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<?xml-stylesheet type="text/xsl" href="http://community.dynamics.com/utility/FeedStylesheets/atom.xsl" media="screen"?><feed xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xml:lang="en"><title type="html">IT, Business Strategy &amp;amp; Finance – how can they work together?</title><subtitle type="html" /><id>http://community.dynamics.com/blogs/michael_stirrup/atom.aspx</id><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://community.dynamics.com/blogs/michael_stirrup/default.aspx" /><link rel="self" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://community.dynamics.com/blogs/michael_stirrup/atom.aspx" /><generator uri="http://communityserver.org" version="3.0.0.0">Community Server</generator><updated>2007-03-20T14:48:00Z</updated><entry><title>Month End - A time to look forwards or backwards?</title><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://community.dynamics.com/blogs/michael_stirrup/archive/2007/04/03/month-end-a-time-to-look-forwards-or-backwards.aspx" /><id>http://community.dynamics.com/blogs/michael_stirrup/archive/2007/04/03/month-end-a-time-to-look-forwards-or-backwards.aspx</id><published>2007-04-03T09:43:00Z</published><updated>2007-04-03T09:43:00Z</updated><content type="html">&lt;FONT face=StoneSans size=1&gt;
&lt;P align=left&gt;For some companies, Month End takes up to half the month to complete; by this time much of the information is out of date. We have helped companies produce Month End management accounts much&amp;nbsp;faster than this - typically by working day 5 or 6, which is when we produce ours.&amp;nbsp; Issues that can slow down your month end:&lt;/P&gt;
&lt;BLOCKQUOTE&gt;
&lt;P align=left&gt;• Lack of goal congruence across departments&lt;/P&gt;
&lt;P align=left&gt;• Lack of communication&lt;/P&gt;
&lt;P align=left&gt;• Many disparate systems holding data&lt;/P&gt;
&lt;P align=left&gt;• No Standard Procedures&lt;/P&gt;&lt;/BLOCKQUOTE&gt;
&lt;P align=left&gt;Implementing just one of the following will help to speed up the time that your accounts are produced:&lt;/P&gt;
&lt;BLOCKQUOTE&gt;
&lt;P align=left&gt;• Creation of a Month End Timetable - set targets&lt;/P&gt;
&lt;P align=left&gt;• Business Process Mapping - find out the bottlenecks&lt;/P&gt;
&lt;P align=left&gt;• Improved communication within and across departments&lt;/P&gt;
&lt;P align=left&gt;• Integrate systems - stop duplication&lt;/P&gt;&lt;/BLOCKQUOTE&gt;
&lt;BLOCKQUOTE&gt;
&lt;P align=left&gt;• Continual improvement&lt;/P&gt;&lt;/BLOCKQUOTE&gt;
&lt;P align=left&gt;With earlier results the Finance Department can begin to interpret data using financial analysis tools; (like the new Microsoft® Performance Point Server.) With a faster month end your analysis will give results that can really make a change to your business performance.&lt;/P&gt;
&lt;P align=left&gt;If you want to know more then have a read of my whitepaper at &lt;A href="http://www.waterstons.co.uk/inspire"&gt;www.waterstons.co.uk/inspire&lt;/A&gt; or contact me &lt;A href="mailto:consulting@waterstons.co.uk"&gt;consulting@waterstons.co.uk&lt;/A&gt;&amp;nbsp;.&lt;/P&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;img src="http://community.dynamics.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=142" width="1" height="1"&gt;</content><author><name>MichaelStirrup</name><uri>http://community.dynamics.com/members/MichaelStirrup.aspx</uri></author><category term="Business Strategy" scheme="http://community.dynamics.com/blogs/michael_stirrup/archive/tags/Business+Strategy/default.aspx" /><category term="IT" scheme="http://community.dynamics.com/blogs/michael_stirrup/archive/tags/IT/default.aspx" /><category term="Business Intelligence" scheme="http://community.dynamics.com/blogs/michael_stirrup/archive/tags/Business+Intelligence/default.aspx" /><category term="Return on Investment" scheme="http://community.dynamics.com/blogs/michael_stirrup/archive/tags/Return+on+Investment/default.aspx" /><category term="Waterstons" scheme="http://community.dynamics.com/blogs/michael_stirrup/archive/tags/Waterstons/default.aspx" /><category term="IT Strategy" scheme="http://community.dynamics.com/blogs/michael_stirrup/archive/tags/IT+Strategy/default.aspx" /><category term="Finance" scheme="http://community.dynamics.com/blogs/michael_stirrup/archive/tags/Finance/default.aspx" /><category term="Reporting" scheme="http://community.dynamics.com/blogs/michael_stirrup/archive/tags/Reporting/default.aspx" /><category term="Financial Systems" scheme="http://community.dynamics.com/blogs/michael_stirrup/archive/tags/Financial+Systems/default.aspx" /><category term="Accounting" scheme="http://community.dynamics.com/blogs/michael_stirrup/archive/tags/Accounting/default.aspx" /><category term="Month End" scheme="http://community.dynamics.com/blogs/michael_stirrup/archive/tags/Month+End/default.aspx" /></entry><entry><title>IT, Business Strategy and Finance</title><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://community.dynamics.com/blogs/michael_stirrup/archive/2007/03/20/it-business-strategy-finance.aspx" /><id>http://community.dynamics.com/blogs/michael_stirrup/archive/2007/03/20/it-business-strategy-finance.aspx</id><published>2007-03-20T13:48:00Z</published><updated>2007-03-20T13:48:00Z</updated><content type="html">&lt;P&gt;This blog intends to highlight how IT links in with both Business Strategy and Finance.&amp;nbsp; Far too often IT and new technology is just used or installed as it's the "latest thing" with no thought as to how it can add value to a business, reduce operating costs and help a business achieve it's Business Strategy.&amp;nbsp; This blog will show exactly how IT can benefit your business and not just be an expensive flashy overhead.&amp;nbsp; I come from a Management Accountancy background and work for a Consultancy company called Waterstons (&lt;A href="http://www.waterstons.co.uk/"&gt;www.waterstons.co.uk&lt;/A&gt;) in Durham, UK.&lt;/P&gt;&lt;img src="http://community.dynamics.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=93" width="1" height="1"&gt;</content><author><name>MichaelStirrup</name><uri>http://community.dynamics.com/members/MichaelStirrup.aspx</uri></author><category term="Business Strategy" scheme="http://community.dynamics.com/blogs/michael_stirrup/archive/tags/Business+Strategy/default.aspx" /><category term="IT" scheme="http://community.dynamics.com/blogs/michael_stirrup/archive/tags/IT/default.aspx" /><category term="Business Intelligence" scheme="http://community.dynamics.com/blogs/michael_stirrup/archive/tags/Business+Intelligence/default.aspx" /><category term="Return on Investment" scheme="http://community.dynamics.com/blogs/michael_stirrup/archive/tags/Return+on+Investment/default.aspx" /><category term="Waterstons" scheme="http://community.dynamics.com/blogs/michael_stirrup/archive/tags/Waterstons/default.aspx" /><category term="IT Strategy" scheme="http://community.dynamics.com/blogs/michael_stirrup/archive/tags/IT+Strategy/default.aspx" /><category term="Finance" scheme="http://community.dynamics.com/blogs/michael_stirrup/archive/tags/Finance/default.aspx" /></entry></feed>