Forte Publications

Back Office Conversion - Opportunity for Merchants and Billers to Streamline Deposits
As of March 16, 2007 merchants and retailers have a new method to convert checks into electronic transactions via Back Office Conversion or "BOC". This new NACHA payment type addresses shortcomings of the older POP payment method by streamlining the check out process and reducing consumer confusion. This article explains how BOC works, explores the opportunity for merchants and retailers, and offers suggestions on how businesses can evaluate whether BOC is right for them.

Change Management Lessons from Al Gore
An Inconvenient Truth, the documentary featuring Al Gore and his global warming crusade, recently won an Academy Award and is widely available on DVD.  The film is a powerful example of an elusive management skill: the ability to motivate others to change their behavior in times of crisis. Al Gore's campaign against global warming demonstrates key change management tactics that will be of use to you in your ongoing efforts to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of your financial operation.

Driving Process Improvement
Research indicates that the majority of technology projects and change
initiatives face setbacks, delays, and cost overruns. Managers are often
surprised to learn that most project challenges are related to
communication and organizational issues, not technology problems. This
article analyzes the cause of these common process improvement
challenges and recommends proven solutions that will enable finance
professionals to successfully lead their organizations' strategic
initiatives.

Finance Professionals in the Spotlight
The role of finance is expanding beyond traditional accounting and
reporting functions to include general management oversight, promoting
efficiency, and improving performance. Increasingly, finance
professionals are responsible for high visibility projects that reach
far beyond finance. Yet many finance professionals have had little
exposure to process improvement, project management, and technology
implementation. Top finance leaders are honing their project management
and change leadership skills in order to make the most of this
opportunity to generate lasting value for their companies and promote
their careers.

Quick Reference Guide: Project Management
More and more finance professionals are responsible for high visibility projects that reach far beyond treasury, accounting, and reporting. Yet many finance professionals have had little exposure to process improvement, project management, and technology implementation. You can generate lasting value for your company and ensure that your strategic initiative delivers results by following the tips in this one-page Quick Reference Guide.

Electronic B2B Payments are Gaining Momentum - Finally!
Straight through processing of business payments has long been the holy grail of corporate payment automation. Despite decades of effort and significant investment by vendors and banks, three-quarters of business-to-business (B2B) payments are still paper checks. However, over the last year, eB2B payments have gained momentum.