THE CONTROLLERS WORKSHOP

In this seminar you'll learn...

What top management really wishes controllers would provide

Specific actions you can take to instantly create value for your company

How to implement quick closing procedures ... and report last-period results more quickly

How to quickly and accurately evaluate the financial effects of new plans or directions

And much more!

Behind the scenes of almost every successful, growing enterprise there´s a great financial manager who´s helping steer the organization by providing not only accurate-to-the-penny financial information, but also thoughtful analysis and insight. These fast-paced two days of training present the best information available on how to manage the multiple responsibilities that are part of a top-notch controller´s job. Learn the latest and best strategies for improving cash flow, controlling costs, communicating with upper management ... and much, much more!

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Day One: 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Master the mechanics of flawless financial management

As a controller, you´re among the most trusted professionals in America—but you can´t take this credibility and respect for granted. Slips, errors and omissions from the person a company looks to for financial leadership are simply unacceptable. Learn the extra steps and precautions necessary to ensure your performance is without question.

Financial reporting pitfalls

The trouble with budgets

Valuing projects ... where NPV falls short

How to tap into the undeniable benefits of preparing accurate forecasts

How to build a team equipped to generate the reliable data you need

What´s wrong with trying to do it all on a database, spreadsheet or checkbook program?

Efficiency check: How to wipe out redundancy, costly errors and omissions and time-consuming double-checks

Bulletproof your company from any trouble with the "rule makers": IRS, SEC, FASB

How to speed up the monthly closing cycle for fresh, meaningful information

Using plans and budgets as milestones to measure progress

How to prepare your staff to take on a broader range of financial issues within your company

Why traditional balance sheets, income statements and cash flow reports aren´t enough

Company leaders don´t usually care as much about yesterday´s financial statement as they do about tomorrow´s excess inventory, cash flow crisis or drop in sales. Learn how to move beyond historical reporting and start generating innovative breakdowns, one-time-only reports and other data not routinely run to give leaders a true picture of your company´s health.

New, non-financial measures to be concerned with, including quality and productivity

How to overcome the limitations of GAAP

The difference between accurate and useful data

Do you know the unique key indicators of success for your company?

Where traditional financial accounting fails

3 types of reports any CEO would be thrilled to get every Monday morning

Your reports may be properly prepared but still misleading ... here´s how to make sure they´re correctly understood

Are you unknowingly distorting the perception of your business by using facts and figures that are misinterpreted?

Specific actions you can take to protect your organization´s dollars and assets

A recent survey indicates that 60 – 80% of business failures can be attributed to poor financial management, including weaknesses in cash flow and inventory. In this important session, you´ll learn how to tighten controls in all operating areas, monitor spending and reinforce the message throughout the company that the dollars do matter.

How to establish an ironclad system of internal controls

Beyond mere accounting ... key financial operating areas that deserve constant monitoring

How to spot not-so-obvious opportunities to boost the bottom line

How technology can help you meet all your company´s information demands

How to work with management to eliminate excess inventory problems

How to turn your job into a profit center

Strategies for speeding up your receivables and inventory turnaround

How to handle customers who stretch payments ... without aggravating them

Your role as cash flow "watchdog"

How to build relationships that lead to great results

Do other managers see you as a scorekeeper, a tight-fisted parent monitoring their expenditures or the eternal pessimist? Maybe you need an image make-over! Learn how to communicate with managers who are not "numbers people."

Reality check: How do you deal with managers whose results fall short of their goals ... or whose spending exceeds their budgets?

Why you can never know too much about what´s going on in your company

Project evaluation: How to spot potential pitfalls

How to become a confidant others trust

Asking tough questions about past performance

Day Two: 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Getting beyond the numbers: Becoming a planning partner

Companies are hungry for strong financial leadership—in a recent survey, entrepreneurs named financial expertise as the #1 skill they needed to succeed. Learn how to break out of traditional accounting boundaries and become a dynamic, proactive force in your company.

Do they see you as just a "bean counter"? Here´s how to redefine your image

Growing into your new role ... your toughest obstacles may not be the ones you think

The expanded job description of the "new" future-oriented controller

The distinction between "doing the accounting" and being a controller

What CEOs really need from their financial managers (Hint: It´s not more reports)

Be a powerful controller

Too often, finance people focus on past results—when the real impact they can make is on the future. In this session, discover how to develop a more "global" view, one that will help you look at issues with more breadth, and a perspective that is both historical and future-oriented.

The hard-to-ignore role personality plays in financial leadership

Got too much to do? Here´s how to get more time for the important things

4 keys to effective controllership

Reporting after the fact is what accountants do ... learn where controllers should focus

How the very nature of accounting often conflicts with top management´s information needs

The big shoes a controller has to fill when working with the management team ... how to make sure you´re up to the challenge

How obsessing about precision and accuracy can work against you

Gain top management´s ear

Unfortunately, controllers often get involved after plans and decisions are set in concrete ... and it´s nearly impossible to make changes then if a problem is found. In this session, you´ll find out the best ways to get included up front in planning discussions—both at the water cooler and in the boardroom—and how to apply your valuable financial input as ideas develop.

Great controllers don´t simply hand over reports ... take the next step with insightful interpretation and feedback

How to respectfully put the brakes on a plan without creating enemies or hurt feelings

How to avoid the trap of "sounding like an accountant"

How to anticipate executives´ needs and generate the data they´ll want—before they ask

You may not have all the answers, but you can ask the right questions

The numbers look good, but are they right? Hard-won advice on winning and keeping others´ confidence

Running the company by the numbers or with the numbers—which is best for your company?

Beware! These 5 financial accounting areas are loaded with interpretation "traps" just waiting to hurt your credibility

How to be a devil´s advocate without threatening or accusing

If you present it clearly, they´ll appreciate and value your input

You´ve delivered the analysis they requested ... but if all you get in return are blank stares, you may have a communication problem. Here´s where you can make sure you´re getting the message across clearly and learn new tricks of the trade that savvy controllers rely on to produce user-friendly, clear and concise reports that work for you ... not against you.

The "new" rules for getting your story across to time-pressed executives

Give them what they need: Simple ways to consolidate and organize data

Avoid the mistakes controllers sometimes make when reporting information to shareholders, investors and other outsiders

Why many financial reports are difficult for others to interpret

Closing the language gap between financial people and management

How to present information "by exception" and avoid the sin of too many details

CEU Credits: 1
CPE Credits: 12
Field of Study: Finance
NASBA#: 107691

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