Feed Editor 25 Oct 2007 20:36:29 GMT United States issued press releases from PricewaterhouseCoopers http://www.pwc.com/us (c) 2008 PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (US) af http://www.pwc.com/images/topnav/pwc.gif http://www.pwc.com/us 10Minutes on managing risk and performance provides PwC's insights on strategies you can use to lay the foundations of an integrated approach to managing risk and performance that systematically links risk and reward, facilitates strategic decision making, improves operations and reduces costs. Integration also empowers companies to become more risk resilient and able to take smart risks with confidence and clarity. 27 May 2009 18:25:16 GMT http://www.pwc.com/extweb/pwcpublications.nsf/docid/4733EA59C9BA2819852575B0003B4A2D D1287608-7819-48B0-8CA3-37E81A7B388C This issue explores how to generate that information context with new technologies that create and manage enterprise data semantics. These technologies can help expand the information reach of enterprises, but do so in a way that actually improves relevance, reduces information clutter and responds to the explosion of new demands for better information needed to upgrade enterprise decision-making. 26 May 2009 18:22:51 GMT http://www.pwc.com/extweb/home.nsf/docid/1308AF8EA7929CCA852575BA00720F26 47D9830A-1507-47F3-B50E-CD709F5074E1 10Minutes on the US Infrastructure looks at the massive need to renew US infrastructure and the forces that are converging now to make it happen including dedicated public and private capital. For investors and service providers, significant risks exist including skills shortages, hidden costs, vulnerable supply chains, misaligned controls, obsolete contracts, and finally inadequate performance reporting to address the enhanced accountability and transparency requirements being implemented by the Federal government. 6 May 2009 15:14:07 GMT http://www.pwc.com/extweb/pwcpublications.nsf/docid/43448C2716863A37852575AD00614599 5A85621F-379A-4121-9BF2-688011125F83 PwC's analysis of the effect the credit squeeze and sharp fall-off in first quarter 2009 venture capital investment is having on Clean Technology. 6 May 2009 15:11:26 GMT http://www.pwc.com/Extweb/pwcpublications.nsf/docid/00E89B1A01DC57A3852575AC00448885 FCA0AAC3-F807-4A55-9D92-820DD453E7EE This issue of view covers US energy policy, employer healthcare, technology for managing change, Interview with Ian Bremmer on managing political risk. 24 Apr 2009 18:11:40 GMT http://www.pwc.com/extweb/home.nsf/docid/948DB1CF8DDC411E8525758C004B1EDD 0C9166BE-981A-4D52-9D71-1394FDC88105 Is transitioning to global accounting standards still the right move for US business? The forces driving the US toward the use of global accounting standards existed well before the current credit crisis and will continue to exist after the economy has recovered. 23 Apr 2009 18:10:40 GMT http://www.pwc.com/extweb/pwcpublications.nsf/docid/5138953A7FD43C73852575A1004F9FE1 8E225B3E-B46F-4EAF-8CF7-90606A1976DD IFRS is already affecting US companies, with the impact broadening considerably over the next few years as ongoing convergence of US GAAP and IFRS brings key financial reporting changes and numerous business implications. Companies are also feeling the indirect effect of IFRS adoption by their foreign subsidiaries and counterparties, particularly in customer and vendor transactions. 22 Apr 2009 18:09:38 GMT http://www.pwc.com/extweb/pwcpublications.nsf/docid/533AB341AB82537E8525759B00453196 D8AFD44E-1DA1-4E48-9064-8787B8534B3E 10Minutes on international tax increases examines the significant proposals to change the taxation of US multinational corporations in President Obama's 2010 budget. 2 Apr 2009 18:15:12 GMT http://www.pwc.com/extweb/pwcpublications.nsf/docid/C709EC58AC1477C18525758400594493 CA144A54-8F70-4942-B075-3F95C22562C7 Across industries, at one level or another, enterprise applications (and whether they're agile, efficient and cost-effective) sit at the core of a company's ability to weather the current economic downturn - or capitalize on it. 10Minutes on realizing ERP value discusses how economic downturns can be the best time to undertake a wide range of ERP-related actions. 