Introduction

With today´s Finance & Accounting Outsourcing (FAO) suppliers all demonstrating proven capability to deliver cost savings, the onus is quickly moving toward the innovation and process excellence buyers can achieve when transitioning to an outsourced F&A environment. Technology is recognized as a key lever to deliver continuous innovation and improvement in FAO. In this research study, we investigate the impact technology innovation can and will play in driving incremental value from FAO. The objective of the study was to investigate the provision, development, and deployment of technology. This report will assist companies considering outsourcing F&A to a third-party or FAO suppliers in decisions related to F&A technology in an outsourced environment.

Scope

• Third-party FAO contracts (does not include shared services or captives)
• Multi-process FAO contracts with a minimum of two F&A processes, over US$1 million in Annual Contract Value (ACV), and a minimum contract term of three years
• All multi-process FAO contracts across all geographies and industries signed as of April 2006
• F&A systems involved in multi-process FAO contracts including FAO supplier deployed technology and leading F&A systems like JD Edwards, Oracle, PeopleSoft, SAP, etc.
• Leading suppliers including Accenture, ACS, EDS, Genpact, IBM, etc.

Contents

This report summarizes key market trends and insights to assist management in making more informed business decisions. Key insights are discussed in detail (and illustrated with supporting data and analysis) to provide the reader information in easy-to-apply, bite-size pieces. The report provides implications for buyers and suppliers of FAO and discusses the following themes:

• The evolving FAO value proposition
• Ownership of technology in FAO
• The FAO technology landscape
• Supplier FAO technology capability
• Economics and risk management
• Recommendations for buyers and suppliers