How to return to the office
“Bringing staff back to the office remains a business priority to avoid a long term fall in productivity, innovation, creativity and interaction – but how do we deliver that message?”
“How do we transform the office into a more collaborative area whilst maintaining social distancing?”
“How do we capture the right data points and define KPIs properly to ensure we are making the best informed decisions?”
“We need to create a strong data lineage so that we know where our numbers come from. I don’t have confidence in the accuracy of data passing through multiple systems.”
Better data to make better decisions
“What levers can we apply to optimise our working capital?”
“We need to improve the cash flow forecasting controls – so I can sleep easier at night and so we can manage our cash better.”
“We need short-term solutions with suppliers/customers to support short term cash requirements.”
Managing liquidity
“We have been too busy to do any Brexit planning – our supply chain may be severely impacted.”
“We need to understand our risks and dependencies better.”
“We have too many single points of failure and rely on the knowledge in key individuals’ heads.”
Building resilience into the organisation
“I worry about the long term effects of delays to innovation projects.”
“How can I look to put future-fit technology and systems in place while focusing on cost reduction and cash saving?”
“The shift to remote working has increased susceptibility to cyber security threats.”
Making best use of technology
“I need to spend more time concentrating on corporate strategy and value generation rather than the BAU grind.”
“We need to evaluate our Target Operating Model and consider our M&A options – to protect against becoming obsolete!”
“The wider business has changed significantly – and our role as Finance needs to change too.”
Do we need a new strategy for the business – and a new vision for the finance function?
“We need to invest in our people, focusing on data analytics and technology skills.”
“Recruitment is a challenge whilst salary reduction schemes are still in place and people are afraid to ‘jump ship.’”
“We definitely need to walk the walk on D&I.”
Recruiting and training the skills needed in the future
“Lockdown has ironically brought us all closer together as a team. How can we shift away from a hierarchical structure and encourage broader participation?”
“Flattening the hierarchy will enable junior staff to share their technological know-how and help the business to grow.”
Rethinking the organisational structure and cost base
