Sapient consultants are experienced conference speakers and workshop facilitators. Contact us to discuss your conference requirements.
The following presentations can be adapted to your time requirements. They typically run from one hour to an hour and a half with the ability to modify the presentations for your conference's specific needs. Additional topics can be custom developed to meet the needs of your event.
The Strategic Finance Organization
In today’s economic environment, being merely cost effective is no longer enough. Increasingly, stakeholders are expecting the finance function to add value above and beyond data capturing. In this session, conference attendees are taken through the key concerns and schools of thoughts to transform the finance function into a value-adding unit. Topics covered include:
Understanding performance metrics that define world-class performance
Understanding the key characteristics of strategic finance organizations
Balancing the twin goals of efficiency & effectiveness
Leveraging Six sigma in finance transformation
Intelligently reducing the level of complexity
Preparing for Finance Transformation: Assessing Your Current Position
The first step to lean finance transformation is to understand the status of your organisation’s finance function today. In this session, attendees are taken through the necessary steps to work out the current status of your finance function, as well as developing an action plan going forward. Topics covered include:
Determining your organization's current position
Identifying areas for improvement
Developing an action plan – setting priorities and defining responsibilities
Understanding the common obstacles in lean finance transformation and how to overcome them
Establishing a governance process to ensure the finance function transformation is on track
Reengineering the Finance Function
In a dynamic and global environment, standing still is not an option. This class takes attendees through the processes of reengineering the finance function to add value and increase efficiency. Topics covered include:
Eliminating duplication and increasing speed of processing with reengineering
Defining the scope and dimension the transformation effort
Standardizing, simplifying and streamlining finance processes
Prioritizing opportunities across the finance value chain
Creating a governance function to guide the transformation
Developing the Finance Professional
The finance function is moving from the role of scorekeeper to strategic business partner. A key ingredient of this transformion is the ability of finance organizations to attract, develop and retain resources. Topics covered include:
The concept of finance business partnering
The benefits of effective Human Capital Management
The challenges of HCM and how to overcome them
Specific interventions to develop your finance professionals, department and organization.
The Role of Shared Services in Finance Transformation
Despite the growth in outsourcing, captive shared service models are still an integral part of a finance organization's global delivery model. Attendees will learn how to best leverage a captive service organization to drive transformation. Topics covered include:
The benefits of Shared Services
Global trends in Shared Services
How to leverage Shared Services to drive transformation across the back-office
How Shared Services fits into a global delivery model
Common mistakes in Shared Services and how to avoid them
Building the Business Case for Shared Services
Shared Service Organizations have proven themselves to be effective in improving service delivery and reducing costs. Yet the cost to implement and run Shared Services can be substantial. Attendees in this class will learn how to build an effective business case to support the move to Shared Services. Topics covered include:
Baselining current performance
Benchmarking best-in-class organizations to understand transformation opportunities
Identifying and managing stakeholders that can derail the move to Shared Services
Calculating projected returns on investment using discounted cash flow analysis
Identifying non-financial factors to support Shared Services