1.

How do businesses create and

measure value in the digital age?

2.

What is the role of the finance

team in this process?

THE DIGITAL FINANCE

IMPERATIVE: MEASURE AND
MANAGE WHAT MATTERS NEXT
G

IN

A
ME

R
SU

PROFIT

DATA

VALUE

CUSTOMERS

acle sponsored this CIMA research as both organisations seek to answer these two questions. CIMA conducted a global survey of senior finance professionals and other managers across different industries.

CHARTERED GLOBAL
MANAGEMENT
ACCOUNTANT (CGMA)
Two of the worlds most prestigious accounting bodies, AICPA and CIMA,
havecollaborated to establish the Chartered Global Management Accountant
(CGMA) designation to elevate and build recognition of the profession of
management accounting. This international designation recognises the most
talentedand committed management accountants with the discipline and skill
to drive strong business performance. CGMA designation holders are either
CPAs withqualifying management accounting experience, or associates or
fellow membersof theCharteredInstitute of Management Accountants.
www.cgma.org

ORACLE
Oracle offers a comprehensive and fully
integrated stack of cloud applications and
platform services. For more information about
Oracle (NYSE:ORCL), visit www.oracle.com

ored this CIMA research as both organisations seek to answer these two questions. CIMA conducted a global survey of senior finance professionals and other managers across different industries.

CONTENTS
G

RIN

SU
A
ME

Executive Summary..................................................................................... 4
1. Context for the Research....................................................................... 5
2. What Businesses Need to Know in the Digital Age.............................. 8
3. Who is Responsible for Performance and Who Provides
the Management Information and KPIs Needed?................................. 14
4. The Role of Finance and Its Influence.................................................... 16
5. Next-Generation Finance....................................................................... 18
6. Conclusion and Next Steps.................................................................... 21
7. References, Resources and Research Methodology............................. 24

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Digitisation and globalisation cause commoditisation and threaten established business
models. Intangible assets such as brands, customer relationships, intellectual property
and human capital have become the main value drivers in business. Consequently,
business leaders may need to adapt their business models or develop new ones. To achieve
this, quality decision-making and value-creating data insights are essential, and are rapidly
becoming determinants of organisational success. Equally, organisations need new measures
to manage performance, develop intangible assets and achieve their strategic goals.
CAPTURING VALUABLE DATA
In recent decades, finance
embraced technology-led
innovation, automating backoffice processes to boost
productivity, decision-making
and performance management.
Today, however, finance may
lag behind marketing, sales and
other customer-facing functions
that are investing widely in
digital technologies to capture
valuable data about intangible
assets such as brands, customer
relationships, intellectual
property and humancapital.

BRINGING RIGOUR
TO DECISIONS
Management accounting has the
potential to bring professional
rigour to decision-making by
ensuring that decisions and
performance management are
informed by proper analysis of
the relevant information and
that the business is managed
in the long-term interests of
itsstakeholders.

FINANCE MUST MODERNISE

The digital age has redefined
business roles. CFOs and their
finance teams are being asked
to help define and implement
new, digitally-enabled business
models, and must expand their
existing competencies with indepth knowledge of technology
and analytics, as well as broader
leadership and business partnering
skills. Traditional performance
metrics no longer capture the
value being created by intangibles.
CFOs need new metrics to
measure and monitor these value
drivers using the latest cloudbased tools and technologies.

What is finances role in measuring and monitoring the new value drivers in todays
digital economy? To find the answer, Oracle sponsored comprehensive research
by CIMA and AICPA into the value drivers in the digital age; the new and required
performance measures; who provides these measures; and the implications for
CFOs and management accountants. Nearly 800 people contributed to this report
through a global online survey and interviews. We acknowledge their support and
hope the findings are valuable to them, their employers and you.

1. CONTEXT FOR
THE RESEARCH
THE EXPLODING VALUE
OF INTANGIBLE ASSETS
Impact on finance: As corporate structures and business
models evolve, so too must the metrics finance uses to
measure performance.

As the internet era dawned, former GE CEO

Jack Welch used the term destroy your
ownbusiness to encourage managers at
hiscompany to find new internet-enabled
ways of running their business units.
Herecognised the risk that new entrants,
free from legacy systems, might develop
newbusiness models and compete in
waysthat could destroy their company.
Fast-forward 30 years, and GE is once again
destroying its own business by responding to the
digitisation of the industrial sector. The company
is reinventing itself as a software provider for the
Industrial Internet, using data and analytics to
make planes, trains, automobiles and other machines
worldwide run more efficiently.
THE POWER OF INTANGIBLE ASSETS
GE recognised what many are just learning: that the
companies creating the most value today arent those
holding the most physical or financial assets. Rather,
they are companies that control intangible assets
such as intellectual property from software, patents
and copyrights; customer capital from buyer data
and insights from transactions; and human capital
in the form of talent and co-creation networks. The
evolution of value drivers on the S&P 500 reveals how
intangibles now comprise 80 per cent of corporate
valuations on the index up from 20 per cent in 1975.1

HIGH VALUE FROM FEWER FIXED ASSETS

Fortune calls this economic environment the
frictionfree economy, where labour, information
and money move easily, cheaply and almost instantly
around the world.2 Others call it the collaborative
economy or sharing economy, where people get
what they need from other people, using or renting
excess capacity rather than owning or buying.
Morecompanies than ever are creating high value
with fewer fixed assets. Think Uber, the worlds
largestcarservice with no cars, which investors
have now valued at US$51 billion; or Apple, which
outsources almost its entire value chain yet has a war
chest ofUS$172 billion in capital.

