FUSION 2012 - OPERATIONS SESSIONS FUSION 2012 - OPERATIONS SESSIONS

6 Key Strategies for Mitigating Rising Global Default Risk  CANCELLED

Basic # 1000 

Adding Value with External Business and Credit Risk Data

David Schmidt – Senior Consultant/Analyst
PayStream Advisors Inc.
Presentation Style – Traditional PowerPoint
Management Advisory Services – 1.0 Credit
Basic # 1010 – Updated Session
Discipline of Focus:  AR

Credit departments have long relied on credit bureau data to better manage their AR. This workshop will not only review best practices use of external credit risk data sources but will also explore how third party sources of business, economic, demographic, and risk data can be used to cost effectively identify marketing opportunities, enhance the physical supply chain, and facilitate master data management (MDM). Attendees will gain an understanding of the different sources of business information as well as the different types of data and services that are available from these third party information providers. Basic concepts related to identifying and managing risk will also be discussed. All this will prepare workshop attendees to go back into their companies and identify opportunities to use internal data to improve receivables performance, uncover marketing and supply chain opportunities, and facilitate better customer and vendor data management.

AP Benchmarking Redesigned  UPDATED SESSION

Joseph Collins – Senior Director Client of Value
APEX Analytix
Presentation Style – Interactive Facilitated Discussion
Business Management and Organization – 1.0 Credit
Intermediate# 1105 – New Session
Discipline of Focus:  AP, AR

"You need to have a redesign because familiarity breeds a kind of complacency." - Timothy White

As Accounts Payable evolves how do we know that measurement techniques are evolving as well? For years benchmarking has traditionally fallen into five major categories:

  1. A/P Infrastructure
  2. Processing/Automation
  3. Payables Controls
  4. Risk Management
  5. Cash Management

But the question is are these still the right categories for today's payables shops?  In this session there will be no formal presentation and no lecture - this is a creative session to explore and redesign from the ground up.  Grouped together we will collaborate in groups to pick apart benchmarking and see what if anything can be done better or differently.  Don't miss this opportunity to work side by side with the best thought leaders in the industry.  This will be a fun and enlightening session that will generate some valuable insight for all.

This session will be facilitated by Joseph Collins.  Collins is a seasoned presenter who creates a unique environment of entertainment, engagement and learning by incorporating multiple elements from his background in AP, global training, internal audit, payroll, IT, sales, marketing, customer service, team building, employee relations and psychology.

AP Productivity Index Panel  NEW SESSION

Bernard Cooper - Manager, Accounts Payable and Accounts Receivable
American Cancer Society
Suzanne Fassler - Director, Accounts Payable
JCPenney Company Inc.
Eric Jones - Director, Corporate Payables
Lowe's Companies Inc.
Bruce Kelly (Moderator) - Managing Director, Business Analytics and Advisory Services
PRGX
Presentation Style – Moderated Round Table Discussion
Business Management and Organization – 1.0 Credit
Overview # 1160 – New Session
Discipline of Focus:  AP

Moderated by Bruce Kelly, Managing Director of PRGX' Business Analytics and Advisory practice, this panel will help participants understand the best practices adopted by Top Performing organizations.

The session will focus on "learnings" from Top performers on  "their"  deployment of key best practices  that are consistently leveraged by Top Performers,  in the AP Productivity Index .  Specifically, a review of the following 7 best practice topics:

  • utilizing shared services operating model for accounts payable processing 
  • utilizing rules based automated workflow solutions to manage the flow of electronic invoice data and images for approval and payment authorization
  • utilizing advanced data capture, document scanning, and optical character recognition, "OCR", for digitization of paper invoices 
  • utilizing supplier e-invoicing receipt programs 
  • utilizing supplier and internal customer self service tools 
  • utilizing  electronic based catalogues for web based purchasing and electronic settlement
  • utilizing supply-chain financing alternatives and tools 

Panelists will provide insight into:

  • their degree of best practices adoption and utilization 
  • the value they feel these best practices deliver, and
  • their specific insights into the challenges in implementing them

Assessing the Performance of Your AP Department

Atul Mangla – Director, Professional Services
Basware Inc.
Presentation Style – Traditional PowerPoint
Business Management and Organization – 1.0 Credit
Overview # 1015 – Updated Session
Discipline of Focus:  AP

AP is no longer a back-office transactional function where efficiency and low-cost operations are the only requisites for success. AP is now an enabler of a range of new business capabilities. CFOs are looking past the traditional paper-encumbered stereotype of AP and now see it as a means to:

  • Improve working capital.
  • Minimizing supply risk.
  • Reducing the incidence of fraud.

