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31% OF TIME SPENT ON
FORECASTING
ACTIVITIES
The activities examined over the last 5 years in the different regions of the world include planning and budgeting,
reporting, variance analysis, forecasting and reforecasting, business reviews, working with the operational staff, IT
systems, internal auditing, and risk management
.
We also analyzed result fluctuations by using criteria for signs of revenue growth and stock market listing of the
companies.
Planning and budget reporting remain the controllers
’ main activities
The ranking of each separate activity by share in the total time varies over the years; planning and budgeting are the
most time-consuming activities. Time spend on planning, budgeting, and forecasting increases from one year to the
next, whereas the time spent on reporting and variance analysis activities is decreasing.
Oriented to the future, controllers spend more time on
forecasting (31% of their time, +2 pts vs. 2014) and
internal control than on reporting production .
Controllers produce and analyze their
reporting more efficiently
Working with the operational staff is more
important in the listed companies (+1 pt) and
in the growing companies (+2 pts)
Controllers contribute more to cash
forecasting in declining organizations
Controllers are involved in the
reporting regarding sustainable
IAFEI Quarterly | Special Issue | 13