Insight of the Week

Can you explain the variance when your recorded inventory doesn’t match your physical count?

We’ve previously addressed forecast accuracy as an important area to evaluate. Once you know it’s an issue, how do you go about fixing it? 

How do you mitigate risks in your organization? Internal audit may be a good place to start-but where do they start?

Check out this cluster analysis that was used to help decide on a pricing structure.

Identifying improvement initiatives is just a first step. You can’t do everything at once—so what’s next?

Being able to attribute maintenance or service costs to a particular asset is key to understanding—and improving—profitability.

Too many (or too few) cooks in the kitchen can bog down processes and increase risk.  So what is the right number of “touches” for a transaction?  It may be worth taking a look at your finance processes.

Consider looking at store profitability more like a cube and not just a square...

It’s the time of year when waistlines start expanding… but your org structure doesn’t have to!

Do you know what is really driving your EBITDA variances?

If you have a highly variable workforce, looking at the labor force you have versus what you actually need can help you manage labor and improve margin.

Capex spending can involve significant dollar amounts. How do you know you’re spending it on the right projects?

Do you have hidden opportunities to improve liquidity?

Is your month-end close full of last-minute adjustments, manual reconciliations, and fire drills? Does it seem to take a lot longer (and require more work) than it should? It may be time to examine your process for improvement opportunities.

Thinking of going public? Be sure you’ve addressed key risk areas.

How is your finance organization performing? Performance reviews are not just for personnel!

FP&A can be a critical component to supporting the business. Have you examined how your FP&A operating model is delivering value to the organization?

Our inaugural piece is on forecast accuracy. Everyone prepares them, but are they helpful if they’re not accurate?