COMPONENTS OF S&P 500 MARKET VALUE

17%

32%

68%

80%

84%

83%
68%

32%
20%
1975

1985

Tangible Assets

1995
Intangible Assets

16%

2005

2015*

Source: Ocean Tomo

*As of January 2015

These companies rely less on owning physical assets

like plant, equipment and real estate, and more on
leveraging the excess capacity of others. For example,
Apple rents out others servers to host its iCloud service
and only pays for what it needs, and uses third parties for
its manufacturing and global supply-chain operations.3
McKinsey reports that these asset-light, idea-intensive
sectors now generate 31 per cent of Western company
profits, up from 17 per cent in 1999.4
TURNING TO FINANCE TEAMS FOR HELP
Not all companies creating value today are Silicon
Valley start-ups. Traditional companies like Walmart
are evolving their business models to become digital
businesses and turning to their finance teams for
help in doing so. Our goal is to deliver a seamless
shopping experience online at scale, explains
WalmarteCommerce CFO Galagher Jeff.

We have 4,500 stores and over 7 million

items, and well probably double that
number to 15 million next year. Its my
job to think about the most efficient and
effective way to meet that customer
demand. The digital business model looks
very different, depending on the choices
that we have and where we are putting
inventory. So we are working with our
operations team now to understand not
just the channels we started with before,
but where we make the investments,
where we build new fulfilment centers
versus third-party suppliers. Those are
the kinds of questions we face.
Galagher Jeff, CFO,
Walmart eCommerce, USA

THE IMPORTANCE
OF GOOD
DECISION-MAKING

MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS
THAT ARE ACTIONABLE

People say, Dont present data, present

insight, but its not about some observations
that were making. Its about making
recommendations that are actionable.
Forthat recommendation to be actionable,
you need to have a deep understanding
ofwhat levers are available to the business
and then be able to conceptualize how those
recommendations can impact thebusiness.

Impact on finance: Intangible assets are difficult to

measure in financial terms, which increases the risk
of bias in decision-making. Finance can influence and
advance strategic outcomes by partnering with the
business to strengthen data-driven decision-making.

Globalisation and technological advances give competitors

access to similar resources, while competition causes
processes to converge on similar standards. This leads
to commoditisation and erodes margins. The quality of a
businesss decision-making has become one of the most
important factors in enabling it to differentiate through
intangibles, and succeed.
Unfortunately, decision-making can be misinformed or be
subject to bias. In todays digital world, there can be an
excess of data but a shortage of information and insight.
Therefore, businesses need professional rigour in their
decision-making. This ensures decisions are informed by
diligent analysis of the available evidence, and incorporate
the long-term interests of the business and its stakeholders.
The management accounting profession can contribute
greatly to this rigour, given its traditional role in providing
accounts, management information and experience,
partnering with the business to guide decisions.

Head of Analytics,
Consumer Electronics Manufacturer, USA

OBJECTIVES AND ORGANISING FRAMEWORK

In this research, we considered what information
businesses need about value drivers in the digital age,
and the role management accountants play. We asked:
What are the value drivers and are there KPIs
to manage them?
Who supplies and is responsible for the required
analysis or KPIs?
What is the role of finance and what influence does
finance have?

MANAGEMENT ACCOUNTANTS ROLES IN DECISION-MAKING

Management accountants access data to produce
accounts and management information. They conduct
analyses and collaborate with business managers to
develop insights that inform decisions. Their professional
objectivity can help ensure that decisions are taken in
the interests of stakeholders. Management accountants
influence how businesses implement decisions by
providing plans, budgets and forecasts. And they help
to achieve impact by assembling the measures needed
for performance management.

DATA MOSTLY FINANCIAL

REPORTS

ANALYSIS

INSIGHT

INFLUENCE

IMPACT

2. WHAT BUSINESSES
NEED TO KNOW IN
THE DIGITAL AGE
VALUE DRIVERS IN THE DIGITAL AGE

THE NEED FOR NEW MEASURES

Creating long-term value while
simultaneously meeting current
operational objectives requires more
advanced performance management
than can be achieved using
financial measures alone. Business
leaders need new measures and
analysis to manage performance
in the digital age. To manage their
intangible assets, it is important that
businesses measure them, or at least
describe them in non-financial terms.

