Improving Your Profits: Identifying Cost Cutting Opportunities (IYP2)

Overview

You could pay $0 for this course!

Part of one's duty as a CPA working in industry is to safeguard the assets of the organization. Cost cutting is one way to preserve assets and maintain a company's competitive position in the industry. However, what keeps us from ridding our organizations of unnecessary costs? In this course, we will look at the factors that prevent our companies from being as streamlined as they could be. By using statistics and survey data, we will attempt to show how to better negotiate and navigate budgeting and contracting decisions. We will also discuss financial statement analysis techniques, benchmarking, and cash flow management in an effort to better cut costs and maintain the long-run viability of an organization.

This course qualifies for reimbursement through the state’s Workforce Training Express Fund. Firms/companies with fewer than 50 staff can be reimbursed up to 100% of the cost of training and firms/companies with 50-100 employees can be reimbursed up to 50% of the cost of training. You must register for the course and apply for reimbursement through the Workforce Training Express Fund website a minimum of three weeks prior to the start of the course. The course code for this program is C-12968. To learn more, click here or contact Julia Ekelund at jekelund@masscpas.org

Highlights

What keeps companies from becoming streamlined? Behavioral biases Information processing biases Emotional biases How to deal with behavioral biases Connecting behavioral biases to cost cutting Creating a culture of cost cutting Rules of thumb for cost cutting Managing headcount Post-COVID common areas of excess cost Budgeting techniques Budget variances Benchmarking Common size financial statements Horizontal analysis Negotiation and contracting techniques Cash flow and the business cycle

Prerequisites

Basic knowledge of budgeting

Designed For

CPAs, CFOs, and Controllers looking to improve profitability by streamlining expenses for their own organization or for their clients

Objectives

List behavioral biases that prevent companies from being streamlined Identify techniques that may be used to make cost cutting a part of the company’s culture and business strategy Describe techniques that may be used to discern whether additional headcount is necessary Demonstrate vertical and horizontal financial statement analysis List key considerations when benchmarking against competitors Describe contracting and negotiation techniques Discuss the business cycle and how cash flow management changes during each stage