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Articles 1 - 11 of 11

Full-Text Articles in Business

Let's Stick Together: The Finance Function As Glue, Mark E. Pickering Oct 2012

Let's Stick Together: The Finance Function As Glue, Mark E. Pickering

Mark E Pickering

Finance can play a valuable role in helping align the different organisational departments more closely to achieve a common goal. This article indicates some of the causes of friction between departments and provides suggestions as to how finance executives and managers can contribute to greater alignment.


Law Firm Mergers: Finding The Right Fit, Mark E. Pickering Jul 2012

Law Firm Mergers: Finding The Right Fit, Mark E. Pickering

Mark E Pickering

Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) can be an extremely valuable tool to transform organisations and to accelerate growth strategies. However, poorly conceived and implemented acquisitions can result in significant distraction, substantial financial write-offs and, in extreme cases, put the acquirer’s future in jeopardy. Directors play an important role in the M&A decision process and should delve into key components of proposed acquisitions to improve M&A outcomes.


The Urge To Merge: Accounting Firm Mergers, Mark E. Pickering Feb 2007

The Urge To Merge: Accounting Firm Mergers, Mark E. Pickering

Mark E Pickering

The article focuses on the significance of merger and acquisitions for accounting firms in Australia. According to the author, the expected benefits of mergers include geographic expansions, gaining scale, adding new services, gaining access to capabilities and addressing issues in one or both firms. It is stated that the possibilities of a successful merger can be developed through merger benefit adjustments, merger-fit and integration approach.


Mergers And Acquisitions - The Directors' View, Mark E. Pickering Nov 2002

Mergers And Acquisitions - The Directors' View, Mark E. Pickering

Mark E Pickering

Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) can be an extremely valuable tool to transform organisations and to accelerate growth strategies. However, poorly conceived and implemented acquisitions can result in significant distraction, substantial financial write-offs and, in extreme cases, put the acquirer’s future in jeopardy. Directors play an important role in the M&A decision process and should delve into key components of proposed acquisitions to improve M&A outcomes.


Clean Break - Divestitures And Demergers, Mark E. Pickering Nov 2002

Clean Break - Divestitures And Demergers, Mark E. Pickering

Mark E Pickering

Over recent years there have been some high profile demergers and divestments with this trend likely to continue. Implementing a demerger requires significant effort and resources with the tasks required dependent on the mode of divestment and the current integration across businesses. There are actions management can take to smooth what can be a very disruptive process.


Making Cost Reductions Stick, Mark E. Pickering Jul 2001

Making Cost Reductions Stick, Mark E. Pickering

Mark E Pickering

In tough economic times it is important to keep control of costs. Inappropriate and poorly executed cost reduction exercises can destroy competitive advantage and result in costs creeping back. This article outlines common cost reduction pitfalls and examines four popular approaches to cost reduction.


Single Minded? : Implementing Common Financial Systems, Mark E. Pickering Jul 2000

Single Minded? : Implementing Common Financial Systems, Mark E. Pickering

Mark E Pickering

As companies grow via acquisition they collect a variety of separate and often quite diverse financial systems belonging to the newly acquired companies. While there is a substantial cost to implementing a common financial system across the merged group. Is that cost outweighed by the benefits of a single system? This article uses a case study to highlight options for different degrees of finance system commonality, potential benefits of each option and a framework for analysing the appropriate level of commonality.


Not All Customers Are Created Equal: Looking At Lifetime Value, Mark E. Pickering Sep 1999

Not All Customers Are Created Equal: Looking At Lifetime Value, Mark E. Pickering

Mark E Pickering

Customer Lifetime Value (CLV) refines customer profitability analysis to view customers as assets. Thinking in terms of CLV provides the impetus to target customer acquisition efforts on the right customers, and to improve the profitability and duration of the relationship with existing customers. This article introduces the concepts and benefits associated with CLV and actions to improve value.


Using Customer Profitability Information To Drive The Bottom Line, Mark E. Pickering Feb 1999

Using Customer Profitability Information To Drive The Bottom Line, Mark E. Pickering

Mark E Pickering

This article utilises a case study of a textile manufacturer and distributor to demonstrate the use of customer profitability analysis to improve company profitability.


Customer Profitability: The Approach Counts, Mark E. Pickering Jun 1998

Customer Profitability: The Approach Counts, Mark E. Pickering

Mark E Pickering

This article looks at alternative approaches to calculating customer profitability. It recommends a customer-focussed approach that takes into account the specific resources utilised to service each customer segment. In using customer profitability to make strategic and operational decisions it is vital that only costs relevant to those decisions are utilised.


As Easy As Abc - An Introduction To Activity Based Costing, Mark E. Pickering Sep 1997

As Easy As Abc - An Introduction To Activity Based Costing, Mark E. Pickering

Mark E Pickering

This article is an introduction to the concepts and mechanics of Activity Based Costing and how it can be used to provide different views of the costs and profitability of organisations to support management decisions.