uncertainty brought by COVID-19, finance teams need to adopt real-time planning methods, using scenario modeling and simulation tools to answer key 'what-if' questions. Accenture experts propose four steps: determining the forecasting time horizon, identifying financial drivers, modeling changes in external factors, and creating agile planning processes.
Three Key Points for CFOs Transitioning to Subscription Pricing Models
Subscription models are becoming increasingly prevalent, and CFOs need to balance financial discipline with strategic flexibility. This article offers three recommendations: keeping revenue recognition within the ERP, focusing on long-term reporting and analysis, and concentrating on customer lifetime value.
A Practical Guide to Integrating Recovery Audit into the Source-to-Pay Process
In large enterprises, overpayments in the source-to-pay (S2P) process are nearly unavoidable, and CFOs are increasingly incorporating recovery audit into this process. Written by Mark Irwin, Vice President of Audit Operations at PRGX, this article analyzes the reasons for the rise of recovery audit, common sources of errors, and proposes six core steps to ensure audit success, including securing internal support, maintaining a global perspective, handling supplier relationships sensitively, proactive communication, leveraging technology, and matching the scale of the audit partner.
Insurance Protection Selection Guide Under the Triple Risks of 2020
In 2020, businesses face the triple risks of the COVID-19 pandemic, social unrest, and hurricane season. This article reviews relevant coverage under business interruption insurance, current litigation and legislative developments, and provides claims strategy recommendations for corporate financial officers.
Drawing on Risk Management Practices from the Insurance Industry to Build Corporate Resilience
The COVID-19 pandemic has warned companies to address potential impacts on cash flow and operations. Due to strict regulation, the insurance industry's ERM framework serves as the best reference. This article, authored by Jim Toole, Senior Managing Director at FTI Consulting, details the definition of ERM, a six-step management process, and insurance industry practices, emphasizing that through risk quantification, integration, and proactive management, companies can reduce volatility, improve capital efficiency, and enhance stakeholder confidence.
Strategic Planning Amid the Pandemic: How CFOs Turn Vision into Execution
The pandemic has forced companies to compress their annual strategic cycle into a few weeks. Jason Maynard, Senior Vice President of Global Field Operations at Oracle NetSuite, notes that CFOs play a central coordinating role in this process, needing to make quick decisions across vision updates, scenario modeling, KPI resets, and supply chain resilience building. Through cases such as Bedford Industries, Dippin' Daisy's, and TOV Furniture, the article distills three principles for CFOs to navigate uncertainty: maintain visibility, strengthen control, and foster agility.