This session will examine how AP now has a unique opportunity to prove how it can provide a strategic financial uplift for any organization.

Best Practices and Emerging Trends in Deduction Management

Jessica Butler – Principal
Attain Consulting Group
Presentation Style – Traditional PowerPoint
Business Management and Organization – 1.0 Credit
Basic # 1020 – New Session
Discipline of Focus:  AR

Are customer deductions dragging down your bottom line? Hear what the best-in-class companies are doing to take control of deductions.  This session will provide attendees with practical, actionable tips and strategies they can implement in their companies to reduce chargebacks and deductions. Best-practice snapshots will be presented in the areas of reducing shortages, avoiding post audit claims, managing returns, and overcoming internal obstacles.

Best Practices Strategies for Non-PO Transactions

Chris Evanoff – Principal
Soltec Inc.
Presentation Style – Traditional PowerPoint
Business Management and Organization – 1.0 Credit
Intermediate # 1025 – Updated Session
Discipline of Focus:  AP

Today, the emphasis of most accounts payable organizations is focused on implementing solutions that address a high percentage of the invoice transactions dealing with purchase orders. The process for such transactions in most companies is efficient and very cost-effective because of the various types of technology deployed in the process. Only best-in-class companies have taken the time to actually develop optimal processes and reduce their transactional costs for non-PO transactions. Additionally, these transaction also provide great opportunity for authenticating current rates and service existence, which in most companies is lacking. Adopting best practices for non-PO transactions  can significantly improve the efficiency of any accounts payable organization. This session is designed to share best practices to drive efficiencies and improve cashflow. Accounts payable organizations are transforming themselves into value-add organizations. The session will provide options for how each type of transaction can be handled  regardless of your current technology. Best practices will be provided for:

  • Non-PO invoices
  • Check requests
  • Payroll deductions
  • Utilities and energy
  • Telecommunication
  • Service, rentals, and leases
  • Sales and use tax

Carrot or Stick: Which Is Best to Rein in Late Payers?  CANCELLED

Basic # 1030 

The Case of the Disappearing Credits: Why Recoveries Need to Start Now

Patty Gustaveson - Assistant Manager, Audits and Controls
Nordstrom
Mary Schaeffer – Publisher and Editorial Director
Accounts Payable Now & Tomorrow
Kathy Sharp - Executive Director, Finance Shared Services Center
MGM Resorts International
Jeff Ulanoski - Senior Consultant
LAVANTE
Presentation Style – Traditional PowerPoint
Business Management and Organization – 1.0 Credit
Basic # 1035 – New Session
Discipline of Focus:  AP

There is a real urgency in starting a supplier-side credit recovery process, and keeping the process under way over time.  That's because real money is at stake, and what you don't recover, you won't get back!  This session will look at recent research that will quantify the problem and show the financial impact on any organization. It will include several case-study examples that demonstrate the "cycle of loss" when credit recovery is not implemented, using examples across industries.  The presenters will then show clear examples of how these credits disappear, giving specific examples of what suppliers do to erase "hidden" credits to their benefit.  

The session will cover:

  • Why credits disappear.
  • The urgency factor.
  • The real financial impact on your bottom line.
  • Why the problem is not just with your large vendors.
  • Stopping the carnage.