RANKING THE VALUE DRIVERS

Customer satisfaction
Quality of business processes
Customer relationships
Quality of your people (human capital)
Reputation of brand
Strategic decision-making
Strategy execution
Patented product or processes

We asked respondents to rank first

to fifth what they consider are the
most important determinants of
value in their business today. The top
five value drivers, ranked in their top
five by more than 50 per cent of the
744respondents, are:
1. Customer satisfaction 76 per cent
2. Quality of business processes 64 per cent
3. Customer relationships 63 per cent
4. Quality of people (human capital) 61 per cent
5. Reputation of brands 58 per cent

Supplier relationship
Plant and equipment

100

200

300

400

500

4th

5th

Number of respondents

1st

2nd

3rd

600

This is consistent with the findings of recent research

byBrand Finance and CIMA,5 which shows the increasing
importance of intangibles in business valuations quoted
on the major stock markets.
To counter the threat of commoditisation, organisations
need to show the market how they are different. The
customer should be at the centre of what the business
does digitally.
Customers are at the beginning and end of the balanced
value chain, as illustrated in the diagrambelow.

Brand Finance has Shell within the

top twenty most valuable brands
in the world. There arent any other
energy companies close to us using
those calculations and it proves to us
that there is value in developing and
protecting the brand.
However, Shell has a way to go in
becoming one of the worlds most
valuable brands. We are getting better
at treating the brand as an asset and
we aspire to make it work harder even
in the context of a pretty challenging
external environment.
Stuart Chaplin, Retail Global
Commercial Finance Manager,
Shell, Netherlands

THE BALANCED VALUE CHAIN

CUSTOMERS
NEEDS SET
STRATEGIC
DIRECTION

BRAND,
VALUES &
INTANGIBLES

PROJECT MANAGEMENT;
COMPETITIVE POSITION
AND FUTURE EARNINGS

INNOVATION &
TRANSFORMATION

SUPPLY
CHAIN,
PRODUCE &
PACKAGE

PROMOTE,
SELL AND
DELIVER

CUSTOMER
SATISFACTION
& RETENTION

OPERATING EFFICIENCY
AND RESULTS; PROCESS
MANAGEMENT

FINANCIAL
OUTCOMES

This table lists KPIs in descending

order of those currently
measured or monitored by the
finance function in respondents
organisations (the sum
of always and recently
startedresponses).
67 per cent of respondents
finance functions currently
measure or monitor data
quality. This includes
25percent who started
doingso recently. This
suggeststhat data quality
isbecoming a priority.

MEASURING AND MONITORING KPIs

Return on Invested Capital (ROIC)
Employee productivity
Customer experience and satisfaction
Data quality
Employee engagement and retention
Competitor activity
Customer pipeline and retention
Brand awareness and equity
Talent sourcing pipeline
Social engagement
Social sentiment
Digital marketing effectivness

Fewer than 50 per cent of

respondents are measuring
or monitoring new measures
enabled by advances in data, such as social
engagementand digital marketingeffectiveness.

0%
Always

20%

Recently
started (in the
last 12 months)

40%
Plan to
(in next
12 months)

60%

80%

Plan to in
the future
(12months+)

100%

No current
plan

We need to consider if the measured

KPIs are related to the value drivers.
IDENTIFYING NEW KPIs
Finance executives point to the need to identify new
KPIs. Even if these KPIs need to evolve, they would help
the business understand how to measure these new
intangibles. Choosing the right KPIs is hard, notes
Richard Wong, Vice President of Finance at LinkedIn.
You need to make sure that the KPIs you choose are
measurable, impact the business, and that the underlying
data is right. The worst thing you can do is not have any
KPIs. In the beginning, your KPIs may be very simple,
and may need to change or evolve over time, but at least
you will have KPIs to focus on, to track the business and
progress. Its okay as you mature and evolve to change
your KPIs.

TRACKING SOCIAL SENTIMENT

AT WALMART ECOMMERCE

Tracking social sentiment and

incorporating that into decision-making
is something we use effectively.
We look real-time at social-media
word clouds and other social-media
input to understand whats trending,
what customers are saying about our
eCommerce site, and what we can do
to serve them better. Its fascinating
and a great opportunity for us to do
more to meet customer needs.
Galagher Jeff, CFO,
Walmart eCommerce, USA

10

RELATING KPIs TO VALUE DRIVERS

TOP KPIs

67%

66%

65%

65%

60%

57%

55%

50%

49%

DATA
QUALITY

RETURN ON
INVESTED
CAPITAL
(ROIC)

EMPLOYEE
PRODUCTIVITY

EMPLOYEE
ENGAGEMENT
& RETENTION

CUSTOMER
EXPERIENCE
&
SATISFACTION

COMPETITOR
ACTIVITY

CUSTOMER
PIPELINE
AND
RETENTION

TALENT
SOURCING
AND PIPELINE

BRAND
AWARENESS
AND EQUITY

TOP VALUE DRIVERS

76%

64%

63%

61%

58%

CUSTOMER
SATISFACTION

QUALITY OF
BUSINESS PROCESS

CUSTOMER
RELATIONSHIP

QUALITY
OF PEOPLE

REPUTATION
OF BRAND

The top eight KPIs are those monitored

by more than 50 per cent of respondents
businesses. The ninth is brand awareness,
which was at a borderline 49 per cent.
The top five value drivers can relate to the
corresponding KPIs in the diagram. The
finance team also measures or monitors other
KPIs. These include outcome KPIs (e.g.ROIC)
and KPIs for factors that can influence
performance (e.g. competitor activity).
Respondents most measured or monitored
thedata quality KPI. However, the data quality
KPI may not relate directly to the quality of
business processes value driver. For financially
qualified respondents, data qualitycan be
about the integrity of accountinginformation.

