Sweden's economy has been on a roller coaster ride in recent years, first there was the fallout from the worst post-war global recession, and now we find ourselves travelling at full speed as growth rebounds with renewed vigour. That's all great news for now but in the meantime we have all learned some valuable lessons - with growth comes increased risk, we need to manage that, with growth comes increased cost, we need to manage that too and with growth comes ever greater opportunity both good and bad. How can business prepare for and anticipate that? What role does the finance organisation now play in keeping everything in blanace?

1. The Economic Balancing Act
Matthew Stent, Nordic Market Development

2. strategy balance
harmony control
committment understanding
planning agreement
creativity common goal
team-work focus
achievement target
IBM Confdential May 2011

3. But what happens if the wind blows?
8%
6%
4%
2%
Economic
Growth 0%
Sweden 1Q09 2Q09 3Q09 4Q09 1Q10 2Q10 3Q10 4Q10 1Q11 2Q11 3Q11 4Q11 1Q12 2Q12 3Q12 4Q12
-2%
-4%
-6%
-8%
Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3
Panic Opportunity What next?
Increased control New regulations New normals?
Cost cutting Increased workloads Back to old ways?
Restriction Stressed to capacity Strive for growth?
Resturcturing Progressive strategy How to differentiate?
Casualties New entrants Smarter thinking?
Source: IBM 2011
IBM Confdential May 2011

4. Calmer times? Hardly....
• Recovery has largely happened
• What is the new norm?
• What are businesses investing in now to respond to future
challenges?
”We shall have no better
conditions in the future if
we are satisfied with all
those which we have at
present.”
Thomas Edison
IBM Confdential May 2011

5. Businesses continue to focus on cost and efficiency with
strong emphasis on customers, insight and collaboration
2011’s Most Critical Business Priorities
Cost reduction / improved efficiency 76%
Improved customer service 73%
Increased employee productivity 70%
New ways to reach customers 67%
Optimizing key business processes 62%
Increased insights for better decision making 62%
Increased flexibility / nimble enterprise 60%
Collaboration 58%
(Scale 0-10 top 8,9,10 combined)
Efficiency Focus Innovation Focus
Source: IBM 2011
IBM Confdential May 2011

6. And whats important to CFO’s?
IBM Confdential May 2011

7. 70% of firms are implementing analytics solutions to
improve business insights and customer knowledge
A deep-dive into business analytics With the primary* benefit areas
and intelligence shows the current identified as…
stage of implementation…
Improve
Planned, but Investment
30%
not started Decisions
Improve
Efficiency & 11% Support
Started, but Organizational Expansion
not 40% Effectiveness Strategies
completed 37% 15%
Completed / Enhance
Maintaining 20% Customer
Targeting
Improve
No plans to Customer Insight 16%
implement 10% 21%
Source: IBM 2011
IBM Confdential May 2011

8. Where does the decision making power over
technology lie?
CFO involvement
in 77% of all
technology
decisions
IBM Confdential May 2011

9. The role and responsibility of finance chiefs is
also widening dramatically
Information Technology 43
Strategy/Business Development 41
Human Resources 39
Operations/Production 38
Risk 37
Customer Service 37
Procurement 35
Marketing/sales 33
Research/development 30
Supply-chain Management 25
Legal 24
Sustainability 23
Source: Accenture CFO Study 2011
IBM Confdential May 2011

10. And its unlikely to slow down.....
Source: Gartner 2011
Source: KPMG March 2011
IBM Confdential May 2011

11. How prepared is your business for when the
wind next blows?
or
IBM Confdential May 2011