Continuous Improvement is Brewing at Tim Hortons:  SAP Accounts Payable Optimization Extends Early Wins

Kellie Howard – Supervisor, Accounts Payable
Tim Hortons
Brian Shannon - Principal Process Strategist
Dolphin
Presentation Style – Traditional PowerPoint
Business Management and Organization – 1.0 Credit
Intermediate # 1040 – New Session
Discipline of Focus:  AP

This $2.9 billion food service company recently celebrated its second anniversary of the "go-live" of its accounts payable automation project. The deployed AP solution may be an end point for some organizations, including advanced capture techniques (e-invoicing, OCR) and SAP workflow and analytics, but not at Tim Hortons. With a leadership team that continues to look for opportunities to reduce costs and take advantage of its strong cash position in all financial functions, the organization embarked upon a second phase of AP optimization. This session looks at the evaluation process the team undertook, scope definition, process design, and change management challenges.

Hear how the team built upon its successful project to gain higher throughput processing using actionable metrics.  A vendor portal was introduced to deliver information for which suppliers were calling or emailing previously.  A dynamic discounting solution was introduced to capitalize upon a strong cash reserve while assisting vendors willing to accept discounts in exchange for early payment.  Learn through Tim Hortons experience that optimization does not, and should not, end with an initial AP project.

Creating a Best-in-Class Accounts Payable Department

David Griffiths – EVP, Customer Development
FISCAL Technologies Inc.
Presentation Style – Traditional PowerPoint
Auditing – 1.0 Credit
Overview # 1045 – Updated Session
Discipline of Focus:  AP

This session reviews the five essential steps to creating a best-in-class AP team. Current research shows only the top 20 percent of AP teams use all steps regularly. The session will include a detailed process for carrying out a full internal accounts payable audit and using it to drive process improvements.

Customer Deduction Benchmarks – Results of 2012 CRF Customer Deduction Survey

Jessica Butler – Principal
Attain Consulting Group
Presentation Style – Traditional PowerPoint
Business Management and Organization – 1.0 Credit
Basic # 1050 – New Session
Discipline of Focus:  AR

More than 700 companies across 33 different industries responded to the 2009 Credit Research Foundation Deduction Survey.  It is anticipated that the 2012 survey will draw even more responses.  This session will review the results of the just-completed survey, highlighting industry-specific information as well as changes from the 2009 survey and best practice insights. Areas that were benchmarked include  deduction metrics, deduction processes, deduction policies, and actions companies are taking to prevent or recover deductions and manage post-audit claims. Session attendees will each receive an at-a-glance survey highlights document.

Digital Postal Mail:   What is it, Who is Doing it, and Why You Should Care  NEW SESSION

Gordon Sellers - Director, Market Development
Systemware Inc.
Presentation Style – Traditional PowerPoint
Business Management and Organization – 1.0 Credit
Basic # 1155 – New Session
Discipline of Focus:  TAWPI

What is Digital Postal Mail and how does it impact overall electronic adoption of bill presentment and payment? How can it help simplify how consumers receive their mail, pay their bills, obtain customer

service, and access information? This session will explore this rapidly growing delivery channel and answer commonly asked questions such as: Who are the digital postal mail providers? Which consumer adoption and which print suppression models are being used? Will digital postal mail enable companies to to deliver all customer communications — statements, monthly bills, policy notices, etc. — electronically directly to consumers?

Emerging Technologies to Reduce the Cost of Deduction Processing

Jessica Butler – Principal
Attain Consulting Group
Presentation Style – Traditional PowerPoint
Business Management and Organization – 1.0 Credit
Intermediate # 1055 – New Session
Discipline of Focus:  AR

Standard out-of-the-box ERP systems often do not have the functionality necessary for effective deduction processing. As a result, hundreds of hours are often spent manually performing nonvalue-added activities.  During this session, you will learn about several new software-as-a-service (SaaS) and other technologies that focus on automating and streamlining areas of deduction management that have traditionally been most labor intensive. For example, learn about solutions that have been designed to preprocess individual customer remittance information to automate and streamline the cash application process. Hear about workflow technology that has been developed to automate deduction routing and approval. Learn about automated document retrieval solutions that can be used to automatically pull documentation from carrier websites (e.g., proofs of delivery) and vendor portals (e.g., claim documents).

