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The article discusses the digital transformation of sustainability data that finance and accounting professionals need to adopt to ensure that companies can make better and more accurate decisions and communicate business activities to stakeholders. Topics covered include how digital sustainability data can improve companies reporting and strategic planning, and the significance of digital transformation of sustainability information flows and data management.

The article reports on how Europe and technology are driving the integration of financial and sustainable business reporting. Topics covered include the purpose of accounting, the pathways of sustainability and the emergence of new organizations, frameworks and guidelines corresponding to investor demands to modernize accounting, such as Global Reporting Initiative, and the action plan adopted by the European Commission to support financing of sustainable business activities.

The article discusses the ethical obligation of organizations to provide a comprehensive package of disclosure. Topics mentioned include the use of non-Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) reporting, abuses of non-GAAP reporting in corporate quarterly earnings announcements, and the 2018 book "Financial Statement Analysis & Valuation," by Peter D. Easton, Mary Lea McAnally, Gregory A. Sommers, and Xiao-Jun Zhang.

The article offers information on the sustainable business information and reporting framework, called Internal Control-Integrated Framework, approved by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission. Topics mentioned include the key reasons for the lack of trust that internal and external stakeholders have in the sustainability information, the benefits of the framework for professionals and organization, and other proposed regulations on climate risk disclosures.

The article focuses on the importance of performance reporting to businesses by revealing the narrative behind the numbers. It cites the advantages of performance reporting over traditional reporting, including the inclusion of insightful nonfinancial data. It also mentions several features that must be demanded from a performance reporting solution vendor, such as row notes and cell comments.

The article discusses the principles of financial report design. Topics discussed include the accuracy principle which means that the content of a report represents what it claims it does, the consistency principle which requires that the format and layout of a report are similar to prior issuances of the same report and/or other reports issued by the same department, and the appearance principle which means that the report is aesthetically pleasing and also professional-looking.

The article discusses the components of the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) announcements that will impact corporate reporting as of February 2022. Topics covered include the formation of an International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB), and the implementation of the merger of the Climate Disclosure Standards Board (CDSB) and the Value Reporting Foundation (VRF). Also noted is the work plan of the Technical Readiness Working Group (TRWG) with two prototype disclosures.

The article mentions the report on corporate emissions reduction released by the International Federation of Accountants in November 2022 which revealed the challenges posed by inconsistency and incomparability of target disclosures for investors, regulators and other stakeholders.

An interview with Maurice Verhagen, head of Reporting Services at healthcare company Philips, is presented. When asked how healthcare company Philips got involved in evaluating concepts for business report and presentation design he mentioned the company's multi-year business transformation initiative and their effort to improve efficiency through standardization. He he commented on adopting International Business Communication Standards Association (IBCS) reports across the entire value chain.

The article discusses integrated reporting (IR), a corporate reporting framework which focuses on non-financial performance indicators and drivers. Particular focus is given to the work of Robert Herz, former chairman of the U.S. Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB), in advocating for IR with the International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC). Herz's work with the Sustainable Accounting Standards Board (SASB) is also discussed.

The final amendments require "disclosure [that] is material to an understanding of the registrant's business taken as a whole, a description of a registrant's human capital resources, including any human capital measures or objectives that the registrant focuses on in managing the business." Lara Long, VP and chief accounting officer of agricultural machinery manufacturer AGCO Corporation, said it makes sense that the SEC enacted a principles-based rule rather than prescribe exactly what every organization should do because each industry is different. FINANCIAL REPORTING HUMAN CAPITAL RESOURCES: MD&A DISCLOSURES New SEC reporting mandates a focus on human capital resources disclosures material to management discussion and analysis. [Extracted from the article]

The article discusses integrated reporting (IR) and presents a joint interview on that topic with Harvard Business School professor Robert Eccles and Jeffrey Thompson, chief executive of the Institute of Management Accountants. Areas covered include challenges to IR achieving broader adoption in the U.S., initial steps companies can take to adopting IR, and the relationship between IR and other corporate disclosure practices.

The article discusses ways to solve market concerns about non-Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (non-GAAP) reporting. Topics covered include the temptation for chief executive officers (CEO) or chief financial officers (CFO) to play the Numbers Game, the susceptibility of firms new to the equity markets to the temptations of non-GAAP reporting, and the retrospective nature of financial statements. INSET: Getting Back on Track.

The article discusses integrated reporting and a framework for its implementation released by the International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC) in December 2013. Information is presented on why the IIRC created the framework, a summary of its content, and the role of information technology such as XBRL in integrated reporting.

