Conferences

Sapient consultants are experienced conference speakers and workshop facilitators.  Contact us to discuss your conference requirements. 

The following presentations can be adapted to your time requirements.  They typically run from one hour to an hour and a half with the ability to modify the presentations for your conference's specific needs. Additional topics can be custom developed to meet the needs of your event.

The Strategic Finance Organization

In today’s economic environment, being merely cost effective is no longer enough. Increasingly, stakeholders are expecting the finance function to add value above and beyond data capturing. In this session, conference attendees are taken through the key concerns and schools of thoughts to transform the finance function into a value-adding unit.  Topics covered include:

• Understanding performance metrics that define world-class performance

• Understanding the key characteristics of strategic finance organizations

• Balancing the twin goals of efficiency & effectiveness

• Leveraging Six sigma in finance transformation

• Intelligently reducing the level of complexity

Preparing for Finance Transformation: Assessing Your Current Position

The first step to lean finance transformation is to understand the status of your organisation’s finance function today. In this session, attendees are taken through the necessary steps to work out the current status of your finance function, as well as developing an action plan going forward.  Topics covered include:

• Determining your organization's current position

• Identifying areas for improvement

• Developing an action plan – setting priorities and defining responsibilities

• Understanding the common obstacles in lean finance transformation and how to overcome them

• Establishing a governance process to ensure the finance function transformation is on track

Reengineering the Finance Function

In a dynamic and global environment, standing still is not an option.  This class takes attendees through the processes of reengineering the finance function to add value and increase efficiency.  Topics covered include:

• Eliminating duplication and increasing speed of processing with reengineering

• Defining the scope and dimension the transformation effort

• Standardizing, simplifying and streamlining finance processes

• Prioritizing opportunities across the finance value chain

• Creating a governance function to guide the transformation

Developing the Finance Professional

The finance function is moving from the role of scorekeeper to strategic business partner.  A key ingredient of this transformion is the ability of finance organizations to attract, develop and retain resources.  Topics covered include:

• The concept of finance business partnering

• The benefits of effective Human Capital Management

• The challenges of HCM and how to overcome them

• Specific interventions to develop your finance professionals, department and organization.

The Role of Shared Services in Finance Transformation

Despite the growth in outsourcing, captive shared service models are still an integral part of a finance organization's global delivery model.  Attendees will learn how to best leverage a captive service organization to drive transformation.  Topics covered include:

• The benefits of Shared Services

• Global trends in Shared Services

• How to leverage Shared Services to drive transformation across the back-office

• How Shared Services fits into a global delivery model

• Common mistakes in Shared Services and how to avoid them

Building the Business Case for Shared Services

Shared Service Organizations have proven themselves to be effective in improving service delivery and reducing costs.  Yet the cost to implement and run Shared Services can be substantial.  Attendees in this class will learn how to build an effective business case to support the move to Shared Services.  Topics covered include:

• Baselining current performance

• Benchmarking best-in-class organizations to understand transformation opportunities

• Identifying and managing stakeholders that can derail the move to Shared Services

• Calculating projected returns on investment using discounted cash flow analysis

• Identifying non-financial factors to support Shared Services