Audio Conferences

  March 9, 2006 at 02:00PM ET

How can you predict future financial performance if you’re using outdated and inefficient budgeting tools—you can’t!

Get up-to-date with today’s best practices and benchmarks techniques, by implementing proven techniques found in this exclusive new study conducted by the IOMA Research Department.

For the first time ever, IOMA Research has conducted a major study that uncovers best practices and benchmarks for the financial close in organizations of all sizes. Until now, only the largest companies—or companies using specific accounting software—have been surveyed regarding their closes.

This information-packed audio conference, using the survey data as well as the expertise of top accountants, will provide benchmarks for closing efficiency, scheduling and timing ranges for closing activities, and take a hard look at the implementation and effectiveness of best practices.

In just 90 minutes, you’ll get answers to these basic questions about the close:

• Can we complete our accounting closes more rapidly?
• Do we perform too much account reconciliation during the closing crunch?
• Does the complexity of our reporting prolong our close?
• Would simplified IT systems shorten this process?
• Do we make good use of best practices?
• What role does corporate culture play in this process?

  Featured Faculty:
  

  Andy Dzamba, editor, IOMA’s Managing Accounts Payable
  
  Andy Dzamba is the editor of IOMA’s Managing Accounts Payable newsletter. Previously, Andy worked in corporate accounting and finance for 15 years, primarily at Time Warner, where he participated and supervised over a hundred financial closings. He is the author of numerous articles and books on a wide range of business topics, including accounting, tax, management, and technology. Andy has his master’s in business from Columbia University.

  Featured Faculty:
  

  Tim Harris, editor, Controller’s Report & new IOMA survey on the financial close
  
  Tim has worked as an editor at IOMA for 15 years, where he has focused on reporting about corporate costs for The Controller’s Report. Before coming to IOMA Tim worked at Arthur Young and Manufactuers Hanover Trust. He has also written and reported extensively on financial reporting and accounting department management and is the editor of the new IOMA survey on benchmarks for the financial close.