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Finance transformation

Taking your finance department to the next level with the latest thinking, articles and case studies in the finance world.
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Latest on finance transformation

Read our latest features and articles on finance transformation topics, including change management, business partnering and finance function effectiveness.
Should accountants worry about cryptocurrencies?
  • Article
  • 04 Apr 2022
Cryptocurrencies are on the rise – but are they friends or foes for accountants? We present complementary views from business and scholarly perspectives.
How must SME finance chiefs approach technology transformation?
  • Article
  • 01 Apr 2022
Digital transformation can provide SME finance functions with a powerful edge – but how should firms execute this critical process? We spoke to ICAEW Southern President Ashley Milne to find out.
What do CEOs want from the finance function?
  • Article
  • 29 Mar 2022
Chief executives want to see their Chief Financial Officers supporting their decision making, as business heads explain to ICAEW Insights.
Ukraine crisis: the supply chain impacts
  • Article
  • 25 Mar 2022
The conflict in Ukraine has created a number of challenges for manufacturers, from rising prices and availability of raw materials to keeping abreast of the latest sanctions.
Digital skills for digital finance
  • Article
  • 25 Mar 2022
Audit and management accountancy in the finance function require a constantly evolving set of skills to add value to their clients and to their employers.
Managing stress in times of change
  • Article
  • 24 Mar 2022
As we exit COVID-19 restrictions, the thought of more upheaval in the workplace can be unsettling for even the most stoic of employees.
Ukraine crisis highlights need for scenario planning
  • Article
  • 24 Mar 2022
Uncertainty in business is rife – no more so than at the moment. But having formalised risk management processes in place allow you to better respond to changing circumstances.
Connecting a multinational finance team
  • Article
  • 21 Mar 2022
By 2025 the amount of data available globally is expected to reach 175 zettabytes (175 billion terabytes). For finance teams in multinational organisations this could be a blessing or a curse.

Topics in depth

Teamwork groups inclusive
Business partnering
Practical advice for those considering business partnering. Read our latest features and articles on business partnering.
Shoes and arrow
Change management
Our selection of books, articles and guides can help you implement change, get your team on board and create a culture of innovation.
Team meeting
Finance function effectiveness
Produce an efficient finance team.

Reports

Exclusive Special Report 69 - Effective collaboration
  • Report
  • 2020
Collaboration has been a trendy buzz word in business lexicon for some time now, but, as the pandemic has done with many other ‘nice-to-have’ skills, it has now become absolutely necessary to master. With your colleagues, business partners, suppliers and all other stakeholders more than likely working from home, and maybe even across different locations and time zones, effective collaboration is essential.
Exclusive Special Report 68 - Commercial insight
  • Report
  • 2020
This special report explores how to be more commercial to add value and generate profit for your firm.
Exclusive Special Report 66 - Managing change
  • Report
  • 2019
Change is inevitable, it is all around us. Brexit, political upheaval, increasing regulation and a growing protectionist agenda make it incredibly difficult to run your business. BAM are here to help, with our special report on managing change, we can help successfully guide you through inevitable change with our practical tips and hands on approach.
Special Report 66: Managing change
  • Report
  • 2019
Change is inevitable, it is all around us. Brexit, political upheaval, increasing regulation and a growing protectionist agenda make it incredibly difficult to run your business. BAM are here to help, with our special report on managing change, we can help successfully guide you through inevitable change with our practical tips and hands on approach.
The finance function: A framework for analysis
  • Thought leadership report
  • 2017
How does your finance function compare and how do you deal with the inherent tensions we highlight?
Finance in the broadest sense
  • Thought leadership report
  • 2016
Building effective finance functions is a key concern of organisations and finance professionals. At a time when many claim we face unprecedented challenges, Stanley Harding's 1963 lecture on the finance function reminds us that there are many lessons we can learn from history. This report reproduces the lecture in full and complements it with expert commentary.
Finance business partnering guide
  • Thought leadership report
  • 2014
Practical advice for those considering business partnering initiatives and those looking to improve their approach.
Approach to budgeting and forecasting
  • Helpsheets and support
  • 2014
Most organisations spend significant time and resources on budgeting and forecasting activities.

Webinars

Future proof your organisation - an internal audit approach to operational resilience
  • Webinar
  • 09 Mar 2021
This webinar explores how to develop an audit approach to deliver effective assurance as organisations progress their resilience journeys.
Manage change effectively
  • Webinar
  • 01 May 2019
This webinar explores how a reaction to change can impact an individual’s wellbeing and the difference having a positive mindset can make. It provides an opportunity to discuss how to accept or adjust to change and how to be open to the opportunities that change can bring.
Future proof your finance function
  • Webinar
  • 21 Mar 2017
How will engagement with technology and process automation affect the finance function in future?
Exclusive Effective business partnering
  • Webinar
  • 20 Nov 2013
A webinar for business partners on the finance function and how to contribute more to your company.

eBooks

The ICAEW Library & Information Service provides full text access to a selection of key business and reference eBooks from leading publishers. eBooks are available to logged-in ICAEW members, ACA students and other entitled users. If you are unable to access an eBook, please see our Help and support advice or contact library@icaew.com.