27 Mar 2009 12:05:37 GMT http://www.pwc.com/extweb/pwcpublications.nsf/docid/3DBAC6EE45F945DA85257535005EA99B D8B00E34-597D-431C-882F-439D23204390 With the markets still in crisis, many businesses are focused more on day-to-day survival than on the emerging economic reality. To successfully adapt to the new order, businesses will need to keep an ear to the ground, determining which long-held assumptions about market forces are losing currency. 27 Feb 2009 19:50:33 GMT http://www.pwc.com/Extweb/pwcpublications.nsf/docid/73FB33C5C38AD316852575710045A6E5 9F7745F4-2F3D-4F1A-AB74-617ABD43A28A The $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act signed by President Obama on February 17 is an attempt to invigorate a faltering economy marked by rising job losses, falling GDP, continuing uncertainty in the capital markets and world economic weakness. 27 Feb 2009 19:50:33 GMT http://www.pwc.com/extweb/pwcpublications.nsf/docid/6B0649D77E34BD458525756600710C6F 9F7745F4-2F3D-4F1A-AB74-617ABD43A28A PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) sees opportunities for Cleantech investors, producers and adopters in the New Energy Economy Legislation signed by President Obama. This PoV highlights the urgency to ease the current credit squeeze, grow new energy infrastructure and extend tax incentives to boost investor confidence and drive job growth. 25 Feb 2009 19:56:26 GMT http://www.pwc.com/extweb/pwcpublications.nsf/docid/C07ABC29B9855A5C8525755B0062C0BC 8A7EBA5E-CE4E-4433-95E8-4AB7327E3AA0 Companies today face an environment where credit is still scarce and cash is king. While companies can employ short-term cash management and tax strategies to provide liquidity relief today, they must also develop a more long-term approach to liquidity planning to manage through a re-pricing of credit risk and an extended downturn. 20 Feb 2009 19:47:06 GMT http://www.pwc.com/extweb/pwcpublications.nsf/docid/C6097FDB1DF116A785257563006326BB D7CF52F0-412E-443B-8F04-FD3BA2810102 This issue of the Technology Forecast explores the future of enterprise applications and their role in creating a foundation for agility in an era of accelerating change. 17 Feb 2009 19:51:18 GMT http://www.pwc.com/extweb/pwcpublications.nsf/docid/186CAAD016894D1C85256ECC007BDB61 E3A5C8AD-B0A5-41B5-B3B4-591A1EB4C5EE PwC believes that the S&P initiative to incorporate ERM reviews in its credit ratings for nonfinancial clients will help management and shareholders understand and confront the widening world of risk and increase operating efficiency. 13 Feb 2009 19:58:28 GMT http://www.pwc.com/extweb/pwcpublications.nsf/docid/10654D159CE391D38525755B0062BB0C 5DF80766-0EBD-4EEE-BF09-DD56B27C5EBE Today, companies are trying to balance a new wave of cost-reduction imperatives with long-term planning initiatives. For many executive teams, this focus involves determining exactly what expectations they should place on financial shared services centers (FSSC). 4 Feb 2009 18:09:12 GMT http://www.pwc.com/extweb/pwcpublications.nsf/docid/BDA0767E04693DA88525753C00497776 690EEF69-D8DB-43D0-B9B4-58F50D7DFDD5 PwC's insights on intelligent and sustainable cost reduction. Companies must simultaneously tackle both cost reduction and the company's cost management and control in order to realize enduring change to spend. 19 Jan 2009 14:41:10 GMT http://www.pwc.com/extweb/pwcpublications.nsf/docid/943203A5414B24E38525752100562DF1 3835409B-A481-4FA0-903B-043B8BF41909 The effect of federal stimulus plans to promote green investments combined with voluntary and regulatory efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions will provide new incentives for many US businesses to become more energy efficient.10Minutes on Climate Change provides PwC's insights on how to ensure your company has an effective corporate response as climate-related issues grow in complexity. 26 Jan 2009 17:57:34 GMT http://www.pwc.com/extweb/pwcpublications.nsf/docid/800642CA21F830E0852575460065A084 25B78167-CB91-4044-AD17-2A1B7E6FD165 Market dynamics have changed dramatically since the second half of 2007. The credit crisis, volatile stock markets, and recession have put sellers at a disadvantage: they face fewer buyers, more caution, and lower deal multiples. At the same time, those same market forces are exposing marginally performing businesses and are compelling companies to explore multiple options-including divestitures- as a way to raise cash, shed debt, or improve performance. 