Deloitte, the business advisory firm, has encapsulated the complexity and duality of many of the issues that the modern finance leader faces in a handbook: When CFOs Debate. The handbook is authored by Deloitte experts that work closely with CFOs and is designed to help them to think through today’s critical business issues and to see all sides of the argument. When CFOs Debate does not attempt to list the ‘right’ answers but presents a series of practical steps that CFOs can take to find the answers that makes sense for each CFO’s unique situation.

Some of the key issues for today’s CFO examined in When CFOs Debate:

• Do we hire for current skills or for future potential?
• Should we separate finance and accounting?
• How much offshoring makes sense?
• Should we improve our systems and processes before we outsource?
• How much decision support should be automated?
• Large scale improvement efforts, do it right or do it fast?
• Should we provide earnings guidance?
• Should finance take action on sustainability?

Marcus Boyle, who leads Deloitte’s Finance Transformation practice said:  “CFOs face complicated decisions on many fronts and knowing exactly how to proceed is harder than it looks. CFOs are torn between helping their company grow and scaling back to try and protect profits, building up cash to withstand the downturn or capitalising on instability to gain market share. Should they grow finance to deliver more business value? They also face other, more diverse, questions such as whether to move into well-established countries for offshore operations or to look to new markets where costs are even lower?

“There are no easy answers. The best a CFO can do is to consider all the variables and then apply good judgement.  When CFOs Debate will help CFOs to tackle these issues and remain the voice of reason within the company when it faces such challenging business decisions.”

A free copy can be found at www.deloitte.co.uk/cfodebates

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About Deloitte
In this press release references to Deloitte are references to Deloitte & Touche LLP, which is among the country's leading professional services firms. Deloitte & Touche LLP is the United Kingdom member firm of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu (‘DTT’), a Swiss Verein, whose member firms are legally separate and independent entities.  Please see www.deloitte.co.uk\about for a detailed description of the legal structure of DTT and its member firms. The information contained in this press release is correct at the time of going to press.