Exclusive Changing your group structures
  • eBook
  • 2014
  • Gareth Miles, Paul Mudie, Nilufer von Bismarck
  • ICSA Publishing
Looks at the challenges involved in corporate restructuring, recapitalisation and large-scale change management.
Exclusive Woman's place is in the boardroom, A: the roadmap
  • eBook
  • 2008
  • Peninah Thomson, Jacey Graham, Tom Lloyd
  • Palgrave MacMillan
Guide to promoting women in the workplace.
Exclusive Complete CFO handbook: from accounting to accountability, The
  • eBook
  • 2008
  • Frank J. Fabozzi | Pamela Peterson Drake | Ralph S. Polimeni
  • John Wiley and Sons
An overview of cost accounting for financial executives.
Exclusive Women in business: the changing face of leadership
  • eBook
  • 2008
  • Patricia Werhane, Margaret Posig, Lisa Gundry, Laureal Ofstein, Elizabeth Powell
  • Greeenwood
Describes the process of increasing gender diversity in leadership positions.
Exclusive Change 2.0: beyond organisational transformation
  • eBook
  • 2008
  • Joachim Klewes, Ralf Langen
  • Springer
Consultants, managers and academics share their experience and insights on change communication.
Exclusive Finance director's handbook
  • eBook
  • 2007
  • Glynis Morris | Sonia McKay | Andrea Oates
  • CIMA Publishing
Guide to the duties of modern finance directors.
Terms of use

You are permitted to access, download, copy, or print out content from eBooks for your own research or study only, subject to the terms of use set by our suppliers and any restrictions imposed by individual publishers. Please see individual supplier pages for full terms of use.

Business press

The ICAEW Library & Information Service provides access to leading business, finance and management journals. These journals are available to logged-in ICAEW members, ACA students and other entitled users subject to suppliers' terms of use.
Exclusive Convince your company to act before it's too late
  • Article
  • 01 Jan 2022
  • Anthony Scott, Pontus M.A. Siren, Utsav Bhatt
  • Harvard Business Review
How to make the case for change - when the market evidence isn't yet clear.
Exclusive Change management in disguise
  • Article
  • 01 Jan 2022
  • Fatema El-Wakeel
  • Strategic Finance
When looking at scaling data analytics within your organization, remember that factoring in change management is essential.
Exclusive Is your finance function agile?
  • Article
  • 01 Oct 2021
  • Loreal Jiles
  • Strategic Finance
Tips on how to take an Agile approach for your finance function, with examples of Agile and Scrum in action in finance and accounting.
Exclusive How well does your company do change?
  • Article
  • 01 Jul 2021
  • David Michels, Kevin Murphy
  • Harvard Business Review
The authors introduce their new system for measuring (and improving) your company's ability to adapt, based on over a decade of research.
Exclusive Realise AI's potential
  • Article
  • 01 May 2021
  • Tim Fountaine, Brian McCarthy, Tamim Saleh
  • Harvard Business Review
Article discusses how best to transform the way business is done, with AI. Use AI to take one core business process and overhaul it - rather than having many discrete uses of AI which don't produce widespread change.
Exclusive Managing and building remote finance teams
  • Article
  • 01 Oct 2020
  • Paul McDonald
  • Strategic Finance
The article looks at how many accounting and finance leaders keep their teams safe, maintain high productivity levels, and further build remote teams during the COVID-19 pandemic.

External resources

Being the best: Inside the intelligent finance function
  • KPMG International
For its 2013 survey, KPMG surveyed approximately 440 CFOs and other senior finance executives on how finance functions are adapting to emerging business challenges.
Business partnering: Optimising corporate performance
  • Robert Half
To investigate how companies are benefiting from business partnering, Robert Half surveyed 1,000 Finance Directors across the UK and Europe. The resulting 2013 report covers three areas: finance in transformation, the finance skills gap and business partnering in action.
Change management and agility
  • CIPD
A collection of resources on change management from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development which includes practical advice, research reports and podcasts.
Finance business partnering: Less than the sum of the parts
  • Deloitte
Deloitte 2014 report investigating the challenges and opportunities faced by CFOs in relation to decision support and business partnering, using input from 75 senior UK finance executives.
Finance matters: Finance function of the future
  • PwC
PWC paper from 2013 considering how to prepare finance teams for the future. The paper examines existing trends in the sector and looks forward to 2030.
Key competencies for finance business partnering
  • Financial Management
Article providing advice for aspiring finance business partners, covering key competencies and skills to learn. Raju Venkataraman, former CFO and Head of Strategy and Business Development for Disney in Southeast Asia, shares his experience of finance business partnering with sales.
Managing change
  • Atom Content Management
A guide to managing change for businesses, covering driving change, prioritising change, preparing for change, selling the change, implementing change and creating a culture of change.
The PwC Finance Benchmarking Report 2019-20
  • PwC
A finance effectiveness benchmarking report, drawing on company interviews, case studies and benchmarking data from more than 700 finance functions worldwide.
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