某公司财务报告范本(英文版)(doc 33页)(正式版)

1 Record to ReportThe Executive Board is responsible for the conduct, operational and financial performance of an organisation. These responsibilities are discharged by:▪clearly stating the short and long term objectives of the organisation;▪clearly stating the policy guidelines within which they expect management to operate;▪defining the system for ensuring that management acts in accordance with the Boards direction; and▪defining procedures for measuring the extent to which progress towards corporate objectives is being achieved.1.1 The value of informationIn order for the Board to be able to function effectively, information is key. A Board which operates with insufficient or inaccurate information will be unable to monitor the organisation effectively with decision making being based on flawed data. Under this scenario, there is a significant risk that the organisation will fail to meet its long term objectives.Post Enron, Qwest, WorldCom etc Executive Boards cannot fail to appreciate that their reporting impacts not only on the performance and future of their own organisation, but capital markets as a whole.High quality, transparent reporting which is based on relevant financial and non-financial value drivers is critical for driving corporate performance as well restoring confidence in the markets. The first step towards achieving this is to implement a framework of management reporting which is based on timely, relevant and accurate information. This will enable effective decision making as well as meeting the needs of external stakeholders.1.2 Scope of Record to ReportThe scope of this paper is the financial and non-financial reporting responsibilities of the CFO/ FD. As such it covers:▪Section 2: Board/ Divisional/ cost centre reporting (along with application of Business Intelligence techniques)▪Section 3: General ledger and the chart of accounts structure▪Section 4: Month end close and consolidation processes▪Section 5: Statutory reportingThe paper does not cover the reporting responsibilities of other Operational Executives (eg. Sales, Logistics, CRM, Marketing, HR etc).2 Management reporting2.1 The purpose of management informationThe purpose of management information is to:▪monitor progress against corporate objectives and plans▪identify actions required where actual performance is at variance with expectationThe Board Report is a key component in the management reporting hierarchy, collating information across an organisation. The Board Report combines the various operational activities through the common and objective medium of finance (be it sterling, dollars etc). A good Board Report will ultimately drive decision making and actions, assisting the organisation to achieve its short-term and long term objectives.As such the Board Report should provide all the necessary information to support the Board in fulfilling its responsibilities. In doing so it should be:▪Externally focused-Market opportunities-Threats-Competition▪Forward looking-Driving vision-Aligning operations to strategy-Refining strategy as required▪Challenging to the management team-Driving performance-Questioning the status quo-Understanding and managing risks2.2 Management reporting & operational reportingManagement reporting is a broad term which may mean different things to different people. It is, therefore, necessary to understand the distinction between:▪management reporting as used by key Executives and senior management. These reports are used to drive decision making and measure whether or not corporate objectives are being met. This type of reporting needs to be salient, relevant, covering both financial and non financial criteria▪management reporting as used for day to day operational purposes. Examples include cost centre reports, headcount analysis, call centre performance etc.These reports are data driven and enable managers to review delivery of their current responsibilities. These reports should be standard in their presentation and delivered within minimal intervention or overhead. This type of rep orting is described as “operational reporting”The focus of this paper is the Executive style management reporting2.3 Design principles in Management ReportingIt is recognised that every company will have differing information needs for running that corporation. As such every company will have different management reporting needs. It is, however, necessary when reviewing or developing report content to have in place core design principles. These should include:▪delivery of information which meets the needs of key decision makers within the organisation▪delivery of timely, relevant and accurate information which meets the needs of the Business as well as Finance▪delivery of information not data, based on the philosophy of “less is more” (salient, concise rep orting of information vs delivery of significant volumes of numeric and other data)▪“one version of the truth” which delivers consistency of information across the whole organisation (see Section 2.4 below)▪use of lead as well as lag indicators (eg. for customer satisfaction, service downtime may be a lead indicator, customer churn a lag indicator)▪incorporation of operational KPIs as well as core financial measures▪application of a balance score card approach, ensuring consideration is given to financial, operational, people/staff and customer perspectives.