The article discusses integrated reporting. Topics covered include a definition of integrated reports, the greater consideration of a firm's sustainability and corporate social responsibility that integrated reporting encompasses, the principles, elements, and concepts of integrated reports, and how integrated reporting is implemented at energy company Eni.

The author offers opinions on the role of business ethics in financial performance. It is argued that the ethical standards of management and boards of directors as indicated by their accounting of financial statements offers a valuable guide to financiers considering those companies as investments, as questionable accounting methods suggest that a company's financial performance is itself questionable.

The article discusses several benefits of using synced data in integrated reporting. Syncing helps to streamline the closing process for nonfinancial data. Syncing also makes it possible to update multiple documents with a single change, and it also makes possible real-time collaboration with co-workers.

The article discusses various issues presented by the financial-closing processes in business, and how technology can help address them. The authors identify and describe several features of accounting software that facilitate closing including data loading and mapping, data linking, ledger and subledger closing, and consolidation of disaggregated financial results.

The article discusses the issue of dishonesty in the workplace, as well as the importance of developing an honest behavior model in business enterprises. According to research, employee dishonesty is not only influence by individual factors, but also with how employees are treated by the management. The authors mention that the fairness of how employees are treated can influence dishonest behavior. They state that it is also important for organizations to consider vertical and horizontal fairness when making compensation policies and procedures. They add that the management should review their incentive plans to ensure they reward honest reporting. They note that developing simple communication strategies also influence honest behavior in the workplace.

The article discusses the benefits of using enterprise resource planning (ERP) accountancy programs to help companies track and control their financial data. It is recommended that firms reconcile accounts monthly to aid external auditors in verifying financial statements. A definition for account reconciliation is provided and the components are discussed, including the importance of reports, the account balance, calculations, explanations, and supporting documents.

This article discusses U.S. legislation known as the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, which requires management of companies to assess the effectiveness of internal controls over financial reporting and to report their findings publicly. The legislation mandates that auditors attest to management's findings, perform an independent assessment, and issue a separate report.

The article reports on an accounting regulation approved by the Parliament and Council of the European Union (EU) in September, 2002. The regulation would require all EU-listed companies to follow International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) in their consolidated financial statements as of 2005. The compelling reason for the regulation was the need to develop an integrated financial services market in the EU.

The article discusses corporate financial restatements. Restatements can result from one-time accounting errors or recurring mismanagement. Common problems driving the increase of restatements are related primarily to poor internal controls within organizations. Poor internal controls that lead to restatements include human error, manual processes, and complexity and volume. Accounting departments with high turnover are particularly vulnerable to poorly executed processes including inaccurate spreadsheets. Accruals are a significant cause of restatements.

The article reports on a 2005 amendment on compliance dates from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). In April the SEC amended the dates for companies to comply with the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) Financial Accounting Standards No. 123R, known as "Share-Based Payment." Firms that report earnings on a calendar-year basis will now have to expense stock options at the beginning of their next fiscal year after June 15, 2005.

The article discusses using the computer software Excel to investigate fraud in corporate financial dealings. Most vendor databases can be easily downloaded into Excel, which carries some significant fraud-detecting functions. The red flags common to ficticious vendor schemes include vendors without a taxpayer identification number, vendors with post office box addresses only, and invoices created using an Excel-generated invoice template.

The article presents information on various issues in the U.S. accounting field in 2004. Among the topics discussed are the impact of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act on investors, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) move towards principles-based standard setting, and specific issues related to fixing material weaknesses in internal control systems.

The article refers to a study of corporate websites and discusses the benefits of Web-based financial reporting in the United States. Examples are given which indicate that: the frequency and amount of information disclosed will increase; the cost of paper-based communications will decrease; new video and audio reporting methods will develop; and new legal issues will be raised concerning real-time reporting. Compliance with "Reg FD" is mentioned.

The article focuses on results of a survey from the Institute of Management Accountants (IMA) concerning increasing the integrity of financial reporting. It stated that the respondents were members of IMA, with the majority of them being management accountants and working at multinational firms. It mentioned that virtually every respondent agreed that management bears primary responsibility to ensure the reliability of corporate financial statements. It also mentioned that over half the respondents agreed that important facts concerning underlying economic conditions are often not revealed in corporate financial statements. It stated that over 40% of respondents felt the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission should take a more active role in setting accounting standards.

The article extols the benefits of eXtensible Business Reporting Language (XBRL) as it allows financial managers to present current data to decision makers using a universal standard. The article presents five cases in which XBRL provides relevant solutions to marketplace problems, including consolidating subsidiary reporting, streamlining financial reporting, producing an EDGAR report, Collaborative Planning, Forecasting and Replenishment (CPFR) and reducing the cost of financial reporting.

