Try Oracle Cloud Platform For Free

Finance

Finance

There is no fake data

Uncertainty is the new normal. In the era of fake news and unpredictable market changes, there is however one thing you can trust and control: data. Data...

Uncertainty is the new normal. In the era of fake news and unpredictable market changes, there is however one thing you can trust and control: data. Data doesn’t lie, but it needs to be secure, for it to be harnessed by business leaders in decision making. “Uncertainty is killing growth,” ran the FT headline at the end of December 2018. The hook for its story was a new paper from the IMF and Stanford University that launched a World Uncertainty Index (WUI) – a rough measure...

Finance

Finance’s new data mindset

Finance’s job is getting bigger. With this comes greater complexity and a new level of accountability. New areas are emerging where the CFO is no longer just...

Finance’s job is getting bigger. With this comes greater complexity and a new level of accountability. New areas are emerging where the CFO is no longer just consulted but actually accountable, particularly when it comes to data security and compliance. And that shift means that finance leaders need to embrace a new mindset, where they actively embrace this new environment. You might or not be familiar with the responsibility assignment matrix, with its four categories:...

Finance

Finance must lead the conversation on data ethics

Finance leaders have always felt responsible for company data, but the spotlight has shifted to protecting people outside the business. Customer and employee...

Finance leaders have always felt responsible for company data, but the spotlight has shifted to protecting people outside the business. Customer and employee data breaches can swing reputations and valuations overnight, making ethical data management a priority across the organisation. We squirm when an invasion of privacy feels personal, even if it doesn’t affect us directly. This is why recent data breaches – from the man who hacked German government officials to companies...

Finance

Innovation is a mindset

According to a recent global survey, 54% of CFOs describe themselves as ‘uncommitted innovators’. Change can be scary – not least for CFOs trying to stand up an...

According to a recent global survey, 54% of CFOs describe themselves as ‘uncommitted innovators’. Change can be scary – not least for CFOs trying to stand up an innovation investment case. Breaking down the challenges; justifying change with rigorous, data-driven insights; and targeting projects at well-articulated pain-points are all ways to get over the mental block. These “uncommitted innovators” are defined as ‘would like to be more innovative but rarely get the time,...

Finance

Tailor-made innovation

Most business leaders recognise they need to innovate – or risk being disrupted themselves. But for many companies, relentlessly searching for the next killer...

Most business leaders recognise they need to innovate – or risk being disrupted themselves. But for many companies, relentlessly searching for the next killer idea could be doing more harm than good. The secret? Do your own (new) thing… Management guru Gary Hamel wrote more than ten years ago, “You can wait for a competitor to stumble upon the next great management breakthrough, or you can become a management innovator right now. In a world swarming with new challenges, you...

Finance

Focus on growing, by freeing up time.

Smart organisations treat the finance function as a navigator, showing where to invest, what strategies make sense and how to deliver them. But that can only...

Smart organisations treat the finance function as a navigator, showing where to invest, what strategies make sense and how to deliver them. But that can only happen when CFOs innovate for themselves – freeing up resources to plot new adventures for their businesses. There’s an argument that without the incredible wealth and banking efficiency of the Medicis in 15th century Italy, there would be no Renaissance. Innovation in art, science, philosophy and politics was based on...

Finance

Finance as guide and guard of innovation

‘Agility’ seems to be today’s buzzword of choice – but being agile is a fundamental part of innovation. Innovative companies move and change direction at...

‘Agility’ seems to be today’s buzzword of choice – but being agile is a fundamental part of innovation. Innovative companies move and change direction at lightning speed, and they depend on having the resources they need, when they need them. In other words: innovative companies depend on a world-class, agile finance team. Finance professionals are the guardians of business resources and possibilities. From getting the most out of suppliers to allocating and prioritising...

Finance

Keeping up with Big Changes

“Bankers’ hours” seems a quaint idea in today’s fast-moving and unpredictable business landscape. Finance is now fast, 24/7 and global – and companies have to...

“Bankers’ hours” seems a quaint idea in today’s fast-moving and unpredictable business landscape. Finance is now fast, 24/7 and global – and companies have to keep up. Disruptive technology continues to be both a challenge and opportunity, helping for example established banks meet new realities – and powering new competitors, the fintechs, which are unencumbered by legacy systems and practices. In fact, technology innovation and customer adoption is increasing faster than...

Finance

Pyramids to Diamond – What Finance leaders need to know

The finance function is changing shape. Until quite recently, the traditional pyramid structure was entirely appropriate, but the advent of new technologies...

The finance function is changing shape. Until quite recently, the traditional pyramid structure was entirely appropriate, but the advent of new technologies mean that organisations need to rethink their shape, quite literally. Up to now, most finance functions would look something like this: A CFO at the top supported by functional leads in areas such as treasury, reporting, and financial control and planning – a leadership layer. Senior people in their teams share niche...