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Inside Track:

In a recent informal poll we conducted, nine out of 10 finance executives had no idea what eXtensible Business Reporting Language (better known by its acronym XBRL) is – and, more to the point, what it can do for them. That will change. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) will be putting some serious money into eliminating key barriers to adoption, in particular by completing development of the basic structure for tagging financial data, overhauling its Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval (EDGAR) database and funding development of free tools so investors can work interactively with information from public companies. In addition, over the past year, the three major financial publishers (Bowne & Co., Merrill Corp. and RR Donnelley) have taken the first steps to allow companies that want to participate in the SEC’s voluntary program to tag data easily in their financial statements. We believe that XBRL will become a fixture in finance organizations because it eliminates some of the key defects of spreadsheets that soak up time and increase costs. We expect the technology will be used to speed the exchange of all sorts of financial information within and between companies. The pace of adoption, however, will depend on how quickly XBRL use expands past external reporting by public companies.

Announcing New Research and Education:
Integrated Business Planning Meets Cloud Computing 

Establishing Better Control of Spending 

Ventana Research Introduces Best Practices Education in Financial Performance Management

Improve BI and Performance Management on Oracle & SAP

Research Notes:                                    RSS Feeds Available!
Cloud Computing for Business
A look back at 2009: New Approaches in Using Technology for Business (January 6, 2010)

Kicking the Spreadsheet Habit
A look back at 2009: Managing in Difficult Times (December 23, 2009)

Optimizing Sales and Revenue Performance
A look back at 2009: New Approaches in Using Technology for Business (December 23, 2009)

Making IT Accountable for Business Value
A look back at 2009: Improving IT Effectiveness (December 23, 2009)

The Most Valuable Business Process: Performance Management
A look back at 2009: Trends and Technologies that Helped Business Prosper (December 23, 2009)

Information Management
A look back at 2009: New Approaches in Using Technology for Business (December 23, 2009)

>Financial Performance Management Archive
Educational Events:

Highlighted Webinar Replay:
Planning & Budgeting
Improving Effectiveness through Best Practices and Technology

Maximize Value from Your SAP Investment with Business Intelligence (BI) & Performance Management (PM) 
sponsored by IBM Cognos

Media Channels:
Leadership Award Winners:



Governance, Risk and Compliance (GRC) Leadership Award

Financial Performance Leadership Award

 

 

 

Clients:
   
   
   
Services:

Our education, workshops, assessments and advisory services help organizations align people, process and technologies essential for Performance Management success.   Learn more!

Benchmark Research:

Integrated Business Planning
Assessing the Agility and Coordination of Planning Processes

Planning & Budgeting
Looking at Trends in Planning and Budgeting

21st Century Financial Performance Strategies
Examining Financial Strategies and Processes

Financial Information Management
Assessing Quality and Consistency of Financial Data

21st Century Spreadsheets
Examining Spreadsheets and Technologies

In Search of the Fast Clean Close
Determining State of Financial Close Processes

Finance Best Practices for Midsize Companies
Using IT for Greater Effectiveness in Finance

Resources:

Benchmark Webinar Replays:
Integrated Business Planning
Assessing the Agility and Coordination of Planning Processes

Planning & Budgeting
Improving Effectiveness through Best Practices and Technology

21st Century Financial Performance
Increasing Finance Effectiveness Through Better Use of Technology

Requirements for 21st Century Spreadsheets 
Uses and Misuses of Critical Business Technology

Finance Best Practices for Midsize Companies
Using IT for Greater Effectiveness in Finance

In Search of the Fast, Clean Close
Closing the Books More Efficiently

Industry Webinar Replays:
21st Century Spreadsheets - Business Value Driver or Clear & Present Risk? What Every Executive Needs to Know!

Sales Compensation Management Spotlight

Performance Management -- It's Not Just About Technology

Aligning Finance and Sales: Best Practices for Sales Compensation Management

What Separates High-Performing CFOs from Everybody Else?

