CPE Catalog & Events

Contract formation The necessary components of an enforceable contract Common defenses to enforcement Legal capacity requirements Contract interpretation

Economic update Leadership and management changes as a result of the pandemic Managing for productivity Metrics and benchmarking Social media's place in our organizations

Economic update Leadership and management changes as a result of the pandemic Managing for productivity Metrics and benchmarking Social media's place in our organizations

Why forecasts and budgets are frequently wrong: behavioral finance; improper goal setting, games, continuing the status quo, traditional budgeting techniques Incorporating strategy into budgets: improving measurement systems; common errors, developing strategies and appropriate measurements Expanding the budgeting framework: rolling forecasts; mission-based budgeting, zero-based budgeting, post-completion evaluations, contingency planning, black swan events, identifying improvements Big data: definition, challenges, goals, current uses/examples, sources of information Analytical tools: ration analysis, benchmarking, Pareto analysis, trend analysis, regression, simulation, dashboards

Changing Role of Financial Professionals: Priorities Change in mission Valued-added actions Strategic Measurements: Common errors and guidelines for improvement Balanced scorecard Strategy development and implementation Budgeting basics and next steps Risk Management: Recent lessons, including Black Swan events Defining Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) Implementation Developing a Financial Leadership Pipeline: Changing employment environment Retaining the right employees Compensation Hiring process Capital Projects: Types of projects Factors affecting capacity Valuation techniques Cash management M&A Activity: Current environment Controller’s role Strategic questions Sample transactions Due diligence Implementation Introducing Improvements/Innovation: Getting started Establishing an environment Potential first projects Organizational structure

Recent trends: M&A activity; contributing factors/reasons for current levels; examples of recent transactions; IPOs (Initial Public Offering) and SPACs (Special-Purpose Acquisition Company); strategic spin-offs/splits; internal venture capital activities; incubators Expanded role of financial professionals: establishing strategy; valuation techniques; execution plan; due diligence; sources of industry information; goodwill; post-completion evaluations Negotiations: Improving your communication skills; establishing an environment for success; list of dos and don’ts Alliances and outsourcing: steps to forming an alliance; examples of recent alliances; determining if outsourcing (short and long-term) is correct for your organization; steps to improve results

Rethinking Risk Management: Historic view Challenges Rules Recent lessons Required skills Sources of Risk: Economy Competitors Operations Investments Strategy Compensation Routine practices Unethical behavior. Enterprise Risk Management (ERM): Defining ERM Areas of focus Implementation Planning for disasters Business continuity Contingencies Analytical Tools: Post-completion evaluations Simulation Z-score Hedging Brainstorming Mind mapping Delphi technique

The fundamentals of DAX and its role in Power BI Complex DAX functions and formulas for creating sophisticated measures Time-based functions to analyze data over different periods Techniques for ensuring accuracy and reliability in your DAX measures Employing PivotTables in Power BI to test and confirm the effectiveness of DAX measures

Overview of Power BI Report Builder, its interface, and integration with the Power BI ecosystem Techniques for setting up professional layouts, including headers, footers, and managing pagination Connecting to various data sources and preparing data for reporting Utilizing Power BI’s visualization tools for impactful data presentation Subreports, drill-through capabilities, and dynamic expressions Guidelines for publishing reports to the Power BI service and sharing them with relevant stakeholders

The layout, tools, and features of Power BI Desktop The online environment of Power BI for report creation How to integrate Power Pivot models into Power BI for more complex data analysis The step-by-step process to create compelling visuals and understand the importance of visual context in data storytelling The variety of visuals available in Power BI and their appropriate applications The advanced features of Power BI Desktop that enhance data manipulation and visualization capabilities How to create dynamic and interactive reports that engage and inform Uploading and managing reports on PowerBI.com for wider access and collaboration

Identifying when issues need immediate resolution Approaches for preparing for and having difficult conversations Effective communication skills for challenging conversations

The impact of recent legislation on the construction industry How to qualify for the “small contractor exemption” and its advantages to the taxpayer Options available to the “small” contractor regarding taxation of long-term contracts How the choice of entity impacts taxation of contractors How AMT impacts the construction industry IRC §460 and “large” contractors How “uninstalled materials” impact taxation of contractors How the “look-back” rules impact contractors How the “10 percent method” can allow certain contractors to defer recognizing taxable income Critical tax planning strategies for contractors

The impact of recent legislation on the construction industry How to qualify for the small contractor exemption and its advantages for the taxpayer Options available to small contractors regarding taxation of long-term contracts How the choice of entity impacts taxation of contractors How AMT impacts the construction industry IRC §460 and large contractors How uninstalled materials impact taxation of contractors Look-back rules Using the 10 percent method to allow certain contractors to defer recognizing taxable income Critical tax planning strategies for contractors

How crowdfunding works The different types of crowdfunding programs Popular crowdfunding platforms Strategies for building a crowdfunding community Creating a crowdfunding campaign Running a crowdfunding campaign  

Economic update Leadership and management changes as a result of the pandemic Expense control that works Understanding our changing workforce and working environment Financial risk analysis Enterprise risk management Metrics and benchmarking Improving bank relationships and cash management Social media's place in our organizations

Recently issued but newly implemented Accounting Standards Updates (ASUs), the PCC Update, and items on the FASB’s Technical Agenda New ASUs covering common control leases, crypto assets (e.g., cryptocurrency), and income tax disclosures Leases – Topic 842 Recently issued SASs and other AICPA activity through SAS No. 149 Detailed review of SAS No. 145 Other important A&A practice matters

Recently issued but newly implemented Accounting Standards Updates (ASUs), the PCC Update, and items on the FASB’s Technical Agenda New ASUs covering common control leases, crypto assets (e.g., cryptocurrency), and income tax disclosures Leases – Topic 842 Recently issued SASs and other AICPA activity through SAS No. 149 Detailed review of SAS No. 145 Other important A&A practice matters

Definition of Data Analytics Assessing your organization’s current status and establishing an environment for success Financial staff’s core activities Common uses of analytics and current examples Behavioral forces that impact decisions Examples of inaccurate forecasts Identifying strategic measurements (KPIs) Improving budgeting and forecasting and addressing Black Swan events Collecting and using data from traditional and non-traditional data sources Statistical tools, including Median, Mode, Moving average, Ratio analysis, Pareto analysis, Rolling forecast, Mission-based budgeting, Trend analysis, Regression, Z-Score (public and private organizations), and Simulation Analytical techniques, including Brainstorming, Mind mapping, and Delphi technique Software tools that are readily available and can assist in visually exploring data; expanding the scope of available data, as well as collecting, analyzing and presenting results (including Dashboards). Specific ideas for using Data Analytics, including immediate opportunities and areas for further consideration Expanded lists of readings and next level software for a participants’ future reference

Definition of data analytics and big data; challenges and goals; establishing an environment for success; governance; common uses of analytics and current examples Behavioral forces that impact decisions; examples of inaccurate forecasts; identifying strategic measurements (KPIs); data sources Statistical tools, including median, mode, moving average, ratio analysis, Pareto analysis, trend analysis, regression, z-score, and simulation Software tools that are readily available and can assist in visually exploring data, expanding the scope of available data, as well as collecting, analyzing, and presenting results Specific ideas for using data analytics for accountants and financial managers, including current examples and areas for further consideration Lists of readings and next-level software for a participant’s future reference

Why have companies struggled to implement data analytics? What are the barriers you face in becoming a data-driven organization? How does self-service business intelligence help in developing a data-driven organization? Why is Power BI the self-service business intelligence application you should use? Why should everyone in your company be assigned a data role?