Recent TRG blog posts

Effective planning, budgeting and forecasting processes are indicative of good business performance. A study conducted by Aberdeen Group in 2011 identifies five key performance criteria that distinguish the best-in-class (top performing) from industry average and laggard companies.

The International Financial Reporting Standards establish 34 new accounting policies that in general affect how companies value their assets and report on their business performance. The regulation creates new, higher standards for transparency in business operations by requiring more detailed presentation of balance sheets and cash flow.

Reviewing the financial review section of an annual financial report helps to assess various aspects of the business performance and risk from a quantitative perspective. This blog outlines the main questions investors or readers should ask when reading a company’s financial statements.

Uncertain economic conditions have resulted in more informal and ad-hoc planning, budgeting and forecasting processes than before the financial crisis. According to data from a study by Aberdeen Group in 2011, although 65% of the surveyed companies have a formal planning and budgeting process, the figure is less than the 76% recorded back in 2008.

The International Financial Reporting Standards are the result of work begun in the early 1970s by the International Accounting Standards Committee (IASC). The slow evolution of IFRS adoption was accelerated in 2002 when the European Union Parliament designated IFRS as the accounting standard for publicly traded European Union companies beginning on January 1, 2005.

Annual reports are the only published documents that contain abundant information about a company’s performance. To get the most out of them, investors should have the right skills and knowledge. This blog outlines the basic components of an annual report and how to glance through the document if one has limited time.

2012 has been a tough year for many businesses. Managers have to struggle to make sure their organisations survive and stay strong through these difficult times. As a result, costs and budgets have become the most important factors to consider when making an investment decision. A strong budget can help managers know when they have a steady stream of cash flow and make better decisions based on that budget information. Here are a few tips for managers to weather the tough times:

Spring is not too far away, and with the change of seasons comes a change in the financial reporting requirements. XBRL (eXtensible Business Reporting Language) mandates go into effect April 13, when the SEC (US Securities and Exchange Commission) will require the 500 largest public companies to file XBRL-tagged versions of their financial results. By 2013, all public companies which use International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) will also be submitting their financial returns to the SEC using XBRL.

You have a plan. You have a budget that supports it. Only one thing is missing: a way to easily view and analyse the cause-and-effect relationships between all the plan elements and the resources that support them. Not having this is a common complaint among senior executives who are responsible for managing and reporting on the execution of corporate strategy.