How to get more from your finance team?
Finance needs to play a big role in any business enterprise as a strong finance team will help to build a strong, healthy business. Here are some key tips that will help management get the most from their finance team.
Training and development – The role of the finance team have moved from traditional governance like accounting, auditing, and budgeting to include areas like advanced analytics, demand planning, pricing, etc. Therefore, finance teams will need the right training and development with the right software and hardware to provide the information that is needed to make key decisions. Start by analyzing the knowledge gap that exists within your department and then look at suitable training plans to bridge this gap.
Finance transformation – Finance transformation are strategic initiatives that improve the service provided by the finance department. Tasks can include shortening a budget cycle, reducing overheads to implementing new accounting software. The general goal is to align finance to the overall strategy of the company. Start with the core responsibilities of finance like governance, scale, and services before looking into other areas.
Avoid broad goals – It is best to avoid broad goals like being a world-class finance team and instead look at reducing costs and increasing services offered. However, make sure that the cost reductions are realistic and that the company follows standard industry benchmarks. Allow sufficient time for a finance team to add new services and to get accustomed to the process. Sufficient time will help to smoothen out any issues and help to build a standard process that can be followed by everyone.