11

BRAND AWARENESS MATTERS

Although brand awareness ranked ninth

among survey respondents, one finance
executive from a relatively young California
company ranked it essential.
Brand awareness is very, very important.
When I first started, we were looking at brand
awareness on a quarterly basis; now we are
looking at it weekly and sometimes even
hourly. We use that information to tie back
tomarketing campaigns and events.
Head of Analytics, Consumer Electronics
Manufacturer , USA

However, we did ask about the businesss

competence in assembling and analysing
the data needed to measure and manage
intangibles specifically including the data
required to measure the quality of business
processes. The required data is likely to be
beyond the accountants traditionaldomain.
As the diagram illustrates, big data extends
from the financial data (which has long
been central to the accountants role) to the
data captured by the businesss systems,
or people, or bought in (e.g. from market
analysis or benchmark services providers);
and on to the many new forms of complex,
often unstructured digitaldata such as
socialmediastreams.
THE MEASUREMENT CHALLENGE
To measure intangibles, businesses must
make connections between financial outcomes
and pre-financial measures that they can
use as leading indicators, usually based on a
causal relationship or correlation. However,
can businesses assemble and analyse the
data needed tomeasureintangibles?

12

DATA FOR MEASURING AND MANAGING VALUE DRIVERS

HIGH
NEW FORMS OF
DIGITAL DATA

Level of expertise needed for analysis

We did not ask directly about KPIs for

the quality of business processes. This is
because best practice involves benchmarking
against peers or best-in-class regarding SLAs
(Service Level Agreements) and aligning KPIs.
Benchmarking data is usually bought rather
than prepared in-house.

MARKET
ENTERPRISE
DATA

FINANCIAL
DATA

LOW
LOW

Scale and complexity of data

HIGH

Source: From insight to impact; unlocking the potential in big data, CGMA, 2013

The proportion of respondents rating

SATISFACTION WITH BUSINESSS
ABILITY TO ASSEMBLE AND ANALYSE
their business as excellent for
DATA TO MEASURE INTANGIBLES
assembling and measuring
How well the business executes strategies
data relating to intangibles
ranged from 16 per cent for their
The quality of strategic decision-making
businesss intellectual property to
The quality of your business processes
11 per cent for alliances and joint
venture relationships (respondents
Employees talent or expertise
answered by selecting 1 to 5 on
The business intellectual property
a scale where 1 means not at all
and 5 means excellent).
Supplier relationships

A net positive score, calculated

as the percentage selecting high
scores (4 or 5) less the percentage
selecting low scores (1 or 2),
provides a useful summary
measure that reflects respondents
businesses preparedness for the
digital age.

Customer sentiment
Alliance and joint venture relationship
Potential customer perception of brand

0%

5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40%

Excellent

Net Positive
(scores 4 & 5
minus scores 1 & 2)

For the top five value drivers, the relevant data and net
positive scores were as follows:
1. Customer satisfaction: Customer sentiment is a
predictive measure. We found a net positive score
of +25 per cent in terms of the businesss ability to
assemble and analyse the relevant data.

4. Quality of people (human capital):

Thebusinesss competence regarding data about
employees talent or expertise was given a net
positive score of +33 per cent.

2. Quality of business processes: We asked

respondents directly about the businesss ability
to assemble and analyse the relevant data to the
quality of business processes. The net positive
score was +34 per cent.

5. Reputation of brands: The businesss

competence regarding data about potential
customers perception of the brand(s) was
givenanet positive score of +20 per cent.

3. The quality of customer relationships:

This can also relate to customer sentiment.
The net positive score was +25 per cent.

13

These scores suggest there is room for improvement

inproviding the necessary analysis and KPIs.

3. WHO IS RESPONSIBLE
FOR PERFORMANCE
AND WHO PROVIDES THE MANAGEMENT
INFORMATION AND KPIs NEEDED?

RESPONSIBILITIES AT C-SUITE LEVEL

This table illustrates critical

responsibilities and the
corresponding C-suite role
respondents consider to be
primarily responsible for
providing information.

Financial planning and analysis

Risk management
Shared service centre
Corporate strategy and business model development
Supply chain and logistics

CFOs are primarily responsible for

financial planning and analysis,
risk management and shared
service centres. They were ranked
second in strategy, supply chain,
information technology
and digitaltransformation.
Few considered the CFO to be
responsible for HR or social
and environmental issues.
Yet,accordingto a customer
financedirector with an FMCG
multinational in South Africa,
Sustainability provides an
opportunity forfinance to use
rigourand discipline to bring
clarityto the data out there.

