Optimizing Back Office Operations: Best Practices to Maximize Profitability

ISBN-13: 9780470531891 / Angielski / Twarda / 2010 / 224 str.

Zahid Khalid

Opis

According to industry experts, a typical one billion dollar company spends approximately $27 million on unnecessary working capital and inefficient processing functions because they lack visibility into the financial supply chain. Optimizing Back Office Operations: Best Practices to Maximize Profitability uses examples and case studies to show how cost optimization--and not cost reduction--in the core back office operations is the right approach to maximizing profitability and enterprise value. Implementation guidance is provided for Executives, CFOs, and Controllers on transitioning from outdated processes to a fully-optimized financial supply chain.

Spis treści

Preface.

CHAPTER 1 Profits: The Reason a Business Exists.

Profitability Defined.

Profitability Equation and Related Metrics.

Liquidity, Growth, and Financial Flexibility.

Conclusion.

CHAPTER 2 Cost and Capability: Strategic Choices.

Capability: One Size Does Not Fit All.

Cost: You Get What You Pay For.

Measuring Capability.

Conclusion.

CHAPTER 3 Financial Supply Chain: Entering the Gold Mine.

What Is the Financial Supply Chain?

Working Capital Defined.

Working Capital Processes.

Conclusion.

CHAPTER 4 Platform for Execution: A System for Maximizing Profits.

Process Benchmarking.

Process Optimization.

Process Automation.

Process Integration.

Process Standardization.

Conclusion.

CHAPTER 5 Optimizing Accounts Payable.

Implications of A/P Effectiveness.

Best Practices.

Enabling Technologies.

Conclusion.

CHAPTER 6 Optimizing Accounts Receivable.

Implications of A/R Effectiveness.

Best Practices.

Enabling Technologies.

Conclusion.

CHAPTER 7 Optimizing Purchasing.

Implications of Purchasing Effectiveness.

Best Practices.

Enabling Technologies.

Conclusion.

CHAPTER 8 Optimizing Treasury Operations.

Implications of Treasury Effectiveness.

Best Practices.

Enabling Technologies.

Conclusion.

Epilogue.

Index

O autorze

Zahid Khalid is Managing Partner at The Hardstone Group, a management consulting practice specializing in helping clients increase profitability through improvements in financial supply chain processes. He has authored numerous articles on finance and technology in various industry publications and is a frequent presenter at events related to working capital optimization. He can be reached via the firm′s Web site: www.hardstonegroup.com.

Blurb

Put your financial supply chain to work for greaterprofitability

Historically, most companies have consistently focused on revenue–generating activities and invested heavily in organizational capabilities that support this effort. It′s time to focus on the back office to meet the profitability expectations of your company.

Destined to become an essential desktop tool in helping you achieve sustainable profitability, Optimizing Back Office Operations provides practical guidance on:

• Making the transition to a fully optimized financial supply chain from traditional paper–driven, outdated processes

• How optimizing your back office makes a big, positive impact on your organization′s profitability

• A cost–capability optimization approach to maximizing profitability

Created as a result of conversations with several senior executives and colleagues who hold leadership roles in various functions that affect working capital, Optimizing Back Office Operations outlines the best practices and proactive strategies you can use to make the most of your financial supply chain.

Filled with case studies and insights, this is the one–stop resource you will turn to for the latest information and know–how on achieving sustainable profitability in the accounts payable, accounts receivable, purchasing, and treasury functions.

The science of process improvement, the art of finance, and the enabling powers of information technology come together here to make the case for a dependable approach to maximizing profitability and cash flow all through financial supply chain optimization.