"When I was leaving my old job, I received several offers. But this was the one I really wanted. I knew the position would provide me the opportunity to step out of only doing high level reporting, and actually learn about the details of a new industry - its products and services," said Jeff Hollowniczy, CPA. Hollowniczy left a medium-sized accounting firm to take the reins as Business Manager for a creative services group that was part of the Big Five six months ago. And he has not looked back.

"My biggest challenge is communicating to my colleagues the importance of the accounting process. Having accurate and timely financial information is an important ingredient to an organization's success. However, just producing the information isn't enough. You need to use it to implement and respond to change. It is vital that I teach my colleagues how to use the information once it's produced."

Hear No Evil, Speak No Evil
The traditional accounting lexicon runs to words like feeder systems and transaction journals, debits and credits, ledgers and cost accounting, on-site auditing, non-interactive printed financial statements, analyses and management reports. "Accountant types are the only people who understand the financial model, which does not help the organization accomplish its goals," wrote Cheri Gette, in Business Finance, Oct/Nov. 95.

So how do you win over business managers to use the finance model? Gette suggests accounting professionals leave behind their role as isolated providers of checks and balances and instead use their knowledge to create a system that integrates all of the subsystems to meet the focus of the business model.

"The real problem with communicating accounting information to non-accountants is that when push comes to shove, they would rather be doing whatever it is they do. I always have to sit people down and force them to review the information. A bit like pulling teeth," said Hollowniczy.

To move managers towards more easily embracing financial documentation without having to use a drill, review some of the useful tools written below taken from Barbara Kevles' 12 Tips to Make Financial Operations More Efficient, Journal of Accountancy, Oct. '97:

• Accounts Payable: Companies can streamline travel and expense reports using electronic systems and pre-coded forms. In addition, controllers can urge employees to provide key financial information on purchase orders from the outset, institute the use of corporate charge cards for travel and smaller purchases and consider outsourcing freight payment processing.
• Accounts Receivable: AR functions can be improved by the implementation of lockbox processing (sending payments to the bank) and electronic credit checking of the customer before shipment.
• Corporate Accounting: The central corporate accounting office needs to embrace change, install software and integrate new patterns than can improve systems.
• Fixed Assets: Controllers can integrate fixed assets into the general ledger.
• General Ledger: GL improvements can be made by capturing tax information when source documents are processed, adopting a standard chart of accounts for the entire company and reducing the monthly closing time.
• Project Accounting: Companies can set up separate codes for projects at the outset.

Originally published Jan. 25, 1999.