▪application of exception reporting techniques, with significant variances being highlighted▪action orientated reporting, in terms of commentary and review▪dynamic in nature. The content and format of reports needs to be reviewed and refreshed to ensure they keep pace with changes in the Business2.4 Overview of the cascade of informationThe management reporting strategy should be based on a cascade of information from the Board down (ie. from Board to Divisions to Business Units and ultimately cost centres). This is represented below:of “one version of the truth”. It ensures, for example, that the results of Division X as presented to the Division X MD are the same as those being reviewed by the Group CFO. As well as consistency in content there should also be consistency in the look and feel of reports to ensure Executives and management can negotiate them with ease.Group ReportDivisional Management ReportsBusiness Unit ReportsOperational/ Cost Centre ReportsDefinition of content needs to be “top down”. The CFO/ Board should define the Board Report content such that it meets thei r needs. It also needs to be consistent with corporate strategy and subsequently used to monitor performance and drive business performance. The needs of the Board should then be cascaded down to Divisions, Business Units and ultimately cost centres. This ensures cor porate strategy is translated into operational delivery. This can be contrasted with the “bottom up” content driven approach, where cost centre reporting cascades up to bespoke Business Unit and Division reports. When agg regated at the Board level this is usually characterised by excel consolidations, significant data volumes and the need to refer to inconsistent Division reports.2.5 The use of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)Management reports should contain performance information relating to the key operational issues as well as financial measures. This is important as changes in operational measures tend to be lead indicators on future financial performance (eg. network build is behind schedule – cash flow savings in the short term, slower sales growth in the longer term).The CFO/ Board should agree on the KPIs presented in the report. General principles on KPIs are:-▪availability: frequency & accuracy▪relevance: alignment to critical success factors▪acceptance: level of use in the organisation/ industry▪topical: relevance to specific strategic initiativesWhen establishing financial and operational measures for inclusion in management reports, this needs to be done with an understanding of remuneration and reward structures. The two need to be consistent. Failure to do so will deliver conflicting messages. It is noted reward based measures will have the most powerful influence on day to day behaviours.2.6 Example contentAs noted above, each and very organisation will have their own needs and opin ions, driving the look, feel and content of the management reports. A “leading practice” management report (Board Report, Division Report and cost centre report) is given, however, in Appendix 1. This rep ort demonstrates the leading practice principles highlighted above and is to be used for reference purposes only.In terms of content it includes:▪[Executive summary –A synopsis of performance is provided by KPIs accompanied by appropriate action orientated commentary. Use of data is limited to core data only▪Action plan –corrective actions specified with contingencies and sensitivity analysis showing best and worst case scenarios(usually in the form of commentary)▪Profit and Loss statement –P&L account showing period and cumulative positions with highlighted variances against budget. Any major variances should be highlighted and adequately explained. Trend analysis should be shown graphically and full year projections shown▪Projected outturn incorporated in P&L –Projected outturns recalculated each month on the basis of actual performance and action plans▪Cashflow –Actual and projected receipts and payments up to the year endBalance Sheet - position of working capital, assets and long term investments / debt.]2.7 Leading practice checklist2.8 Management reporting – process overviewManagement reporting - detailed process: production of management reports3 General ledger and chart of accounts3.1 Purpose of the General LedgerThe General Ledger is used capture financial data at transactional level with standard accounts in a standard record structure that accommodates multidimensional reporting.The general ledger should allow for the following;▪Consistent and accurate classification of accounting data▪Ease of transfer of financial data throughout the company▪Clear flow of financial data from source systems through multiple levels of consolidation▪Latitude for additional data elements3.2 Chart of accountsThe core structure underlying the general ledger is contained in the Chart of Accounts. Characteristics of a good chart of accounts are as follows:▪application of a common chart of accounts where possible,which facilitates consolidation and reconciliation across large organisations.▪well defined segments and group values for ease of reporting▪keep it simple – elimination of unnecessary segments, elimination of unnecessary detail within segments▪use of a thin general ledger structure with detailed data being held in the sub ledgers, data warehouse environments for analytical purposes▪ a structure consistent with the organisational structure (management and legal)▪ a structure which reflects appropriate levels of accountability within the organisation (ie cost centre structure cascades down to a decision making managerial positions and not beyond)Appendix 2 provides a detailed chart of accounts assessment and the application of “leading practice”. In doing so it rev iews the structure of chart of accounts as well as the application of a common chart of accounts for a pan European company.3.3 General ledger overviewAn outline of the general ledger is summarised below.Figure [ ]: Outline of the General Ledger structureGeneral LedgerINVENTORY CONTROLFinancial and management reports are generated - drill down queries are performedCapital assets3.4 General ledger leading practice checklistThe following section provides a leading practice checklist for the general ledger. It should be used in conjunction with Appendix 2.4 Month end close4.1 What