Steven M. Bragg Knihy

Cost accounting is one of the most essential tools used by managers to fine-tune operations and improve profitability. Cost Accounting is designed for the college student who needs in-depth coverage of all cost accounting concepts, incorporating practical advice regarding their real-world usage. The text goes well beyond the traditional cost accounting topics of inventory valuation and cost analysis to also cover inventory management, price setting, target costing, constraint analysis, and budgeting. The material is designed to give the student exposure to how these topics are dealt with in a business environment.

This book shows how to maximize the benefits to be gained from an acquisition, while reducing the risk of failure. It does so by discussing the strategies that are most successful for buyers, the steps and pitfalls in the acquisition process, how to gain government approval of an acquisition, and how to conduct a sufficiently detailed due diligence investigation. The book goes on to address those legal structures that are most beneficial from a tax perspective, how to develop a sensible purchase price, and how to engage in a seamless operational integration.

Today's financial executive needs a way to assess the financial performance and financial position of business organizations. The Business Ratios Guidebook provides one of the best ways to do so by describing more than 200 ratios and other measurements. When applied to an organization's financial statements, these ratios can clarify its results, liquidity, and cash flows. The measurement areas covered include performance, return on investment, share performance and constraints. Examples of the functional areas also covered include cash management, credit and collections, customer service, human resources, production, and sales. In short, this book is the ultimate desk reference for ratio analysis.

Written for controllers, CFOs, accounting managers, and business managers, Fast Close incorporates Steven Bragg’s own personally tested guidelines to help professionals speed up the closing process, especially in response to Sarbanes-Oxley’s more time-sensitive requirements. Bragg outlines numerous key improvements that, when gradually implemented together, are guaranteed to shrink the closing process down to as little as one day. Chock-full of helpful flowcharts and checklists to help readers prevent delays and bring accounting department closing procedures up to date, Fast Close explores specific instructions for closing faster, common areas of delay and how to overcome them, required controls to keep financials accurate despite the fast close, and much more. Create financial statements faster . . . much faster . . . with the expert guidance found in Steven Bragg’s Fast Close .

A well-run business needs to factor risk into its daily operations in order to keep from incurring unexpected losses. This book provides detailed guidance for doing so. Enterprise Risk Management describes the concept of risk management, how to identify risks, and how to prioritize the responses to these risks. The book also shows how to integrate risk management into an organization's strategy and day-to-day operations, and who is responsible for it. The book addresses risk management at the level of the individual functional area, including treasury and accounting, sales and marketing, human resources, and information technology. There is coverage of contingency planning, insurance, financial analysis, and risk-related measurements and reports. Risk management is a major failing in many organizations; use the planning advice in this book to rise above the crowd.

Inventory is expensive and difficult to manage, and yet is an essential requirement for providing great service to customers. Inventory Management provides the tools to retain enough inventory to assure high levels of customer service, while avoiding excessive inventory levels that can absorb cash and generate losses. Topics covered include inventory policies, materials planning, purchasing and the supply chain, receiving, storage, shipping, production activities, record accuracy, warehousing efficiencies, measurements, and much more. This book covers a mix of classic and advanced management techniques to help the user maintain firm control over the mix and amount of inventory kept on hand.

This book shows how to maximize the benefits to be gained from an acquisition, while reducing the risk of failure. It does so by discussing the strategies that are most successful for buyers, the steps and pitfalls in the acquisition process, how to gain government approval of an acquisition, and how to conduct a sufficiently detailed due diligence investigation. The book goes on to address those legal structures that are most beneficial from a tax perspective, how to develop a sensible purchase price, and how to engage in a seamless operational integration.

Inventory is expensive and difficult to manage, and yet is an essential requirement for providing great service to customers. Inventory Management provides the tools to retain enough inventory to assure high levels of customer service, while avoiding excessive inventory levels that can absorb cash and generate losses. Topics covered include inventory policies, materials planning, purchasing and the supply chain, receiving, storage, shipping, production activities, record accuracy, warehousing efficiencies, measurements, and much more. This book covers a mix of classic and advanced management techniques to help the user maintain firm control over the mix and amount of inventory kept on hand.

Fraud Examination is a practical reference for how to prevent, detect, and investigate fraud within a business. It can be used to identify the different types of fraud, as well as to construct an environment in which fraud is minimized. In addition, it describes the many indicators of fraud, so that it can be detected early. The book also describes the process for investigating fraud, including interviewing techniques, document examination, and how to write a fraud report. In short, Fraud Examination is an essential tool for anyone interested in how fraud is perpetrated and how to conduct an investigation when fraud is suspected.

Delayed payments by customers can seriously impact the finances of a business, but it is usually necessary to offer some level of credit to them. The Credit & Collection Guidebook shows how to strike a balance between more sales and a reasonable amount of bad debt. It does so by focusing on when to extend credit to questionable customers and how to select the best approach to collecting from late-paying customers. The discussion includes credit policies, credit monitoring, collection techniques, and the necessary controls, procedures, and reports to manage the process. The book also addresses more advanced concepts, such as credit and collection technology, the role of product and service improvements, and litigation tactics.