A
ME

IN
R
U

Digital transformation
Human resources
Social and environmental issues

0%
CEO

20%

40%

FD/CFO

60%

CIO

COO

80%

100%

CRO

Other

Information technology

13.4%

18.5%

47.2%

2.9%

6.7%

11.4%

Corporate strategy, business model development

43.9%

26.3%

6.9%

3.8%

9.1%

10.0%

Digital transformation

10.9%

16.9%

42.5%

4.2%

10.0%

15.4%

Supply chain and logistics

9.6%

20.0%

10.7%

8.2%

31.8%

19.6%

Risk management

13.4%

37.4%

9.6%

19.2%

9.8%

10.7%

Financial planning and analysis

4.7%

69.3%

8.0%

6.7%

4.7%

6.7%

Human resources

15.8%

11.4%

7.3%

13.8%

15.8%

35.9%

Shared service centres

8.2%

33.4%

11.6%

7.8%

16.9%

22.0%

Social and environmental issues

29.6%

9.8%

8.0%

8.7%

15.6%

28.3%

CEO

CFO

CRO

COO

Other

It is clear that CFOs have a

wider information remit than
their C-suite colleagues. However,
dothey provide the information
the business needs?

14

Information technology

Ranked 1st

CIO
Ranked 2nd

The CFO and the accounting

and finance function focus
primarily on financial measures.
A centre of excellence, such
as a shared service centre
outside the finance function,
is the second most likely
provider of financial analysis
for decisionmaking and
performance management.
Finance isthe most frequent
provider of business
performance analysis but not
far ahead of the business
unitsmanagers.

WHO PROVIDES ACCOUNTING AND

OTHER MANAGEMENT INFORMATION?
Financial analysis to support big decisions
Regular accounting measures and their analysis
Analysis of performance
Risk management information
Analysis to support operational decisions
Regular reporting on non-financial measures
Non-financial strategic analysis
Non-financial measures of progress towards
strategic objectives
Tracking of the businesss social and
environmental impact

0%

Businesses most often expect their unit managers

to provide their own financial analysis to support
operational decisions. Finance is the second provider
of this support. Business unit managers are also
most often self-sufficient for non-financial measures,
with a centre of excellence the second most likely
source of this support, rather than finance.

60%

CFO/Accounting &
Finance function

Business unit
managers

Shared service
centre or
outsourced
service provider

Not
required

80%

100%

Centre of
excellence

KPIs AND THE FUNCTIONS THAT PROVIDE THEM

Data quality
Employee productivity
Competitor activity
Social sentiment
Employee engagement and retention
Customer pipeline and retention
Talent sourcing/pipeline

Customer experience and satisfaction

Brand awareness/equity
Digital marketing effectiveness

The function most likely to provide the

KPIs needed to manage value drivers
in the digital age is the function that
owns the data. This means that
each function is likely to provide
the performance measures relevant
to its own domain. Some objective
assessment may be required.

15

40%

ROIC

The prominence of centres

of excellence in this table may
reflect how advanced data
analysis is becoming a specialist
area beyond the remit of finance.
Although CFOs have a
wider remit than their
colleagues in the C suite,
finance seems to have a
relatively low engagement
level in producing
non-financial measures
about intangibles. So who
provides this information?

20%

Social engagement

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Finance

Sales

Marketing

HR

IT

Other

Outsourced

4. THE ROLE OF FINANCE

AND ITS INFLUENCE
CFO AND FINANCE ENGAGEMENT
IN PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT
FINANCES LEVEL OF ENGAGEMENT
INPERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT
The CFO has the overview
to ensure performance
measures align strategically
across the business and
engage at a high level in
performance management.

The setting of targets and the selection of the

financial performance measures
The identification of measures to be used to manage
progress towards long-term strategic objectives
The selection of leading pre-financial
operational performance indicators
Ensuring the strategic alignment of
performance measures across the business
Providing non-financial measures of progress
towards strategic objectives
Providing non-financial measures of operational
performance
The identification of intangible assets to be
measured and managed to ensure long-term success

Over 50 per cent of

respondents report that the
role of the CFO has increased,
or substantially increased,
regarding information
technology and data
management. This is expected
in a digital age.
A significant minority of
respondents report that the
role of the CFO has increased,
or substantially increased,
regarding sales, supply chain,
customer engagement, human
resources and marketing.

16

10%
Engaged

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

Fully engaged

THE CFOS BROADER RESPONSIBILITIES

Cultivate the right talent and the
interpersonal skill to manage cultural change
Has the ability to say no to those activities that
dont drive value so that the most important
capabilities can thrive
Has complete insights into business drivers
and the ability to communicate those insights
to the line of business effectively
Has a holistic cross-functional prospective
encompassing the entire value chain
Owns the business model and allocates capital
towards the new drivers of value creation

10%
Agree

20%

30%

40%

Strongly agree

50%

60%

70%

These findings suggest that finance may not necessarily

be the provider of non-financial information. However, the
functions broad remit means it has an important role to play
in ensuring that decision-makers access and use information
for decision-making and performance management.

HOW FINANCE IS BECOMING MORE

INFLUENTIAL AT SOUTHWEST AIRLINES

Weve built our influence over time.