This article encourages financial executives to adopt the Quality Financial Reporting (QFR) strategy and start presenting as much useful public information as possible in the financial reporting process. The author discusses the response of capital markets to inadequate financial reporting and adds that lower capital costs and higher securities prices promised by the QFR strategy. The author also discusses some of the problems with traditional models for financial reporting.

The article discusses the benefits of consolidating a firm's global financial systems. Experts say consolidation increases the time for analysis. The speed at which the consolidated system cranks out information transforms a firm's operations. Companies report spending more time on analysis and less time on data crunching. This allows firms to acquire timely and accurate business intelligence. INSETS: SPOTTING TRENDS.;TIPS..

The article reports on the quality improvement program instituted by the financial department of the New York-based employee benefits consulting firm Segal Company. The company overhauled the entire scope of its operations, from data collection and financial reporting to gathering internal controls and business partnering. The firm eliminated nonvalue-added activities and introduced the idea of matrix management.

- Stephen Barlas SEC/ NEW SEC CHAIR QUESTIONED ON DISCLOSURE ISSUES If a company spends a financially insignificant amount of money on renewable electricity, would that be material and require disclosure ? May 2021 / STRATEGIC FINANCE / 13 G ary Gensler was nominated as the new chairman of the U .S. Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC) amidst escalating pressure from Democrats with regard to a number of corporate reporting issues, such as climate change, corporate political contributions, and staff and board diversity. [Extracted from the article]

The article focuses on integrated reporting in the U.S. It discusses integrated reporting and the International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC). It evaluates the integrated reporting of two U.S. companies of IIRC's Pilot Programme, Jones Lang LaSalle Incorporated, a global financial and professional services firm specializing in commercial real estate services and investment management, and Clorox Corp., a multinational manufacturer and marketer of household consumer and cleaning products.

The article discusses issues concerning the Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 131 on its second year of implementation. Its ambiguity that allows wide disparities in quality and quantity of disclosure and the justification of a limited number of segments reported under the rule's aggregation criteria are discussed. Details related to the problems caused by revealing information that can give an advantage to competitors and concerns about management discussion analysis are presented.

The article discusses the importance of quality of the accounting process in any organization. It offers advice for accountants on how to report on quality. Also discussed is the responsibility of accountants in leading their organization to follow the processes established and approved by the operations team.

The article looks at corporate reporting, as of 2013. It notes the International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC) professional association has issued a draft of guidance for preparing integrated reports that summarize a company's social and environmental as well as commercial performance and forecasts. It discusses the benefits and obstacles to using the XBRL technology platform in preparing and communicating integrated reports.

The article discusses the increasing importance companies are placing on sustainability and corporate-responsibility (CR) reporting. A survey by accounting firm KPMG found that 95% of the 250 largest companies in the world issue reports on their corporate responsibility. However, as events surrounding banking company Barclays PLC show, firms need to do more in the area of CR.

The article discusses the emerging trends in sustainability reporting that corporate financial managers should be aware of. The author mentions that both the quantity and quality of sustainable information that organizations report have been increasing, which are more focused on the external impact of their sustainability practices. He adds that corporate reporting increasingly reflects the integration of sustainability considerations into managerial decision making. He notes that the trends hold important implication for financial managers particularly in investor and public relations.

The article discusses the aspects of sustainability reporting integration and the development of the Sustainability Reporting Framework by the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI). The author mentions that the framework is considered the most widely used framework for reporting performance on corporate citizenship issues including human rights, anticorruption and environmental. He adds that the Guidelines contain principles for the defining the report content, as wells as for ensuring the quality of the report. However, he states the global integrated initiative is likely to find little traction in the U.S.

The article discusses the impact on corporate tax departments of eXtensible Business Reporting Language (XBRL). Several nations including Great Britain have mandated the use of XBRL for tax reporting. The U.S. Internal Revenue Service is examining how XBRL can streamline reporting and make it less onerous for firms and the government. Several options for implementing XBRL are noted.

The article discusses the extensible Business Reporting Language (XBRL) standard. It cites the Australian government Standard Business Reporting (SBR) program director Paul Madden regarding cost savings that will derive from use of XBRL. The program is discussed in regard to administrative and reporting burdens its use can avoid.

The article discusses the reporting of information concerning the environmental, social, and governance (ESG) practices of companies. Topics include compliance with the government's requirements for integrated reporting, XBRL document markup language, and the role of management accountants in ESG reporting.

The article reports that the U.S. House Financial Services Committee passed two corporate reporting bills at the end of February 2020, namely the Shareholder Political Transparency Act and the Workforce Investment Disclosure Act.