21 Jan 2009 18:02:46 GMT http://www.pwc.com/extweb/pwcpublications.nsf/docid/484E70D94185CF3A852575380073C162 372F5B0D-8F3E-45A8-87B7-BD83E7351D5B PwC presents an overview of the possible impact the Obama proposals for healthcare reform could have on businesses. This is a summary of a November 2008 PwC white paper entitled, Healthcare Policy in an Obama Administration. 16 Jan 2009 14:41:09 GMT http://www.pwc.com/extweb/pwcpublications.nsf/docid/8C1FE676D96A1D4D8525753C004973B0 BF6CB581-6751-4300-8D19-96162260850C According to this PwC whitepaper, the best CIOs help define and execute forward-looking business strategies and innovation, as well as maintaining and enhancing technology resources and infrastructure. 13 Jan 2009 15:32:12 GMT http://www.pwc.com/extweb/pwcpublications.nsf/docid/CB52A0E077E29D8C85257539005933ED DEC2BBE8-6FA8-4266-B414-8C3BA5228D60 View, PricewaterhouseCoopers' magazine for senior executives, is dedicated to addressing the forces of change that most affect the success of your business. In our Winter 2009 issue, our cover story discusses the need for a long-term US energy policy that supports economic growth in an interdependent world, and how businesses in all sectors have a role to play. In other feature articles, we look at the state of employer healthcare in the coming year, and at how companies can better manage change through transformative technology. And there's much more, including an interview with Eurasia Group's Ian Bremmer on the importance of managing political risk. 16 Dec 2008 12:00:00 GMT http://www.pwc.com/extweb/home.nsf/docid/91EC3F082E8B3187852575130062DA73 A513C2E5-953E-443F-BCAE-0E4BC254C2A8 Cities of Opportunity studies 21 worldwide centers of finance, commerce and innovation for lessons on what makes cities thrive. Traditional centers New York and London, emerging cities Shanghai and Mumbai and cities with special qualities like Chicago, Toronto and Frankfurt are among those showing notable results. 9 Dec 2008 20:33:44 GMT http://www.pwc.com/extweb/home.nsf/docid/869F193189BC81BA852575090044EFF8 CE9DA171-5E7B-4359-9BA5-2DA61FA2E899 In 2009, external forces will compel health industry organizations to react to new financial realities, regulations, and technology. Chief among those forces will be the effects of the economic crisis, a new president and Congress, and financial and technology companies looking to extend their reach into the health industry. PricewaterhouseCoopers' report from the Health Research Institute (HRI) identifies nine significant issues that will shape the health industry in 2009. 9 Dec 2008 20:34:11 GMT http://www.pwc.com/extweb/pwcpublications.nsf/docid/DCF3340A60807A328525751B00197E8C 98552BCB-4136-4322-9826-A687F6DD8CAB Companies reeling from supply chain breakdowns are discovering that aggressive cost cutting created new risks, as demonstrated by product recalls. In the new publication, "From vulnerable to valuable: how integrity can transform a supply chain", PricewaterhouseCoopers discusses how companies can design and manage their supply chains to balance a competitive cost structure with investment in the future. 8 Dec 2008 20:34:11 GMT http://www.pwc.com/extweb/home.nsf/docid/59B1B43B75670B8C85257506004BDF66 AC8B93F4-4927-48C0-9EE7-C93EC8A035FD Susan Dentzer, editor-in-chief of Health Affairs and health correspondent of The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, moderated a panel of healthcare experts, economists and lawmakers as they discussed President Obama's health care reform proposals. This broadcast was recorded from the National Press Club, Washington, D.C. on November 20, 2008. 27 Nov 2008 19:43:55 GMT http://www.pwc.com/extweb/pwcpublications.nsf/docid/4AE4639A6F0D850F8525750E0067F6B9 290EA717-4CA6-482F-971A-4786E444D025 Do more with less. Be more innovative. Manage continuous change. Anticipate market shifts. Bias investment toward differentiation. Standardize wherever possible to reduce costs. Deliver value from acquisitions. Make information a strategic weapon. Create a sustainable infrastructure. Be more agile. In scores of conversations with business and technology executives, it has become evident to PricewaterhouseCoopers that many apparently unrelated initiatives share a common challenge: to manage them in an era of continuous change without tearing the organization apart by lurching from one initiative or crisis to the next. This issue of the Technology Forecast describes how. 12 Nov 2008 19:43:55 GMT http://www.pwc.com/Extweb/home.nsf/docid/6849B919D1214874852574F7005390C1 8ADFCB0B-094A-4A0C-BEE3-DB1C686F1F8B President Barack Obama has pledged to implement multiple changes in our health care system with the goal to increase access and affordability of health care in the United States. This report recognizes the difficulty in developing such reforms in light of current market conditions, the implications reforms could have and provides five suggestions to make health care more affordable. 