Finance transformation

Latest on finance transformation

Read our latest features and articles on finance transformation topics, including change management, business partnering and finance function effectiveness.

Leading digital transformation in finance

Article
01 Dec 2023

At the ICAEW Annual Conference this year, there was an overarching focus on the opportunities and responsibilities that technology brings for finance professionals and their organisations, and how it is reshaping the world of finance and accounting.

Why collaboration is key to better cyber security

Article
24 Oct 2023

While CFOs need to be more conscious of cyber risk in the workplace, cyber teams should also be increasing their own awareness of business needs.

Delivering transformation: a lesson in project management

Article
06 Sep 2023

Finance transformation series: Neil Cutting advises CFOs and transformation leaders on the essential skill of project management.

ESG for SMEs: government launches climate advice hub

Article
06 Sep 2023

UK Business Climate Hub provides business owners and finance professionals with a one-stop shop of authoritative guidance for the journey to net zero.

ESG for SMEs: how to adapt your finance function

Article
18 Aug 2023

Implementing ESG practices and procedures throughout the finance function presents team leaders with a host of challenges, as five experts explain.

Gap analysis: the transformation starts here

Article
18 Aug 2023

Finance transformation series: getting started with a finance transformation project can be daunting, but Neil Cutting has an exercise to help you get moving

I know why transformation projects fail

Article
02 Aug 2023

The vast majority of business transformations do not get off the ground. Neil Cutting has the answer.

Finance team toolkit part 7: applying the five perspectives

Article
11 Jul 2023

Drawing his first batch of articles to a close, Neil Cutting explains how to bring the five perspectives of transformation together when starting a project.

Topics in depth

Business partnering

Practical advice for those considering business partnering. Read our latest features and articles on business partnering.

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.

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.

BPM guideline: Determining your approach to budgeting and forecasting

Helpsheets and support
2014

Most organisations spend significant time and resources on budgeting and forecasting activities.

More reports

Webinars

Managing talent in a hybrid world

Podcast
25 May 2023

In this Insights In Focus episode, we discuss best practice in hiring, training and safeguarding talent under hybrid working.

The role of finance in achieving net zero

Video
08 Dec 2022

Kevin Berryman, CFO of professional technical services company Jacobs discusses his passion for sustainability, and the role of the finance function in addressing climate change.

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.

Maintaining agility post coronavirus

Video
22 Jul 2020

22 July 2020: Many businesses want to maintain their newly found agility as we emerge from the pandemic. How can they achieve this?

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.

More webinars

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 Disruption in the audit market: the future of the Big Four

eBook
2019
Krish Bhaskar, John Flower
Taylor & Francis

A guide to the current state of the audit market, exploring failings and how it needs to change to address challenges into the future.

Exclusive Interpretation and application of UK GAAP for accounting periods commencing on or after 1 January 2015

eBook
2015
Stephen Collings
John Wiley and Sons

A detailed guide to applying new UK GAAP.

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 Financial Times guide to management : how to be a manager who makes a difference and gets results.

eBook
2014
Anne Francke
FT Press

A guide to becoming an effective manager, full of practical tips and advice on to the everyday challenges of: Managing yourself; Developing communication skills and emotional intelligence; Managing others; Setting strategic direction; Managing change; Managing money, resources and technology.

Exclusive Successful organizational transformation: the five critical elements

eBook
2011
Stephen Hacker, Marla Hacker, Marvin Washington
Business Expert Press

How to implement organisational change.

Exclusive Effective people management

eBook
2011
Pat Wellington
Kogan Page

A short guide to team management and leadership.

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.

More eBooks

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 The power of storytelling in the finance function

Article
01 Jun 2023
Daniel Butcher

The CFOs of RGP and Paychex provide tips for finance professionals to improve their communication skills through storytelling. Start with analysis and interpretation to get an accurate view of the data, then weave an insightful financial narrative adapted to your audience. A storytelling sklll set can be used many ways - within presentations, meetings, reports or just everyday interactions.

Exclusive Exploring the future of controllership

Article
01 May 2023
Kate Gates, Katie Glynn, Beth Kaplan

Find the right path to transformation to realize the full value from the evolving role of the controllership function. The article reports on insights from an IMA and Deloitte report, 'Stepping into the Future of Controllership', which involved a global survey and interviews with experienced finance and accounting leaders.

Exclusive Changing environment

Article
01 May 2023
Antoinette Alexander

Many accounting firms are reflecting on the wins and challenges they've faced in a remote work environment and are recalibrating their operating model to effectively manage a remote, or in many cases hybrid, workforce. The article takes a look at why it is important to provide staff with remote opportunities and then dives into the best practices that firms are employing to drive success.

Exclusive The silent risk - Never take 'K(no)w' for an answer! Embracing emergent conversations for change and innovation in business meetings

Article
01 Apr 2023
Robert Lengel

Dr. Robert H. Lengel discusses a way to host strategic conversations bringing stakeholders together in pursuit of changing organizational culture. He describes a method he has developed called 'conversation walls', which involves collating anonymous phrases used by staff in both their public and private conversations. This aims to reveal pent-up negativity and emotions which are not given space for expression in traditional business meetings.

Exclusive Meet the CA: Fiona Dixon CA

Article
01 Apr 2023
Hannah Tattersall

An interview with Fiona Dixon CA, advisory partner at HLB Mann Judd in Australia, where she has set up the firm's transformation division. She specialises in business transformation, using AI and bots to create efficiencies across the organisation. The article also covers software that can assist with building a bot and how accountants can go about developing their tech skills.

Exclusive Can finance teams develop software?

Article
01 Dec 2022
Jun Liu

Solutions architect Jun Liu explains how finance professionals can be empowered to drive digital transformation and boost productivity through using low-code application platforms. Common functions in low-code app platforms include a form builder, workflow engine and data intelligence to build custom analytics. Finance professionals can now develop their own applications within days.

Online magazines

Some online journal titles are available only to logged-in ICAEW members, ACA students and other entitled users. To view the full range of titles available to you, please log in.

AB: Accounting and Business

ACCA

A magazine for finance professionals produced by the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA). Includes news, analysis and technical updates.

Acuity

Chartered Accountants Australia & New Zealand

Bimonthly magazine from Chartered Accountants Australia & New Zealand (CA ANZ). Includes news, opinion and analysis on issues relating to accountancy, business and finance.

CFO

Industry Dive

Online publication aimed at CFOs, publishing news, opinion and analysis. Until 2021 it was a print magazine; the Library provides online access to issues published between 1994 and 2021 via its premium databases.

Financial Accountant

Redactive Publishing Ltd.

The official magazine of the Institute of Financial Accountants, published six times a year. Features news, opinion pieces and articles on general topics such as health and wellbeing.

Disclaimer

ICAEW accepts no responsibility for the content on any site to which a hypertext link from this site exists. The links are provided 'as is' with no warranty, express or implied, for the information provided within them. Please see the full copyright and disclaimer notice.

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.

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.

Could you succeed as a finance business partner?

Robert Half

A Robert Half article looking at different definitions of what being a finance business partner entails, and the value the relationship can provide within an organisation.

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 Deloitte Finance Benchmark: Getting back to growth

Deloitte

Deloitte's Finance Benchmark survey, conducted with 216 organisations in 2015. The survey identifies important opportunities for the finance function and highlights examples of current good practice.

Terms of use

ICAEW accepts no responsibility for the content on any site to which a hypertext link from this site exists. The links are provided 'as is' with no warranty, express or implied, for the information provided within them. Please see the full copyright and disclaimer notice.