Providing On-Demand Financial Visibility Throughout the Enterprise   

Presentations:
Aligning Finance and Sales: Best Practices for Sales Compensation Management

Podcast Replays:
Compliance and Spreadsheets: Combating Errors Spreadsheet Management Market (MP3)
by Robert Kugel - SVP Research

ERP Innovation - Getting More from your ERP Investment (WMA)
by Robert Kugel - SVP Research

Resource Kits:
Improve BI and Performance Management on Oracle & SAP
Best practices and research on leveraging ERP investment

White Papers:
Overcoming Obstacles for Better Planning
New! Audio White Paper

Accurate Costing Is Key to Profitability Sponsored by SAP
Dynamic Environments Expose Weaknesses in Traditional Approaches

Establishing Better Control of Spending Sponsored by expensewatch.com
In Challenging Economic Times, Using the Right Tools Can Promote Accuracy and Visibility

When On-Demand Financials Make Sense
A viable alternative for growing midsize companies

XBRL Is Not Just for Analysts and Regulators
Early experiences demonstrate how it can improve business communications

Best Practices for Planning and Budgeting in Midsize Companies
Overcoming process and technology barriers

The Enterprising CFO
How to create a more strategic role for Finance

Tuning ERP and the Supply Chain for Profitable Growth
Three things every CFO should know about the organization’s SCM and ERP systems

Articles:

Managing Supply Chains for Effectiveness
Business Finance Magazine

Making XBRL Reporting Easy 
Business Finance Magazine

The Widget That Wasn't
Business Finance Magazine

Quick Fixes for Your Spreadsheet Snags  
Business Finance Magazine

Remedying Performance Compensation Gridlock 
Business Finance Magazine

The Right Stuff  
Business Finance Magazine

Create a Telescopic Lens for Your Finance Function
Business Finance Magazine

A Clean Close Without the Dirty Work
Business Finance Magazine

Expense Management Made Easy 
Business Finance Magazine

ABC: The Next Generation
Business Finance Magazine

Managing Taxes More Effectively with Software
Business Finance Magazine

Sales & Operations Planning Makes BPM Work 
Business Performance Management Magazine

XBRL: A Quick Primer
Business Finance Magazine

Spreadsheet Benchmark Creates Business Risk and Inefficiency 
Business Finance Magazine

How to Use IT More Strategically in 2008 
Business Finance Magazine

All Business Is Local 
Business Finance Magazine

The Big Midsize Challenge
Business Finance Magazine  

Information Technology Is Revolutionizing Management Reporting
Business Finance Magazine

You Have to Pay to Play
Business Finance Magazine

Software to Close By
Business Finance Magazine

Getting More From ERP
Business Finance Magazine    

New Tools Enhance Excel
Business Finance Magazine

Prepare Today for the Reporting Language of the Future 
Business Finance Magazine

Press:
Ventana Research Drives Five Executive Action Items for Competitive Advantage in Financial Performance Management

Report Uncovers Inefficiencies and Risks Associated with Spreadsheet Usage

Vendors in this category:

Financial Performance Management Suite:
Clarity Systems  - Covered
IBM Cognos - Covered
Exact Software - Longview Solutions - Covered
Host Analytics  - Covered
Infor - Covered
Oracle - Hyperion - Covered
PROPHIX - Covered
SAP - Covered
SAP Business Objects - Covered
SAS - Assessing
VitalSpring Technologies - Covered

Accounting and Financials Suite:
170 Systems - Covered
Intacct - Covered
NetSuite - Covered
Lawson - Covered
Oracle - Covered

Planning and Modeling:
Acorn Systems - Covered
Adaptive Planning - Covered
Alight - Covered
Anaplan - Assessing
Carpio - Assessing
Crowdcast - Assessing
Jonova  - Covered
Quantrix - Covered

Analytics:
Biznet Software - Assessing
Infor - Covered
IBM Cognos - Covered
Nomis Solutions - Assessing
Oracle - Hyperion - Covered
SAP Business Objects - Covered

ERP:
Compiere - Assessing
Deltek - Not Covered - No Validation
Epicor - Covered
Infor - Covered
Lawson - Covered
Microsoft Business Solutions - Covered
Oracle - Covered
Sage - Covered
SAP - Covered

Expense Management:
Certify - Assessing
Cybershift - Assessing
Expensable - Assessing
ExpenseWatch.com - Covered
Infor - Covered

Information Management:
PrecisionPoint Software - Covered
Star Analytics - Covered

Spend Analytics:
Ariba
Emptoris
Endeca
Oracle - Hyperion - Covered
Rosslyn Analytics
SAP Business Objects - Covered

Spreadsheet Management:
Boardwalktech - Covered
Lyquidity - Covered
Prodiance - Covered
Systems Modeling - Covered

Tax & Governance
ADP Taxware - Assessing
Avalara - Assessing
CCH - Assessing
Corptax - Assessing
Thomson Sabrix - Covered
Vertex - Assessing

XBRL:
Edgar Online - Covered
Hitachi America - Covered
Rivet - Covered
UBMatrix - Covered

Vendors Dropped in 2009

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