A decade ago we made an investment
to ensure we could have access to
good data and brought in the people
who could be comfortable using and
analyzing it. We put ourselves ahead
there. Thats one of the ways we got
our influence.
There are more and more organizations
where much more data is becoming
available and pockets of data experts
are popping up. These are not financial
experts, but those who, for example,
understand customer centricity and
customer data. A discipline is growing
there. We are seeing this happen in a

couple of areas across Southwest.

Weve got the people and the data
available where insights are starting to
come from other areas of the business,
and dont have to be in the finance function.
Finance has a role in data technology
and finance may be the logical home
for it as a shared service. If you have 10
areas across a company who are doing
data analysis, there should be a center
of excellence where there is control over
the data. At some point, we would like
for the data to be hubbed and finance
makes the best home.

Paul Cullen, Managing Director, Financial

Planning & Analysis, Southwest Airlines, USA

17

5. NEXT-GENERATION
FINANCE
REALIGNING FINANCE TO
SUPPORT NEW VALUE DRIVERS
When asked about the extent
to which their finance function
has been aligned or engaged to
support new value drivers, 33
per cent reported that finance
has fully realigned regarding
the setting of targets and the
selection of financial performance
measures (byselecting 5 on a
scale from 1 to 5 where 1 means
not at all and 5 means fully).
However, only 15 per cent were as
positive regarding providing nonfinancial measures of progress
towards strategic intent and the
identification of the intangibles
to be measured and managed to
ensure long-term success.

EXTENT TO WHICH FINANCE HAS REALIGNED/

ENGAGED TO SUPPORT NEW VALUE DRIVERS
The setting of targets and the selection of
the financial performance measures
The identification of the measures to be
used to manage progress towards longer
term strategic objectives
The selection of leading
(pre- financial) operational performance
indicators
Ensuring the strategic alignment of
performance measures across the
business
Providing or assembling non-financial
measures of operational performance
Providing non-financial measures of
progress towards strategic objectives
The identification of the intangibles to be
measured and managed to ensure long
term success

The highest net positive score reported is

+47percent. This relates to the setting of targets
and the selection of financial performance measures.
The lowest, +25 per cent, was for the identification
of the intangibles to be measured and managed to
ensure long term success.
The net positive scores for the identification of
measures of progress towards strategic intent
(+43 per cent) and the selection of leading
(prefinancial) measures of operational performance
(+40 per cent) were significantly higher than the
scores for providing these measures (+29 per cent
and+30 per cent).

18

10%

20%

Net positive (scores 4

& 5 minus scores 1 & 2)

30%

40%

50%

Score 5 = Fully
realigned/engaged

A net positive score, calculated as the percentage selecting high

scores (4 or 5) less the percentage selecting low scores (1or2),
provides a useful summary measure of the extent to which
respondents feel finance in their business has been realigned/
engaged to support new value drivers.

This suggests finance is more comfortable in its domain and

when identifying or selecting appropriate non-financial measures
of performance than it is with furnishing those measures.
Our research confirms that finance retains its role regarding
financial information and its analysis; and developing commercial
insights and their application to improve performance.

INFORMATION BROKER, THE NEW PARTNERING ROLE FOR FINANCE

DATA

REPORTS

ANALYSIS

INSIGHT

OTHER DATA IN
THE BUSINESS

Accessed and
analysed by owners

Assembled and
validated by finance

NEW FORMS
OF BIG DATA

Data scientists
provide analytical
insights

Translated to
commercial insights

INFLUENCE

IMPACT

BUSINESS PARTNERING AT LinkedIn

Back in 2010, when we were a much smaller company, business partnering was very
reactive, with my team jumping in and out of conversations with business unit heads
to answer a question or resolve a problem. We didnt have great dashboards and
information at our fingertips and, as such, did a lot of ad hoc modeling.
As the company and our finance team have grown, our approach to business
partnering has evolved. Today its much deeper we have KPIs and dashboards
created on a regular cadence; we take time to understand the business and problem;
have a point of view on all matters and issues; and provide value-added analytics to
drive the right outcomes and bring clarity to all the noise (massive big data) out there.
To do that, my teams are embedded in the business unit, attending business partner
staff meetings and helping manage the business units with their business partners.
Finance is sometimes the first line of defense for these business units, to flag any risks
and ensure that each business unit is contributing to the companys growth and vision
as a whole.
Richard Wong, Vice President of Finance, LinkedIn, USA

19

ENHANCING THE VALUE OF INFORMATION

When a business unit owns data and has the necessary
skills to analyse it, it is more likely to provide the KPIs
and performance analysis. However, finance can enhance
the value of this information by ensuring its validity
and filtering it for decision-makers to use. When new
analysis is needed, finance may require the relevant
area to provide it.
WORKING WITH DATA SCIENTISTS
Where more advanced analytical skills are needed to
analyse vast volumes of new forms of digital data, finance
might look to data scientists to generate required insights.
Or, when data scientists explore data and develop new
analytical insights, finance can help prioritise these by
their potential commercial impact and translate them
into actions for improving performance.

