CPE Catalog & Events
Surgent's Controllership Skills Update - Budgeting, Forecasting, and Big Data
Available Until
Virtual
2.00 Credits
Why forecasts and budgets are frequently wrong: behavioral finance; improper goal setting, games, continuing the status quo, traditional budgeting techniques Incorporating strategy into budgets: improving measurement systems; common errors, developing strategies and appropriate measurements Expanding the budgeting framework: rolling forecasts; mission-based budgeting, zero-based budgeting, post-completion evaluations, contingency planning, black swan events, identifying improvements Big data: definition, challenges, goals, current uses/examples, sources of information Analytical tools: ration analysis, benchmarking, Pareto analysis, trend analysis, regression, simulation, dashboards
Surgent's Controllership Skills Update: Current Survival Skills
Available Until
Virtual
2.00 Credits
Changing Role of Financial Professionals: Priorities Change in mission Valued-added actions Strategic Measurements: Common errors and guidelines for improvement Balanced scorecard Strategy development and implementation Budgeting basics and next steps Risk Management: Recent lessons, including Black Swan events Defining Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) Implementation Developing a Financial Leadership Pipeline: Changing employment environment Retaining the right employees Compensation Hiring process Capital Projects: Types of projects Factors affecting capacity Valuation techniques Cash management M&A Activity: Current environment Controller’s role Strategic questions Sample transactions Due diligence Implementation Introducing Improvements/Innovation: Getting started Establishing an environment Potential first projects Organizational structure
Surgent's Controllership Skills Update: Mergers, Acquisitions, and Alliances
Available Until
Virtual
2.00 Credits
Recent trends: M&A activity; contributing factors/reasons for current levels; examples of recent transactions; IPOs (Initial Public Offering) and SPACs (Special-Purpose Acquisition Company); strategic spin-offs/splits; internal venture capital activities; incubators Expanded role of financial professionals: establishing strategy; valuation techniques; execution plan; due diligence; sources of industry information; goodwill; post-completion evaluations Negotiations: Improving your communication skills; establishing an environment for success; list of dos and don’ts Alliances and outsourcing: steps to forming an alliance; examples of recent alliances; determining if outsourcing (short and long-term) is correct for your organization; steps to improve results
Surgent's Controllership Skills Update: Risk Management
Available Until
Virtual
2.00 Credits
Rethinking Risk Management: Historic view Challenges Rules Recent lessons Required skills Sources of Risk: Economy Competitors Operations Investments Strategy Compensation Routine practices Unethical behavior. Enterprise Risk Management (ERM): Defining ERM Areas of focus Implementation Planning for disasters Business continuity Contingencies Analytical Tools: Post-completion evaluations Simulation Z-score Hedging Brainstorming Mind mapping Delphi technique
Surgent's Create Measures in Power BI That Define Your Metrics
Available Until
Virtual
4.00 Credits
The fundamentals of DAX and its role in Power BI Complex DAX functions and formulas for creating sophisticated measures Time-based functions to analyze data over different periods Techniques for ensuring accuracy and reliability in your DAX measures Employing PivotTables in Power BI to test and confirm the effectiveness of DAX measures
Surgent's Create Paginated Reports with Power BI Report Builder
Available Until
Virtual
2.00 Credits
Overview of Power BI Report Builder, its interface, and integration with the Power BI ecosystem Techniques for setting up professional layouts, including headers, footers, and managing pagination Connecting to various data sources and preparing data for reporting Utilizing Power BI’s visualization tools for impactful data presentation Subreports, drill-through capabilities, and dynamic expressions Guidelines for publishing reports to the Power BI service and sharing them with relevant stakeholders
Surgent's Create Visuals in Power BI to Successfully Analyze Data
Available Until
Virtual
4.00 Credits
The layout, tools, and features of Power BI Desktop The online environment of Power BI for report creation How to integrate Power Pivot models into Power BI for more complex data analysis The step-by-step process to create compelling visuals and understand the importance of visual context in data storytelling The variety of visuals available in Power BI and their appropriate applications The advanced features of Power BI Desktop that enhance data manipulation and visualization capabilities How to create dynamic and interactive reports that engage and inform Uploading and managing reports on PowerBI.com for wider access and collaboration
Surgent's Critical Conversations: Having the "Hard to Have" Discussions
Available Until
Virtual
2.00 Credits
Identifying when issues need immediate resolution Approaches for preparing for and having difficult conversations Effective communication skills for challenging conversations
Surgent's Critical Issues Involving Taxation of Construction Contractors
Available Until
Virtual
4.00 Credits
The impact of recent legislation on the construction industry How to qualify for the “small contractor exemption” and its advantages to the taxpayer Options available to the “small” contractor regarding taxation of long-term contracts How the choice of entity impacts taxation of contractors How AMT impacts the construction industry IRC §460 and “large” contractors How “uninstalled materials” impact taxation of contractors How the “look-back” rules impact contractors How the “10 percent method” can allow certain contractors to defer recognizing taxable income Critical tax planning strategies for contractors
Surgent's Critical Issues Involving Taxation of Construction Contractors
Available Until
Virtual
4.00 Credits