is Fast close?For a reporting environment to be effective there needs to be delivery of timely and relevant information. The longer the delay between operational transactions and report production, the less relevant the report will be from an information and decision making perspective. Consequently, month end close procedures are critical in the delivery of effective management reporting.Fast Close is an approach to deliver quicker management and financial reporting by improving month end close processes and enhancing the quality and relevance of the information provided.The first quartile benchmark for the production and distribution of management reports is 5 working days post month end. This can be achieved by:▪ensuring a focus is maintained on providing key decision makers with relevant information and setting materiality levels from a Group perspective▪ensuring all possible activities and postings are performed in advance of the month end close (eg. inter-company reconciliations)▪applying standard processes across the organisation and automating these as much as possibleIn doing so the timeliness of reporting improves, reducing the resources tied up in the month end cycle.4.2 To be processA high level process map for “leading practice” month end close is outlined below.4.3 Month end leading practice checklistThe following section provides a leading practice checklist for the month end close process.4.4 Group consolidation & reporting featuresThe key features of a group consolidation system are summarised below.Figure [ ]: Consolidation systemConsolidation leading practice checklistThe following section provides a leading practice checklist for the consolidation process.Major Topics Leading practice characteristics Indicative issues / problems General principles ▪One central consolidation point supplying all information needs ▪Multiple sub-consolidations▪Clear understanding of group accounting policies ▪Lack of GAAP knowledge and experienceProcess ▪Submission of local results in local currency, but to group GAAPPrompt andregular agreement of inter-company balances between reporting units, inadvance of month endCentral control of consolidation environment in areassuch as exchange rates, timetable, chart of accounts, materiality levelsStrictadherence to timetable, supported by automatic downloads to theconsolidation tool (ie hard cut-off procedures)▪Routine accounting and consolidation entries are booked pre-close▪Returns from different locations are tailored to reflect the size and materialityof the reporting unit/division ▪Too much time spent on low value adding activities ie re-keying data, chasing late returns, incorrectsubmissions▪Exchange rates not held centrally▪Lack of documentation of the process▪Reliance on specific individuals for process to run successfullyTechnology ▪Use of specialist reporting software that provides integrated management andstatutory information▪Automatic and swift consolidation of figures▪Automatic production of exception reports for non reconciling balances anddata validation errors ▪Lack of automation in the process▪Processing times for consolidation and translation ▪Unstable/ unreliable system(s) in use5 Statutory reporting5.1 Statutory reporting requirementsNot surprisingly, given the diversity of development of business practices across Europe, statutory reporting requirements vary considerably country by country. The statutory requirements within a particular country will dictate:▪The topics of information to be disclosed (e.g. P&L, balance sheet, cash flow, fixed assets, director emoluments, pension liabilities)▪The accounting standards to be used in deriving the figures (e.g. UK GAAP, IAS)▪The timetable for publication (e.g. x months after year-end close in the UK)▪The language for publication of documents.In addition, in certain countries the business transactions must be reportable against a national standard chart of accounts. In some countries, this principle is extended to the insistence that all transactions are coded at source against a national standard chart of accounts.For multinational groups, subsidiaries will have a responsibility to provide statutory results within the country of registration (typically the country they are operating in), as well as having their results consolidated into the group results. In some cases, the multiple reporting requirements can cause significant complications in the preparation of statutory reports. For example, the Italian subsidiary of a joint UK-France owned group will need to have results prepared in all three formats, GAAPs and charts of accounts.This area of design leading practice, including full details of statutory design requirements by country, can be found in the ROI Chart of Accounts paper.Within an individual country, it is common for the organisation to consist of multiple legal entities, and for historic reasons or tax purposes the legal structure often does not match with the management reporting structure. In leading practice situations, transactional data is tagged with the relevant legal entity, to allow simple collation of results by legal entity for statutory reporting purposes. This ideal may not be practical in some cases, requiring the coding of AR / AP / payroll etc to both legal entity and management cost centre. There are also likely to be large single transactions, such as rent, insurance etc. that will need to be allocated across legal entities. As a result, the preparation of statutory reports will often require a significant amount of allocation of balances to legal entities before the consolidation process can begin.5.2 Leading practice timetableThe top quartile timetable from a recent survey of 250 European companies is shown in the figure below:5.3 Statutory reporting leading practice checklistThe following section provides a leading practice checklist for the statutory reporting process.。