Building your own SaaS billing system not for the faint of heart

A system that grows as your services and pricing become more complex will be far costlier and take longer than you expect, a consultant says.

By Robert Freedman • July 29, 2020

Capital will flow to companies aiming at post-COVID-19 economy, funder says

Companies that must retool to compete once the pandemic goes away face a steeper hurdle attracting capital.

By Robert Freedman • July 26, 2020

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Digital transformation, one smart step at a time

As pricing pressures tighten margins and technologies like artificial intelligence evolve, finance chiefs are more closely scrutinizing the cost and returns of the tech tools they implement.

By CFO Dive staff

Remote work exposes payment system inefficiencies

Although most organizations want to automate payments, only about 8% have fully done so.

By Robert Freedman • July 22, 2020

Your financial controls probably don't work under today's conditions

With staff remote, executives in survival mode, and hundreds of billions in assistance pouring into the economy, the chances of mistakes and abuse getting past safeguards are heightened, accounting specialists say.

By Robert Freedman • July 14, 2020

Pandemic exposes need to automate finance function amid limited resources

Finance automation has been practical for most organizations for 20 years, but only about 5% are fully vested so far.

By Robert Freedman • July 7, 2020

Pandemic planning: The CFO's role translating vision into strategy, execution

In today's environment, is it better to bundle a value-added service or to discount heavily to keep income up? This is the kind of question CFOs must answer to keep their companies nimble. 

By Jason Maynard • July 5, 2020

NetApp investing in go-to-market engine despite uncertainty

The cloud data services company is reallocating its resources to bolster its sales ranks and grow market share. 

By Robert Freedman • July 1, 2020

Trading platform equips SaaS companies to sell subscriptions to investors

L.A.-based start-up Pipe says it provides software firms with an alternative to equity and debt by treating annualized customer contracts as tradable assets.

By Robert Freedman • June 30, 2020

How often should CFOs speak with the board?

Planful CEO Grant Halloran recommends CFOs update their company's board several times a week as financial planning becomes all the more fraught.

By Jane Thier • June 27, 2020

Will closing the books this quarter be harder than last?

Omar Choucair, CFO of financial close software provider Trintech, knows why his clients are struggling and how they can mitigate the difficulties.

By Jane Thier • June 25, 2020

Tech firms face tax bite after Supreme Court lets IRS allocation rule stand

Facebook, others were hoping the top court would end an IRS practice that forces more stock compensation to be allocated to foreign subsidiaries. 

By Robert Freedman • June 23, 2020

CFO brings repeat-business mindset, honed at Amazon Prime, to cancer-testing startup

Laboratory for Advanced Medicine finance chief Aarif Nakhooda said customer experience is as important for colon cancer testing as it is for streaming online music or videos.

By Robert Freedman • June 14, 2020

CFO in the Know: Bright spots for biopharma IPOs, but COVID-19 still lurks

The pandemic has helped the atmosphere for biopharma IPOs by changing the focus of drugs from the downside of their pricing to the benefits they offer of better diagnostics and potential cures.

By Ted Knutson • June 8, 2020

How to improve operating leverage without impeding growth

Tech can help keep operating costs down as a percentage of profits, but first, it helps to differentiate which expenses should, and shouldn't, grow with revenue.  

By Robert Freedman • June 8, 2020

CFOs positioned to lead supply chain retooling as economic slowdown abates

It’s not enough to find one or two cheaper suppliers. Global disruptions show the need for an integrated overhaul of supply chains, a specialist in the field says.

By Jane Thier • June 4, 2020

For SaaS CFO, success is seeing everything through FP&A lens

Computational functions are best left to software systems, allowing finance staff to focus on the meaning behind the numbers, tech CFO John Bonney says.

By Robert Freedman • June 3, 2020

Unpacking the cloud with Zuora's new CFO

Todd McElhatton spoke with CFO Dive about his priorities and the future of cloud-based software for finance teams.

By Jane Thier • June 2, 2020

Fast CFO action equipped residential builder to survive downturn

Putting land deals on hiatus, improving cash visibility and understanding buyer concerns has helped the finance chief of Meritage Homes keep the company on an ambitious growth track.  

By Robert Freedman • May 31, 2020

Using real-time data to set contract worker pay

As shutdowns lift, companies are relying heavily on expensive contract workers without knowing what other companies are paying.

By Jesse Levin • May 27, 2020

Sony CFO: 'We're concerned this might continue for a long time'

The company reported an 86% plunge in quarterly net profit this year, but its CFO said, even amid operating losses, "with a high degree of financial discipline," it can still manage an effective balance sheet.

By Jane Thier • May 14, 2020

Small-business specialist sees coronavirus crisis as way to help customers, retool financially

The CFO of payroll software provider Gusto sees the downturn as an opportunity to reevaluate costs, vendor relations and investment choices.

By Robert Freedman • May 13, 2020

CFO in the Know: Are CFOs ready to go with the EU's medical device regulations?

Requiring fewer applications to submit for approval, the new process could ultimately cost companies less.

By Ed McCarthy • May 12, 2020

Gusto took steps to control its financial destiny, CFO says

Facing devastation among its small-business clients, the SaaS-based payroll company cut costs despite its healthy balance sheet.  

By Robert Freedman • May 7, 2020

CFO's challenge: Balancing fast growth with controls

As data governance start-up PeerNova prepares to resume expansion after the shutdown, its CFO brings hard-won lessons to head off its accounting problems.

By Robert Freedman • May 6, 2020

As transactions move online, handling fraud, friction become key

Too much fraud protection means too few sales. CFOs need to decide what balance they're willing to accept as e-commerce increases. 

By Robert Freedman • May 5, 2020