10 Nov 2008 19:43:55 GMT http://www.pwc.com/extweb/pwcpublications.nsf/docid/9A205B0B97EB9E50852574FE0014DE06 6379ABCC-B848-4297-B16B-D4960A3A7136 According to PwC the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007 (the Act) created a voluntary program whereby private sector organizations may choose to formally certify their business continuity and resilience management plans. This Point of View provides background and analysis on the Act and suggests strategies companies can use to become certification ready. 30 Oct 2008 19:40:05 GMT http://www.pwc.com/extweb/pwcpublications.nsf/docid/78A968AFCDB24BAA852574DE00517B2F FC54CFC6-C029-4D34-BB25-5C4D8111AA96 American Perspectivesis a publication that examines trends and challenges that are impacting businesses today and will continue to do so well into the future. This publication is the culmination of research and interviews with senior US executives, academics, public policy experts and PwC partners discussing how these trends and challenges are interconnected. It provides clear actions for how to navigate these challenges in order to take advantage of them in the face of great change. 29 Oct 2008 19:41:40 GMT http://www.pwc.com/extweb/home.nsf/docid/22343647E2458221852574B10053860E EB1DCE1D-D65A-4C6F-95F2-421ABC97E148 The risk of data and identity theft is on the rise and PwC understands that data losses can be devastating and risks are substantial, including compromise of company IT systems, direct financial impacts from investigations and customer lawsuits, erosion of brand reputation, loss of customers, government fines and regulatory mandates. Having strong data safeguards in place can help secure a company's reputation, competitiveness, and financial well-being. 19 Oct 2008 19:46:18 GMT http://www.pwc.com/extweb/pwcpublications.nsf/docid/347AB8E77002C9DC852574D300499557 905E5743-4EBA-4877-B5CA-8EF38483A94D The period from deal announcement through the first 100 days post close proves to be crucial to deal success, with higher levels of deal performance achieved when certain integration tasks were started and completed within that timeframe. When organizations understand the interdependencies of integration initiatives-and speed up the execution of these activities-they can stop leaving deal value on the table and start delivering greater return to their stakeholders. 16 Oct 2008 19:39:18 GMT http://www.pwc.com/extweb/pwcpublications.nsf/docid/27867A2CF5F8FC0E852574E4004F761E 73AB8621-621E-4223-8F7C-F198CC5F75E0 In May 2008, the SEC formally submitted its proposal that would require all companies applying US Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (US GAAP) or International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) to begin using XBRL within the next three years. As the deadline for implementation nears, it is apparent there is a need for a greater awareness and deeper understanding about the costs and benefits XBRL offers. This whitepaper expresses a point of view on what companies can do now to ensure they are prepared when the proposal takes effect. 15 Oct 2008 19:36:43 GMT http://www.pwc.com/extweb/pwcpublications.nsf/docid/55B55F2801C82D23852574E3006FF190 60AB4B0B-A852-486B-80A0-579C6107884E This whitepaper accompanies PwC's 10Minutes on fair value. It clarifies the issues and provides PwC's point of view on the use of fair value as a measurement basis. Fair value is the best available method for financial instruments, however, its limitations and challenges should be carefully evaluated before expanding its use beyond where it is applicable today. 