Specialized Skills Driving Consultant Outsourcing

CFO Survey: Business Systems, Accounting Top List of Projects Companies Plan to Outsource to Financial Consultants in Next 12 Months

TORONTO, Nov. 25, 2013 /CNW/ - Chief financial officers (CFOs) were recently asked which projects they were likely to outsource to financial consultants and interim managers in the next 12 months. Business systems and performance upgrades, which include areas such as system implementation, conversion and integration, or business intelligence, were cited most often, followed by finance and accounting, and risk, governance and compliance.

Fifty-nine per cent of CFOs who said they plan to bring in consultants expect them to be for business systems and business performance improvement projects. Forty-six per cent of CFOs plan to use project professionals for finance and accounting and equal number plan to do the same for risk, governance and compliance (e.g., regulatory reporting, internal audits and internal controls.) Finance optimization (e.g., mergers and acquisitions) (43 per cent) and taxation (37 per cent) were also priorities.

The survey was developed by Robert Half Management Resources, the world's premier provider of senior-level finance, accounting and business systems professionals on a project and interim basis. It was conducted by an independent research firm and is based on interviews with nearly 140 Canadian CFOs from a random sample of companies that work with financial consultants.

CFOs were asked, "Which of the following areas are businesses likely to bring in financial consultants or project professionals in the next 12 months?" The top responses were*:

Business systems and performance improvement (e.g., system implementation, conversion and integration)	59%
Finance and accounting	46%
Risk, governance and compliance	46%
Finance optimization (e.g. finance remediation)	43%
Taxation	37%

*Survey participants were allowed multiple responses.

"We know from our 2014 Salary Guide that accounting and finance trends next year are pointing towards a more specialized workforce, with companies looking to integrate more specific expertise in various areas of their business," said David King, Canadian president of Robert Half Management Resources. "It's no surprise, then, that CFOs are seeking interim managers who can supplement their existing resources with more focused knowledge and proficiency in the areas of system implementation, conversions and integration, in addition to finance and accounting."

King added, "Introducing interim project managers into the mix is an opportunity to acquire a source of specialized expertise and also to help alleviate the strain on internal resources a company may experience while trying to navigate and manage new or evolving areas of business."

About Robert Half Management Resources
Robert Half Management Resources is the premier provider of senior-level finance, accounting and business systems professionals to supplement companies' project and interim staffing needs. The company has locations worldwide and offers online job search services at roberthalfmr.com. Follow Robert Half Management Resources at twitter.com/roberthalf_CAN for workplace news.

SOURCE: Robert Half Canada

Naz Araghian
416.350.2330 ext. 62132
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