FP&A
Thoughts on Budgeting with the General Ledger (by Department, Location, and Other Dimensions)
A high-growth international media company currently uses only the General Ledger functionality in its ERP system, tagging all transactions by department, location, and other dimensions, then imports them into Excel models for budgeting and forecasting. However, frequent parameter changes require the accounting department to make adjustments across multiple systems, extending the monthly close time. The author raises questions: Do most FP&A departments truly rely on data streams provided by accounting? Could alternative methods, such as analyzing legal contracts and individual credit card spending, reduce the accounting burden?
Professional Services Automation Tool Evaluation Process Guide
This article addresses key questions for professional services organizations when evaluating PSA (Professional Services Automation) tools, including how to start the evaluation process, how to gain internal support, and how to demonstrate return on investment. The content is derived from live questions during a recent webinar, with a link to the webinar replay included.
Budgeting and Revenue Recognition for Private Christian Schools: An Analysis of Accrual Accounting Practices
A church-operated private nonprofit K3-12 Christian school adopted the accrual basis for the first time in preparing its FY2015-2016 budget. This article focuses on four core issues: recognition of tuition revenue and discounts, budget treatment of student withdrawals and new enrollments, and the setup of bad debt expense and allowance accounts, providing accounting treatment approaches and journal entry examples, and explaining applicability in QuickBooks Enterprise Nonprofit Edition.
Home Office Chair Reimbursement: Corporate Policy and Practical Considerations
An employee, due to working from home and frequent business travel, requested reimbursement for a newly purchased office chair. Should the company allow such an expense? This article analyzes the reasonableness of the reimbursement, common policy boundaries, and potential risks from a practical perspective, and offers recommendations.
Budgetary Linkage between Balance Sheet and Income Statement: How to Reflect True Annual Surplus
In response to a reader's budgeting challenge—when rental expenses become mortgage payments, the related expenditures no longer appear on the income statement, yet they still flow out of the operating account—this article analyzes how to incorporate balance sheet changes into the budgeting framework to calculate the true remaining funds at year-end, and offers practical handling approaches.
Consulting Business Disclaimer: How to Distinguish Consultant Opinions from Audit Opinions
A Certified Public Accountant was engaged to evaluate the internal control environment related to the accounting of client funds and to submit an opinion to the board of directors. To ensure that the report clearly indicates that the opinion is of a consulting nature rather than an audit opinion, the CPA sought appropriate disclaimer resources. This article summarizes relevant recommendations and reference templates.
Analysis of Key Decision Factors in Procuring Large-Scale Exhibition Booths
When planning for trade shows, whether to procure a larger-scale booth often involves multiple factors. This article analyzes the key points influencing this decision from perspectives such as cost, brand display, customer experience, and competitive environment, helping enterprises make more informed choices.
Are There Authoritative Certifications in the M&A Field? - Professional Guide and Advice
In response to users' questions about 'M&A certifications,' this article systematically introduces the current internationally recognized M&A professional certification systems, including CFA, CPA, CBMA, etc., and analyzes the applicable scenarios and value of different certifications, while also reminding readers to combine certifications with practical experience.
Does stock option management typically belong to HR or finance?
A company's HR department believes that stock option management should be transferred to finance due to tool complexity (e.g., RSUs, net settlement), while finance disagrees. This article outlines both positions and, referencing common industry practices, notes that this function is usually led by HR but requires cross-departmental collaboration.