20

THE PARTNERING ROLE OF FINANCE

This means finance must take on a broad business
partnering role as the brokers of information in the
business. Finance needs to engage business managers in
collaborative conversations to probe root causes; identify
potential leading performance indicators; and source
data that could provide measures for management.
The role is about improving decision-making
and ensuring the business assembles and analyses
relevant information that:
focuses on the value to shareholders
decision-makers consider with due regard
to the interests of stakeholders
is then applied to influence performance
and generatevalue

6. CONCLUSION
AND NEXT STEPS

In the digital age, business models must adapt to a competitive environment where
thequality of decision-making especially with regard to managing intangibles will
be the determinant of business success. Businesses now need more than management
information based on financial data: they also need measures relating to intangible
valuedrivers.
SAFEGUARDING THE QUALITY
OF DECISION-MAKING
Business units that generate data about intangible
assets also tend to own it. As such, they are the
most likely providers of analysis and performance
management based on this data. This means CFOs
and management accountants are well placed to
play important roles. With a wide view across
the enterprise, they can equip leaders with the
measures and analysis required to make the right
decisions. As facilitators, they can also contribute
their overview and professional objectivity in
collaborative conversations, to safeguard the
quality of decision-making.
NEXT STEP: PREPARE TO TRANSFORM
FOR THE DIGITAL AGE
Digitisation threatens and transforms business
models. While progressive businesses understand
the potential of digitisation and the need for better
management information about value drivers, many
more are not prepared. Business leaders need to
consider the potential impact on their business
model and the probable need to develop it for
the digital age.

21

FINANCE TAKING CENTRE STAGE

There is a risk that businesses might sideline
finance as specialists in producing accounting
information for statutory reporting, while other
disciplines provide information for management.
This might be a mistake because, as digitisation
makes it more difficult for businesses to differentiate
and earn a premium, the quality of decision-making
has become even more important. Finance can
bring its professional disciplines to decisionmaking. Finance may not have a credible claim to
provide all the information needed in the digital
age. However, it has the enterprisewide overview,
professional objectivity and skills required to work
with diverse internal stakeholders, ensuring the
business assembles, analyses and applies data
to improve performance.

HOW DIGITISATION IS TRANSFORMING

FINANCE AT NESPRESSO JAPAN

Back-office automation and

migration to shared service
centres is made possible by digital.
That transformation has already
happened. Companies will have
less finance staff. The finance
team can now focus on the
business leadership tasks.
The fundamental responsibility of
finance is financial reporting, and
compliance and risk management.
These have to be done right. On
top of that, finance is responsible
for allocating resources; shaping
and defining strategy; using all
the data to help leadership the
CFO is a co-pilot who can also
pilot the plane; projecting into
the future looking into risks and
opportunities; total understanding
of the value chain and valuedrivers.
The CFO is in close proximity
to all the other functions. This
means that in the digital era, the
CFO needs to know the digital
terrain, the language, the topic,
the practices, etc. The CFO also
needs to balance the risk and
reality of the digital world.
Felix Langenbach, Finance
Director, Nestl Nespresso, Japan

22

THE RANGE OF DATA COMPETENCIES THAT

A BUSINESS MUST DEVELOP
Commercial

DATA
CHAMPION

BUSINESS
PARTNER

VALUE
CREATION

DATA
CULTURE

Conformance

Performance

DATA
MANAGEMENT

DATA
MANAGER

Technical

ANALYTICS

DATA
SCIENTIST

To take advantage of the vast volume and range of data

available to inform decision-making, businesses need to
develop new competencies:
Capturing and managing data needed to inform decisions or
measure performance, for example, data about intangible assets,
so that decision-makers can feel confident in the datas quality.
Compliance with data standards and regulations is important
to maintain customers trust. Cyber security is also a concern.
Data managers usually require an IT background. The accounting
discipline that ensures the integrity of financial reporting is
alsovaluable.
A business must be able to analyse pertinent data. Those with
the skills needed to analyse vast amounts of big data are known
as data scientists. Their skills include writing code, identifying
complex correlations and deriving algorithms. These skills are in
short supply but so are the skills needed to translate analytical
insights into commercial advantage.
A business that expects to base its decisions on evidence needs
the objectivity accountants can provide. This ensures the integrity
of numbers and that leaders manage the business with due care
for the interests of stakeholders.
To yield commercial benefits, a business must be able to make
evidence-based decision-making apply to management and
analytical insights. This is probably the area of greatest opportunity
for management accountants, who have the broader skills needed
to cascade the CFOs influence throughout thebusiness.

