Books
Implementing an Analytics Culture for Data Driven Decisions (2019)
For many years Finance has had a monopoly on reporting numbers to business leaders, but this monopoly no longer exists. Data flows all over in today’s companies so unless Finance steps into the digital world, it risks being sidelined and replaced in many of its functions. Finance needs to turn data into insights and foresight which is crucial for, what we call, Next Generation Finance. With recent emergent technologies and a change in mentality of wanting to influence decisions, Finance must start building an analytics culture. This book describes how to build a culture of data driven decisions using analytics. It purports that Finance becomes the hub of analytics to partner with the business to deliver the insights and foresight that impact the strategic decisions.
AI-Enabled Analytics for Business (2022)
Today, more than ever, businesses are expected to possess the talent, tools, processes, and capabilities to enable their organizations to implement and utilize continuous analysis of past business performance and events to gain forward-looking insight to drive business decisions and actions. AI-Enabled Analytics in Business is your Roadmap to meet this essential business capability. To ensure we can plan for the future vs react to the future when it arrives, we need to develop and deploy a toolbox of tools, techniques, and effective processes to reveal forward-looking unbiased insights that help us understand significant patterns, relationships, and trends. This book promotes clarity to enable you to make better decisions from insights about the future.
Implementing an Analytics Culture for Data Driven Decisions (2019)
For many years Finance has had a monopoly on reporting numbers to business leaders, but this monopoly no longer exists. Data flows all over in today’s companies so unless Finance steps into the digital world, it risks being sidelined and replaced in many of its functions. Finance needs to turn data into insights and foresight which is crucial for, what we call, Next Generation Finance. With recent emergent technologies and a change in mentality of wanting to influence decisions, Finance must start building an analytics culture. This book describes how to build a culture of data driven decisions using analytics. It purports that Finance becomes the hub of analytics to partner with the business to deliver the insights and foresight that impact the strategic decisions.
Papers
Visualization vs. Analytics (November 2019)
Data visualization and analytics tools are often confused by Finance, IT, and the business in that each sees these providing analytics. However, this is not the case. Data Visualization Tools like PowerBI, Tableau, etc do, well, visualization of data, and analytics tools do analytics calculations on data. The former displays the past and the latter predicts the future. For the modern professional it is crucial to understand the fit of Data Visualization and Analytics tools in the stair-steps of moving from a Reporting Factory to an Analytics Powerhouse.
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The Temperature of Finance (February 2020)
The concept of the Strategic Business Partner outlines how Finance moves from the “table stakes” of clean and concise historical reporting, to an active strategic participant in the business who deliver insight and foresight for data driven decisions. This year’s research paper defines the framework and assesses where Finance is on its journey to become an Strategic Business Partner.
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Beyond Spreadsheets (August 2020)
Organizations must advance beyond primitive high-level and single dimension biased reporting and analysis, which are the staple of spreadsheets. Organizations must elevate and bring new insights for data driven decisions where Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a quantum leap in generating analytics insights and forecasting. AI and analytics offer a wealth of models that can bring depth and triangulation for data driven decisions which will drive company performance and set the strategic direction of a company.
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Why Your Business Needs a Culture of Data Driven Decisions (February 2021)
Organizations must advance beyond primitive high-level and single dimension biased reporting and analysis, which are the staple of spreadsheets. Organizations must elevate and bring new insights for data driven decisions where Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a quantum leap in generating analytics insights and forecasting. AI and analytics offer a wealth of models that can bring depth and triangulation for data driven decisions which will drive company performance and set the strategic direction of a company.
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Strategic Business Partnering (August 2021)
The Strategic Business Partnering has the purpose of taking the heretofore Business Partnering to the next level. We articulate why Finance needs to adopt parts of the job descriptions of Finance Business Partners, Data Scientists, and Business Executives to stay relevant for the future. By combining the best of all worlds – The Partnering Skillset from the Finance Business Partner, The Analytics Toolbox from the Data Scientists and Strategic Leadership from Business Executives – it enables Finance to influence and impact business performance.
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The Temperature of Finance (January 2022)
Strategic Business Partnering is an individual task as well as an organizational effort. Understanding how to develop individuals as well as strong performing teams is crucial for the Modern CFO. In the 2020 research, it was found that Finance is significant stronger at its “soft” skillset vs its “hard” skillset. In this years research we will dive deeper and segment into the three critical areas of Strategic Business Partnering: Partnering Skillset, Strategic Leadership & Analytics Toolbox which are the core of a Strong Performing Teams.
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Unlock Your World Class Finance Potential (August 2022)
When was the last time you saw a Survey report applying analytics to reveal insight and not just inflation from the survey? Probably Never! In this research paper will dive deep into the data from the temperature of finance survey to reveal insight using analytics techniques like Correlations, Segmentation, Cluster Analysis, etc. In other words, this paper will analyze the survey data using the Analytics Toolbox capabilities of the Strategic Business Partner.