Expense Management Trends: Institute of Financial Operations T&E Survey Results, Hot off the Presses

Chuck Buckner – President and CEO
InterplX Expense Management
Presentation Style – Traditional PowerPoint
Business Management and Organization – 1.0 Credit
Overview # 1060 – New Session
Discipline of Focus:  AP

The results of the biennial travel and entertainment expense survey conducted by The Institute of Financial Operations will be presented and compared to the results from the prior survey published in 2010. Travel and entertainment expense management has undergone significant changes in the past few years, including industry consolidation, paperless processing, mobile platforms, and an increased focus on compliance and reporting. This interactive presentation will show with great clarity where the market was, where it is now, and where is it going.

Go Beyond DSO for Metrics to Gauge Your AR Performance

David Schmidt - Senior Consultant ; Analyst
PayStream Advisors Inc.
Presentation Style – Traditional PowerPoint
Business Management and Organization – 1.0 Credit
Basic # 1065 – Updated Session
Discipline of Focus:  AR



Looking at days sales outstanding (DSO) doesn't give your AR operation the entire picture about where it stands. Learn how to put DSO in context and discover other metrics you should be using to better understand receivables performance. Once you know where your AR stands, you then need to find ways to improve performance.  That requires further analysis of your AR portfolio using additional metrics and analysis tools that will be discussed in this session.

Healthcare Industry Round Table

Teri Harkins - VP, Sales and Marketing
BSI Healthcare
Brian Rosenberg – CEO
RPI Consulting
Presentation Style – Moderated Round Table Discussion
Business Management and Organization – 1.0 Credit
Advanced # 1070 – New Session
Discipline of Focus:  AP, TAWPI

This roundtable discussion will focus on the challenges that the healthcare industry is preparing to address in 2012. This interactive discussion will be led by industry experts who work with large and small hospitals.

Topics will include:

  • Implementation of "up-front" imaging
  • Travel and entertainment policies and procedures
  • Procurement card implementations and maintenance
  • Acquisition of other organizations and how to successfully amalgamate them to your processes
  • AP imaging
  • AP outsourcing
  • OCR
  • Payment of vendors using P-cards
  • E-invoicing

How to Deal with the Five Biggest Emerging Concerns for Accounts Payable in 2011

Mary Schaeffer – Publisher and Editorial Director
Accounts Payable Now & Tomorrow
Presentation Style – Traditional PowerPoint
Business Management and Organization – 1.0 Credit
Intermediate # 1075 – New Session
Discipline of Focus:  AP

The accounts payable space is changing at a dizzying pace. Professionals are hard-pressed to keep up with their day-to-day responsibilities, never mind following the growing number of changes affecting the profession. In this fast-paced 60-minute session, AP Now's editorial director will discuss five of the most critical issues facing those responsible for the accounts payable professional function today. She'll explain each problem in detail as well as the factors affecting the accounts payable function and then offer solutions. Regardless of what some may think, these are issues affecting every organization. Specifically, the session will focus on:

  • ACH fraud
  • T&E and the IRS focus  
  • Corporate reporting and what you should be doing to get ready
  • Best practices that no longer work and what you should be doing instead
  • Career survival

Improve Your AR Analysis by Using Better Aging Buckets

Craig Simpkins - Director, Shared Services
Johnson Controls Inc.
Presentation Style – Traditional PowerPoint
Business Management and Organization – 1.0 Credit
Basic # 1080 – Updated Session
Discipline of Focus:  AR

Most companies break their accounts receivable portfolio into groups known as buckets, determined by how long the balances have been outstanding. Instead of using the traditional buckets that group your customers by 30, 60, 90, and more days, try a different way. Learn what clues to look for about your customers that are sure to improve your organization's cash flow — and your peace of mind.

Increasing Cash Returns from Dynamic Discounting

Drew Hofler – Senior Solutions Manager
Ariba Working Capital Management
Co-Facilitator TBA
Presentation Style – Traditional PowerPoint
Management Advisory Services – 1.0 Credit
Intermediate # 1085 – Updated Session
Discipline of Focus:  AP

AP organizations that automate invoice processing are finding that they can capture more early payment discounts and expand opportunities to better manage cash through dynamic discounting.

