The future of

Analytics in Finance
BA4All Insights Session September 16th, 2014
Franois De Witte Guy Van der Sande

AGENDA
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

USG People & USG Professionals

Why BA is important
What should you take into account
Keys to success
The journey of data analysis
Key challenges - general
Challenges for a CFO: case studies
Conclusions

1. USG People Group

Main countries of operation:
Benelux, France, Germany

90.000 flex workers

at work every day

>40

years of experience

2.3

N2

billion Eur

in the Netherlands and Belgium

MEMBERS

Quoted on Euronext Amsterdam

3

USG Professionals
A strong foundation with years of experience

We offer multiple solutions

Project sourcing & interim management

ICT-consultancy

In- & Outsourcing

Search & selection

2. Why BA is important
The pressures on organisations are at a point where analytics has
evolved from a business initiative to a BUSINESS IMPERATIVE.

Why BA is important

Source: The intelligent Finance Organisation survey of KPMG Bermuda 2014

Why BA is important
Financial activities covered: survey of 140 finance executives

Source Aberdeen group Survey: Speeding up and cashing with financial analytics June 2014

Why BA is important
[Big] Data, [Big] Money ?

Customer behavior
Growth and innovation
Future customer lifetime values
Efficiency of execution
Meet compliance and regulations

10

3. What should you take into account

Consistent
Comparable reusable
Connected
11

Single version of the truth

4. Keys to success

12

Keys to success
From descriptive to prescriptive

13

5. The journey of data analysis

14

ORGANISATION

The journey of data analysis

Training

BICC
Search &
Selection
Management

Partner

Regulation

CONTENT

Techn. setup

15

Business
requirements

Data source
integration
Review

Governance
Development
Data source
analysis

6. Key challenges - general

16

Manual processes
Ignoring data integration fundamentals
Bringing the information on time
Unrealistic expectations
Risk of strategy fragmentation - Silos
Reconciliation of various systems - different ERPs etc.
Implement predictive analytics
How to deal with Big Data?
Data security - ownership
Choice between doing it yourself or outsource?

7. Challenges for a CFO: case studies

What does the CFO need?
Accurate, relevant and forehanded information,
enabling the CFO to develop his new role:
be proactive in order to anticipate
think with the business and challenge the business
be a true business partner
Challenges:
VVV: Variety, volume, velocity (Gartner)
Unstructured data
Manual data
Accuracy of the information
Have the right information at the right time

17

Challenges for a CFO - case studies

Cash forecasting
Cash forecasting:
Aim to report a companys future cash availability resulting
from its operating, investment and financing activities
BI Challenges:
variety internal and external sources with different
formats
common interface for data crunching, trend analysis
integrate historical A/P and A/R data, external sources
and Big Data
user-friendly dashboards
Facilitator: use of data providers (internal or external)

18

Challenges for a CFO - case studies

Example: Cash forecasting

Source: Discover Edge

19

Challenges for a CFO - case studies

Example: Cash forecasting

Source: Discover Edge

20

Challenges for a CFO - case studies

DSO and Credit collection
DSO monitoring is a crucial factor to optimise working capital
Different sources: Accounts receivable, credit management,
external sources (Graydon, Van Dijk,
B-information, etc.), credit insurance payment behavior
Big Data helps to evaluate Credit Risk
Dashboard is crucial

21

Challenges for a CFO - case studies

Example: DSO and Credit Collection

Source: Discover Edge

22

Challenges for a CFO - case studies

Example: DSO and Credit Collection

Source: Discover Edge

23

Challenges for a CFO - case studies

Bank relationship management
Aim CFO: balanced relationship with relationship banks
fair allocation of the business wallet
Challenges:
Tracking the business allotted to each bank
Modelling why and when a bank won business,
and why and when not
Automation data collection
User friendly format
How:
Data mining and analysis
Focus on discrepancies / variances & explanation

24

8. Conclusions

BA is essential to finance: finance needs BA !!

Strategic CFOs care about data integration
The CFO becomes a potential CIO-ally
The single version of truth and data governance are real
challenges
Efficient BI, processes and technology are facilitators,
but do not replace the job of finance

The new role of finance is to become

THE BUSINESS PARTNER with a
strategic view based on analytics

25

Contact details
Franois De Witte
Head of the Competence Center Treasury and Finance USG Finance
professionals
Britselei 80 - 2000 Antwerpen
M
+32 (0) 475 56 84 36
E
francois.dewitte@ext.usgfinance.be
Twitter @F_DeWitte
Guy van der Sande
Head of the Business Intelligence Competence Center USG ICT Professionals

Britselei 80, 2000 Antwerpen

T
+32 (0)3 213 72 57
M
+32 (0)476 50 16 26
E
guy.vandersande@ext.usgict.be
Twitter @BICC_at_USG

26