13 Oct 2008 19:38:03 GMT http://www.pwc.com/extweb/pwcpublications.nsf/docid/236D3C25ED5248CC852574E1005813B6 5FC505AD-C150-4BDE-82F2-1D7279BB1FE1 Studies show that most employers are satisfied with their health benefits and want to continue providing these benefits to their employees. However, employers' expectations of their health insurers are changing, and while many studies in the past have examined the relationship between employees and their employer-sponsored benefits, less is known about employers and what they want from insurance carriers. 29 Sep 2008 19:35:20 GMT http://www.pwc.com/extweb/pwcpublications.nsf/docid/E903DC27B947DE2D852574D3007F767C 70DFB723-9320-4737-8031-579AC296D281 View , PricewaterhouseCoopers' magazine for senior executives, is dedicated to addressing the forces of change that most affect the success of your business. In our Summer 2008 issue, our cover story, Warming Up to Climate Change, discusses how forward-thinking organizations are integrating comprehensive climate-change strategies within their core business strategies. We also ask the question: Are sovereign wealth funds a threat or capital-raising opportunity for US companies? And we present a lively conversation between former President George H.W. Bush and PwC US chairman and senior partner Dennis Nally. Plus: outsourcing, shareholder activism, bridging IT and medicine, the global tax picture, IFRS, and more. 17 Aug 2008 19:35:20 GMT http://www.pwc.com/extweb/home.nsf/docid/1FBE7203AF21BE828525749600609C86 8802FC78-6F40-44EB-A05F-E8DC2842DDAB This new quarterly journal takes its cue from the well-known annual PwC Technology Forecast books published for over a decade. The inaugural issue considers how IT is evolving within the context of an emerging management model focused on creating enterprise agility. As authority is pushed out to the edge, what IT enablers will facilitate faster decision making? How will companies manage continuous change and the complexity that results from it? What kinds of collaboration and other Web 2.0 tools can help? What's the next software suite? 20 Jul 2008 19:33:37 GMT http://www.pwc.com/extweb/pwcpublications.nsf/docid/9E1E117652199558852574FF00189FAE F022ECA0-3EFD-4176-B1F9-9A2845A4FE62 As the pressure to control health spending increases, payers, governments, and providers are compelled to scrutinize the quality and amount of care they'll be able to deliver in the future. Health leaders around the world see the health payment system as one of the best tools in managing this challenge and achieving sustainability. However, with less than 40% of those same leaders ranking their existing payment system as good, every country has room to improve and can benefit from shared best practices. 23 Jun 2008 19:30:36 GMT http://www.pwc.com/extweb/pwcpublications.nsf/docid/BC589DEBA59D9B228525746500600790 8F9AE65B-BA98-4438-BFBF-418C7611F56C Individual tax issues will drive tax reform, but corporate tax issues will be an important element as policymakers consider the best growth strategy of the US economy and the international competitiveness of US business. 19 Jun 2008 19:30:36 GMT http://www.pwc.com/extweb/pwcpublications.nsf/docid/1288241DA08137AE8525746D0075B415 B85E967B-5E83-43B3-AA1A-12CFDDCF77C2 From one year to the next, healthcare costs for employers and their workers always go up. Yet, for the past five years there's been some positive news. The growth rate has been dropping. However, that trend will level off in 2009, according to employers and health plans. The new Health Research Institute (HRI) report, "Behind the numbers: Medical cost trends for 2009", addresses the cyclical nature of the healthcare industry and provides insights into the conflicting factors that are contributing to both cost increases and savings. 16 Jun 2008 19:30:36 GMT http://www.pwc.com/extweb/pwcpublications.nsf/docid/A49D5B8DD5727D5685257467006BDBEB 52ACB6D1-4195-4799-81E7-5C1ACE37D131 More than half of the $2.2 trillion spent annually on healthcare in the US could be considered wasteful, according to an analysis published by PricewaterhouseCoopers' Health Research Institute. Defensive medicine, such as redundant, inappropriate or unnecessary tests and procedures, was identified as the biggest area of excess, followed by inefficient healthcare administration and the cost of care necessitated by conditions such as obesity, which can be considered preventable by lifestyle changes. 8 Apr 2008 19:30:36 GMT http://www.pwc.com/extweb/pwcpublications.nsf/docid/73272CB152086C6385257425006BA2FC 05E842F9-E18B-4D77-8379-A27366565653