The impact of recent legislation on the construction industry How to qualify for the small contractor exemption and its advantages for the taxpayer Options available to small contractors regarding taxation of long-term contracts How the choice of entity impacts taxation of contractors How AMT impacts the construction industry IRC §460 and large contractors How uninstalled materials impact taxation of contractors Look-back rules Using the 10 percent method to allow certain contractors to defer recognizing taxable income Critical tax planning strategies for contractors
Surgent's Crowdfunding: A General Overview
Available Until
Virtual
1.00 Credits
How crowdfunding works The different types of crowdfunding programs Popular crowdfunding platforms Strategies for building a crowdfunding community Creating a crowdfunding campaign Running a crowdfunding campaign
Surgent's Current Developments and Best Practices for Today's CFOs and Controllers
Available Until
Virtual
8.00 Credits
Economic update Leadership and management changes as a result of the pandemic Expense control that works Understanding our changing workforce and working environment Financial risk analysis Enterprise risk management Metrics and benchmarking Improving bank relationships and cash management Social media's place in our organizations
Surgent's Current Issues in Accounting and Auditing: An Annual Update
Available Until
Virtual
4.00 Credits
Recently issued but newly implemented Accounting Standards Updates (ASUs), the PCC Update, and items on the FASB’s Technical Agenda New ASUs covering common control leases, crypto assets (e.g., cryptocurrency), and income tax disclosures Leases – Topic 842 Recently issued SASs and other AICPA activity through SAS No. 149 Detailed review of SAS No. 145 Other important A&A practice matters
Surgent's Current Issues in Accounting and Auditing: An Annual Update
Available Until
Virtual
4.00 Credits
Recently issued but newly implemented Accounting Standards Updates (ASUs), the PCC Update, and items on the FASB’s Technical Agenda New ASUs covering disaggregated expenses, crypto assets (e.g., cryptocurrency), and business combinations Results and findings of the FASB’s Final (Stage 3) Post-Implementation Review (PIR) Report on Topic 606 Recently issued SASs and other AICPA activity through SAS No. 149 Detailed review of the three new Statement on Quality Management Standards (SQMS 1, SQMS 2, and SQMS 3) Other important A&A practice matters
Surgent's Data Analytics Toolkit - Tools and Applications
Available Until
Virtual
2.00 Credits
Definition of Data Analytics Assessing your organization’s current status and establishing an environment for success Financial staff’s core activities Common uses of analytics and current examples Behavioral forces that impact decisions Examples of inaccurate forecasts Identifying strategic measurements (KPIs) Improving budgeting and forecasting and addressing Black Swan events Collecting and using data from traditional and non-traditional data sources Statistical tools, including Median, Mode, Moving average, Ratio analysis, Pareto analysis, Rolling forecast, Mission-based budgeting, Trend analysis, Regression, Z-Score (public and private organizations), and Simulation Analytical techniques, including Brainstorming, Mind mapping, and Delphi technique Software tools that are readily available and can assist in visually exploring data; expanding the scope of available data, as well as collecting, analyzing and presenting results (including Dashboards). Specific ideas for using Data Analytics, including immediate opportunities and areas for further consideration Expanded lists of readings and next level software for a participants’ future reference
Surgent's Data Analytics for Accountants and Financial Managers
Available Until
Virtual
2.00 Credits
Definition of data analytics and big data; challenges and goals; establishing an environment for success; governance; common uses of analytics and current examples Behavioral forces that impact decisions; examples of inaccurate forecasts; identifying strategic measurements (KPIs); data sources Statistical tools, including median, mode, moving average, ratio analysis, Pareto analysis, trend analysis, regression, z-score, and simulation Software tools that are readily available and can assist in visually exploring data, expanding the scope of available data, as well as collecting, analyzing, and presenting results Specific ideas for using data analytics for accountants and financial managers, including current examples and areas for further consideration Lists of readings and next-level software for a participant’s future reference
Surgent's Data Analytics: Planning and Implementation Strategies
Available Until
Virtual
1.00 Credits
Why have companies struggled to implement data analytics? What are the barriers you face in becoming a data-driven organization? How does self-service business intelligence help in developing a data-driven organization? Why is Power BI the self-service business intelligence application you should use? Why should everyone in your company be assigned a data role?
Surgent's Data Security: Best Practices to Protect Your Business and Yourself
Available Until
Virtual
1.00 Credits
Ethical duty to safeguard employee, client, and litigant data Common threats, including phishing, ransomware, and bad password management Security management of business and personal electronic devices Best practices for creating and securing passwords Insight into how our personal information is exploited in our daily lives
Surgent's Depreciation Rules for Bonus and Section 179 Expensing
Available Until
Virtual
2.00 Credits
Bonus depreciation for acquisitions and construction History of qualified property categories and QIP The CARES Act and related Rev. Procs. Section 179 expensing Energy incentives The tangible property regulations 1031 exchanges Strategic hierarchy
Surgent's Disclosure Requirements for SEC Form 8-K
Available Until
Virtual
2.00 Credits
The overall purpose of the Form 8-K Triggering events for filing the Form 8-K Filing deadline for the Form 8-K