In this session, you will learn how your peers and others are using dynamic discounting to earn double-digit returns on their cash balances. Meanwhile, sellers can gain increased visibility into future cash flows, certainty in payment timing, and the ability to use cash sooner to fund daily business needs.

The session will also explain how you can:

  • Increase early payment discount capture from 35 percent to greater than 90 percent.
  • Expand supplier discount participation to greater than 20 percent.
  • Achieve average discounts of 1.95 percent.
  • Capture more than $2 million in early payment discount savings for every $1 billion in targeted spend.

Is Working Capital Keeping Your CFO Up Nights?  An AP-AR Manager's Pivotal Contribution

Nat Goodman – President
Goodman & Associates
Presentation Style – Traditional PowerPoint
Management Advisory Services – 1.0 Credit
Advanced # 1090 – New Session
Discipline of Focus:  AP, AR

Discover the vital decision support you can provide your CFO on working capital. Study and compare well-known companies with varied cash flow. Appreciate your own company's priorities by observing various strategies. Explore the underpinning of days payable outstanding (DPO), days in inventory (DIO) and days sales outstanding (DSO). Understand your CFO's working capital dashboard or agenda. Learn which payment strategies options are optimum. Recognize the tradeoffs of payment methodologies that may increase working capital but are still bad choices. Help your CFO clarify and quantify the opportunities and alternatives.

Mailroom to Boardroom Efficiency – Turning Physical Mail into Business Intelligence  UPDATED SESSION

David Luzier, Chief Technology Officer
Brainware, Inc.
Mark Smith, Director of Strategic Alliance
OPEX Corporation
Presentation Style – Traditional PowerPoint
Business Management and Organization – 1.0 Credit
Overview # 1095 – New Session
Discipline of Focus:  TAWPI

The function and the value of the "mailroom" in today's enterprise is changing rapidly.  The once iconic notion of the mailroom clerk receiving, sorting and delivering the mail is forever gone.  Furthermore, the lines separating the departments that have traditionally been responsible for scanning documents, processing data, and providing decision makers with reporting, metrics, and analytical tools are being blurred.  Convergence is being driven not only by the need for increased efficiency across these functional area, but also by the need for speed and agility.

Advances in hardware and software are providing intelligent technologies that can quite literally "collapse" the process into one where a single operator can turn physical mail into actionable business intelligence in a few moments.  For business documents such as invoices, orders, contracts, remittances, loans, HR files, and virtually anything else, the mailroom clerk can now facilitate touchless transaction processing and indexing for an organization of any size.

Master Vendor File Best Practices:  The Sleeper 1099 Issue

Mary Schaeffer – Publisher and Editorial Director
Accounts Payable Now & Tomorrow
Presentation Style – Traditional PowerPoint
Business Management and Organization – 1.0 Credit
Intermediate # 1100 – New Session
Discipline of Focus:  AP

How good are your master vendor file processes? When was the last time you cleaned up the vendor file? Whether you're looking to reduce duplicate payments, comply with Sarbanes-Oxley requirements, or just implement strong internal controls, good master vendor file processes along with a regular cleanup are needed.

This session will discuss best practices around proactively keeping your master vendor file accurate and complete, including making sure you have adequate W-9 (TIN) information on file. It will also address the unique challenges facing accounts payable as we look to implement corporate reporting.

Successful Negotiating: Letting the Other Person Have Your Way  UPDATED SESSION

Jessica Butler – Principal
Attain Consulting Group
Presentation Style – Traditional PowerPoint
Communications – 1.0 Credit
Basic # 1110 – New Session
Discipline of Focus:  AR

Successful negotiations start with the proper preparation. This session provides tips and strategies for improving communication and achieving increased success in negotiations with customers, suppliers, and even people in your own company (it also works with kids, spouses, and friends). During this session, the presenter will provide insights on how to deal with negotiation as joint problem-solving rather than a win-lose ultimatum. As a result of this collaborative approach, both sides can be satisfied with the outcome and the negotiation can serve to strengthen the overall relationship.