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Systematic Thinking™ (January 2023)
When was the last time you saw a Survey report applying analytics to reveal insight and not just inflation from the survey? Probably Never! In this research paper will dive deep into the data from the temperature of finance survey to reveal insight using analytics techniques like Correlations, Segmentation, Cluster Analysis, etc. In other words, this paper will analyze the survey data using the Analytics Toolbox capabilities of the Strategic Business Partner.
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The Digital Benchmark Survey (August 2023)
If you want to advance from a Reporter to a Strategist in todays digital age you take our Digital Benchmark Survey and understand the three fundamental concepts of Digital Transformation: Digital Value, Digital Culture, and Digital Skillset. The three concepts measure 1) Are you Adding Value, 2) Are you Ready, and 3) Are you Capable to operate in the New Digital World. The output of the Survey, The Digital Benchmark Report, displays your current performance baseline and benchmark you against peers in the same Region, Industry and Company Size.
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Analytics Intelligence (February 2024)
Closing the books, Reporting & Analysis, Communicate results, Collaborate with business stakeholders and understand the business operations – those are just the table stakes for the Modern Finance Professional. You cannot ask for a more strategic role in the organization if you don’t elevate beyond the table stakes and start providing real Insight and Foresight. Unfortunately, many believe they provide insight and foresight, but what it really turns out to is they run an ordinary reporting factory. Learn what it takes to create Analytics Intelligence.
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Digital Finance (August 2024)
Digital Finance refers to the process of integrating digital technologies into all areas of the finance function, fundamentally changing how Finance operates in the new digital world who delivers value to its business stakeholders. Digital Finance involves not just the adoption of new technologies, but also a shift in the departments Mindset, People and processes to deliver insight and foresight for data driven decisions.
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The Finance QuadrantTM (January 2025)
Digital Finance refers to the process of integrating digital technologies into all areas of the finance function, fundamentally changing how Finance operates in the new digital world who delivers value to its business stakeholders. Digital Finance involves not just the adoption of new technologies, but also a shift in the departments Mindset, People and processes to deliver insight and foresight for data driven decisions.
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Articles
Considerations for the Aspiring CFO – 8 Article Series
The considerations for the aspiring CFOs about how to drive career growth and job satisfaction are many, but sometimes coincidences can also decide how careers develop. Compelling event like acquisitions, resignations, re-organizations, etc. can have significant effects on a career, but there are several things that can be considered too, to make sure the way forward is well paved…
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From Data to Insight – 4 Article Series
Many Finance Professional have a wrong perception of the word insight but here is a simple way to validate if you provide insight or “just” information. Ask yourself what decision a business can take based on the data you have provided. Insight is something valuable and not yet known by the business which the business use to take decisions from which are data driven.
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This is What Analytics is About!
To really understand what Analytics is about, We’ll explore several examples through the lens of a restaurant chain – yes, a seemingly simple operation vs. say a commercial airline or high-tech company. But read further for the surprise.
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Advancing Analytics – 4 Article Series
Understand how to advance analytics explained through how to build a culture of analytics, how to build insights and foresight, and sharing of some real use cases. In combination with the Business Partnering Institute, our aim with the series is to further push the finance function in its on-going transformation towards being a strategist with the business.
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Selling the Culture of Analytics – 3 Article Series
Unbiased Forecasting is a framework for HOW Finance can use Intelligence and application of mathematics & statistics to reduce human gut feeling in its forecast. Unbiased Forecasting enables Finance to challenge an unrealistic forecast by letting the data talk and leave any bias out.
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Assessment & Benchmarking – 2 Article Series
Before starting to assess and benchmark yourself on where you are on the journey to build an analytics culture into your business partnering approach, it is important to understand the difference between Data, Information, Knowledge and Insight.
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Unbiased Forecasting – 4 Article Series
Unbiased Forecasting is a framework for HOW Finance can use Intelligence and application of mathematics & statistics to reduce human gut feeling in its forecast. Unbiased Forecasting enables Finance to challenge an unrealistic forecast by letting the data talk and leave any bias out.
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Drowning in Information, but Starving for Insight
Insight is what you don’t know but when known will be used to take decision that are data driven. Insight is generated by telling WHY IT HAPPENED and not just WHAT HAPPENED and WHERE IT HAPPENED. The WHY is found through analytics and not from asking stakeholders for their opinions!
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Clips
AI-Enabled Forecasting for higher Accuracy (5 min)
Insight is what you don’t know but when kn
Understand how to increase your forecast accuracy through the use of AI. Without being a data scientist and without any coding understand how you can use an AI-Enabled Analytics Tools to improve forecast accuracy by just one click.
own will be used to take decision that are data driven. Insight is generated by telling WHY IT HAPPENED and not just WHAT HAPPENED and WHERE IT HAPPENED. The WHY is found through analytics and not from asking stakeholders for their opinions!
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Visualization vs Analytics Tools (5 min)
Many Finance Professional are confused by Visualization versus Analytics. Explore how the modern finance professional using Analytics and AI Tools (without any coding skills) can provide insight to business stakeholders that they use to take data driven decisions.
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Transforming Excel data into Predictive Insight (2 min)
Finance is drowning in data but starving for insight. Understand how the use of AI-Enabled Analytics Tools can help you generate predictive analytics without being a data scientist but as easy as just a click.
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