THE MANAGEMENT ACCOUNTING IMPERATIVE

SKILLS FOR BUSINESS PARTNERING

The CIMA syllabus and examinations help ensure

that CGMA designation holders have the essential
accounting, analysis and business competencies
employers expect of professionally qualified
in-house accountants. Management accountants
need to build on these skills through continuing
professional development. This will help them
acquire the skills to develop effective partnering
relationships with business managers.
Digitisation could commoditise products and
services. A businesss ability to differentiate
and earn superior returns will depend on the
quality of its decision-making and performance
management. In the digital world, there is an
excess of data but a shortage of information and
insight. The result is an increased risk of bias in
decision-making. To ensure quality decisions, CFOs
need to apply and finance business partners
must cascade the discipline of management
accounting throughout the organisation.
PUTTING PRINCIPLES INTO PRACTICE

DEVELOP EFFECTIVE BUSINESS-PARTNERING RELATIONSHIPS

EMPATHY WITH
COLLEAGUES

PASSION FOR
BUSINESS

23

PROFESSIONAL
OBJECTIVITY

INTEGRATE, APPLY AND COMMUNICATE INFORMATION

BUSINESS
UNDERSTANDING

ANALYSIS
SKILLS

ACCOUNTING
SKILLS

IMPROVE DECISION-MAKING
Communication & Use of
Accounting and Management Information

GOVERNANCE

the business analyses the information diligently

with a focus on the value to shareholders

This is consistent with the Global Management

Accounting Principles, developed by CIMA
and AICPA.8

COMMERCIAL
CURIOSITY

CPD

decision-makers are confident in the information

they receive

they influence colleagues to help ensure the

business is managed in line with the overall
strategy and stakeholder interests.

PREPAREDNESS
TO CHALLENGE

CONTRIBUTE INSIGHTS INTO DRIVERS OF COST, RISK AND VALUE

The CFO cannot participate in all decisions. However,

as business partners, management accountants can
ensure that:

they apply their professional objectivity to

ensuregood governance

COMPELLING
COMMUNICATION

INFLUENCE

Preserve
value

Create
value

CONFIDENCE

DILIGENCE

Sourcing and Analysis of

Accounting and Management Information

7. REFERENCES, RESOURCES
AND RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
REFERENCES

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

1 Ocean Tomo, as cited in The Wall Street Journal, 2014

2 The 21st Century Corporation Fortune Magazine,
page105, 2015
3 Ibid, page 106
4 Ibid, pages 108 to 109
5 Global Intangible Financial Tracker 2015,
Brand Finance and CIMA, 2015
6 From insight to impact; unlocking the potential
in big data, CGMA, 2013
7 Big Data; readying business for the big data revolution,
CGMA, 2014
8 Global Management Accounting Principles,
CGMA,2014

This research was conducted by CIMA and AICPA and

sponsored by Oracle. It is based on a global survey of senior
executives, supplemented by interviews with senior finance
and management professionals across the globe to inform
our interpretation of the survey results. The survey was
completed by 744 respondents in 34 countries:
37 per cent - in EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa)
countries excluding the UK
27 per cent - in the USA or Canada
14 per cent - in BRIC countries
(Brazil, Russia, India and China)
12 per cent - in the UK
7 per cent - in APAC (Asia-Pacific) countries

RESOURCES

3 per cent - in Latin America, excluding Brazil

Finance Business Partnering: The conversations

that count, CGMA, 2015
Global Management Accounting Principles, CGMA, 2014
CGMA competency framework, CGMA, 2014
www.cgma.org

Most respondents were in senior finance roles, however 5per

centwere COOs and 21 per cent were in other senior roles.

RESPONSES BY COMPANY SIZE

RESPONSES BY REGION

19%

20%

21%

22%
18%

Between US$100 million

and US$250 million
Between US$250 million
and US$500 million
Between US$500 million
and US$1 billion
Between US$1 billion
and US$5 billion
More than US$5 billion

Respondents were from a good spread of business sizes,

with approximately 20 per cent from each of these turnover
bands: US$100mUS$250m (20 per cent), US$250m
US$500m (22 per cent), US$500mUS$1bn (18 per cent),
US$1bnUS$5bn (21 per cent) and US$5bn+(19 per cent).

3%

EMEA excl UK, Russia

US and Canada

7%

BRIC countries

12%

37%

UK
APAC excl India, China

14%

LAD excl Brazil

27%

American Institute of CPAs, 1211 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10036-8775, USA T: +1 212 596 6200 F: +1 212 596 6213
Chartered Institute of Management Accountants, The Helicon, One South Place, London EC2M 2RB United Kingdom T: +44 (0)20 7663 5441 F: +44 (0)20 7663 5442
2015, Chartered Institute of Management Accountants. All rights reserved. This material may be shared and reproduced for non-commercial purposes in online format only, subject to provision of proper
attribution to the copyright owner listed above. For information about obtaining permission to use this material in any other manner, please email copyright@cgma.org All other rights are hereby expressly
reserved. The information provided in this publication is general and may not apply in a specific situation. Legal advice should always be sought before taking any legal action based on the information provided.
Although the information provided is believed to be correct as of the publication date, be advised that this is a developing area. The AICPA or CIMA cannot accept responsibility for the consequences of its
use for other purposes or other contexts. The information and any opinions expressed in this material do not represent official pronouncements of or on behalf of AICPA, CIMA, the CGMA designation or the
Association of International Certified Professional Accountants. This material is offered with the understanding that it does not constitute legal, accounting, or other professional services or advice. If legal
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24

November 2015