You will learn:

  • How a "negotiation checklist" can help you prepare for negotiations.
  • What nonverbal behavior to watch for during negotiations.
  • Words to use and avoid when speaking with others.
  • The "art" of joint problem-solving, including the use of open and closed-ended questions.
  • Three things to say when people say "no."
  • How to deal with difficult people.

Reducing Post Audit Claims

Jessica Butler – Principal
Attain Consulting Group
Presentation Style – Traditional PowerPoint
Auditing – 1.0 Credit
Basic # 1115 – New Session
Discipline of Focus:  AR

Are you spending too much time dealing with sales-related and trade promotion deductions? Is it a struggle to validate and approve program claims? Are post audit deductions on the rise? This session will share insights, tips, strategies, and best practices to show how you can improve trade promotion management and reduce post audit claims.

During this session, you will:

  • Understand the key challenges in communicating trade promotion and sales programs.
  • Evaluate how your company is doing based on benchmark information.
  • Learn what third-party auditors say are the most common reasons for post audit claims.
  • Take action to close common loopholes in sales agreements and reduce post audit claims.

Retail Industry Financial Operations Workshop — Industry-Specific, Daylong Session           *PRE-REGISTRATION REQUIRED     

For more detailed information on this session, click here.

Click here to register

Eric Jones – Director, Corporate Payables
Lowe's Companies Inc.
Presentation Style – SME Presentations and Moderated Roundtable Discussion
Business Management and Organization – 7.5 Credits
Advanced # 1120 – Updated Session
Discipline of Focus:  AP, AR

Are you interested in topics such as deduction management, cash management (dynamic discounting, supply chain financing), indirect spend automation, freight payment processing, reverse logistics, or other issues with traits unique to retail financial operations? Do you want a chance to hear from and speak with other leaders in the retail industry? Take this opportunity to network with retail finance and accounting professionals who have similar issues and concerns. Through this mixed format session, you will be able to meet your peers, have open discussions, and share and learn leading practices to increase the value of your operation to your organization.

The prepared topics and materials will be reviewed and approved by an anti-trust attorney who will also be present at the workshop to monitor discussions.

 

Seven Characteristics that All Best-in-Class Teams Share

David Griffiths – EVP, Client Development
FISCAL Technologies Inc.
Presentation Style – Traditional PowerPoint Presentation
Business Management and Organization – 1.0 Credit
Overview # 1005 – New Session
Discipline of Focus:  AP

There are more than 25 characteristics that best-in-class AP teams share. These have been gathered from more than 300 organizations worldwide. This session reviews seven of the most important traits that make a great accounts payable team. Participants will benchmark their own teams in a live mini-scorecard session.

Successfully Managing In-House Operations

Wes Friesen – Manager, Revenue Collection
Portland General Electric
Presentation Style – Traditional PowerPoint
Personal Development – 1.0 Credit
Intermediate # 1125 – Updated Session
Discipline of Focus:  AP, AR, TAWPI

This presentation will cover proven methods to successfully develop world-class in-house operations – whether in AP, AR, remittance processing, or any other function. Ten important keys to success will be covered:

  • Great management
  • Maximizing your most important resource (people)
  • Working with business partners
  • Measuring performance
  • Justifying resources
  • Marketing your services
  • Commitment to quality
  • Redundancy/backup
  • Continuous learning and improvement
  • The "three P's" approach to world class operations

Proven and practical techniques from successful in-house operations will be shared.

Supplier Portals 101:  What You Need to Implement Effective Supplier Information Management Systems

Jennifer Barnett - Systems Manager, Accounts Payable
Wal-Mart Stores Inc.
Aloke Bhandia – Senior Director, Product Management
Lavante
Desiree Clayton - Director, Accounts Payable
Nordstrom
Tina McGlasson - Manager, Accounts Payable
Omnicare
Presentation Style – Moderated Roundtable
Business Management and Organization – 1.0 Credit
Basic # 1130 – New Session
Discipline of Focus:  AP

From data file cleansing to streamlining vendor on-boarding, supplier portals are gaining traction. This session will look at several different approaches to building out a supplier portal, from a "do-it-yourself" model to a variety of third-party solutions. The panelists will represent a range of industries and sizes and will discuss the processes involved in selecting an approach, implementation, and acceptance.  The session will include ample time to ask questions and learn from the experts on the panel the benefits or issues involved with the process.

The session will cover:

  • Different supplier portal models and methodologies
  • Benefits supplier portals can deliver
  • On-boarding processes, including compliance issues
  • Achieving high supplier participation

T&E Best Practices to Ensure Compliance with IRS Regulations and Prevent Fraud

Mary Schaeffer – Publisher and Editorial Director
Accounts Payable Now & Tomorrow
Presentation Style – Traditional PowerPoint
Business Management and Organization – 1.0 Credit
Intermediate # 1135 – New Session
Discipline of Focus:  AP

The IRS is coming and it wants your money, if you've not been applying the rules correctly. Do you know what they are? Expense reimbursement is a Tier One issue; the rules are simple and straightforward. What's more, companies that ignore those rules can lose the accountable plan status of their T&E plan. No one wants that to happen on their watch.

Guarantee your policy is compliant with the latest travel and expense issues, as well as fraud resistant. This session will discuss:

  • The guidelines you need to adhere to if your company's T&E expenses are to be deductible on the tax return.
  • Your reporting responsibilities if you reimburse above the IRS guidelines.
  • How to deal with the new T&E issues. Technology has made some old best practices obsolete.
  • Best practices to create an effective T&E policy and procedures.
  • T&E fraud prevention and detection: It's a real problem.

Travel and Business Expense Best Practices

Chris Evanoff – Principal
Soltec Inc.
Presentation Style – Traditional PowerPoint
Business Management and Organization – 1.0 Credit
Intermediate # 1140 – Updated Session
Discipline of Focus:  AP

To assist your organization in implementing proven T&E best practices, this session provides a strategy for the redesign of the T&E administrative process, as well as recommendations for T&E policy improvements and  travel cost savings. The best practices discussed can be implemented as a complete program or as a separate standalone best practice. Based on established best practices used by many companies across North America, this session reviews a new process for handling employee T&E expenses that streamlines expense report processing and eliminates unnecessary components including travel advances, reimbursement checks, approvals, receipts, and reconciliations.  In addition, the session  will identify key technology enablers for the new process. Topics will include:

  • T&E change management
  • T&E current payment cycle
  • Benchmarking, current transactions, and cost analysis
  • Adopting  best practice strategies receipt requirements
  • New T&E process
  • T&E process redesign
  • Elimination of travel advances and unnecessary approvals
  • Corporate charge card strategy
  • Automatic  receipt requirement
  • Improved  audit controls and financial reporting
  • Effective T&E  policies and procedures
  • Optimum  policy characteristics
  • Policy  subjects and objectives
  • Benchmarking  industry norms
  • Compliance issues and answers
  • Ongoing policy enhancements
  • Automation alternatives

Travel on a Few Dollars Less

Robin Lee Towsley, CAPP – Accounts Payable Coordinator
Municipal Employees' Retirement System of Michigan
Presentation Style – Traditional PowerPoint
Business Management and Organization – 1.0 Credit
Basic # 1145 – Updated Session
Discipline of Focus:  AP

Today business travelers and their employers are being challenged more and more by tighter travel budgets and regulations. This course will describe those challenges and give practical and workable real world examples as to how more travel can be got for fewer dollars. This will also include best practices in operating a travel program, current regulatory issues, and more timely reporting methods.

When AP and Payroll Should Speak

Philip Cavoretto – Director, Disbursements
BJC HealthCare
Presentation Style – Traditional PowerPoint
Business Management and Organization – 1.0 Credit
Basic # 1150 – Updated Session
Discipline of Focus:  AP

This session explores the circumstances where AP and payroll overlap and should be comparing notes.   Who is an employee? Should this person receive a 1099 or a W-2 or both? What situations demand AP and payroll coordinate reporting efforts?