Am I Certifiable?

Jun 5, 2017 6:00am ‐ Jun 5, 2017 7:15am

Identification: DPG2

What are the benefits of certification? Do I meet the eligibility requirements? What is the best way to prepare? What is required to maintain my certification? The answer to these questions and more will be answered during this session. Learn firsthand from your peers about the certification process and how achieving the industry’s only accredited certification for construction financial managers enhances your individual career and practice development for CPA firms.

Learning Objectives:

  • Take the next step in career or practice development.
  • Understand exam eligibility requirements, the application process and certification maintenance.
  • Identify exam preparation resources.
  • Locate the most convenient test center.

CFMA Benchmarker 2017 Preliminary Results

Jun 5, 2017 6:00am ‐ Jun 5, 2017 7:15am

Identification: DPG1

Learn about the key data from CFMA’s Benchmarker and how it can impact your company. Learn and share Benchmarker best practices with your conference peers, and walk away with benchmarking techniques that can help you improve your company’s financial and operational performance. Learn about KPIs most relevant to contractors, including those related to liquidity, profitability, leverage, efficiency, and productivity.

Learning Objectives:

  • Learn the preliminary results from the 2017 Financial Survey highlighting the 2016 FYE
  • Find out methods by which contractors may manage operations in order to improve financial ratios relied on by sureties and lenders
  • Understand how others are using the CFMA Benchmarker to improve their bottom line
  • Discover how to maximize CFMA's online Financial Benchmarker tool for 24/7 benchmarking, reporting, and of your company's financial performance with others in the industry
  • Have increased knowledge of the technologies available for Heavy Highway Contractors to operate more efficiently and profitably.
  • Will be able to identify technology opportunities they can take home to improve their company.
  • Have a better understanding of the resources required to benefit from the latest technology.
  • Have a better understanding of the resources required to benefit from the latest technology.

CFMA Wants You to Be a Speaker/SME!

Jun 5, 2017 6:00am ‐ Jun 5, 2017 7:15am

Identification: DPG3

CFMA is looking for new speakers and subject matter experts (SMEs) to participate in our ever-growing educational offerings. Learn about the opportunities, resources, and content that will assist with your potential involvement as a CFMA speaker or SME.

Learning Objectives:

  • Learn important findings by the Speaker Development Task Force – what makes a successful session, what a speaker should do to be successful, and what to avoid
  • Identify the topics available for presentations and for serving as an SME
  • Learn best practices for a successful presentation, both in person and via webinar
  • Discover the CFMA training, support, and programs available that can assist with your development

Emerging Issues Roundup – An Update on FASB Activities

Jun 5, 2017 9:30am ‐ Jun 5, 2017 10:45am

Identification: A1

This session will provide updates on the U.S. standard setting agenda, including deep dive discussions on industry relevant standards that have been issued in the current fiscal year.

Negotiating Skills: Moving from Compromise to Win/Win

Jun 5, 2017 9:30am ‐ Jun 5, 2017 10:45am

Identification: ADV1

We often walk away from negotiations – whether with fellow employees, suppliers, or customers – feeling dissatisfied because we gave up something. This action-packed session will focus on specific techniques to shift from a fallback strategy of compromise to win/win, a strategy to more fully satisfy each person's needs.

Hiring Process Strategies to Improve Results & Manage Risk

Jun 5, 2017 9:30am ‐ Jun 5, 2017 10:45am

Identification: B1

Competition for construction talent has created a volatile atmosphere where hiring involves a significant risk of time and money. This session is a deep dive into processes and strategies to improve your hiring process and mitigate risk. We’ll talk through how the speed of your process impacts your results, examine typical process bottlenecks, and how to correct common process blunders to prevent bad hires and potential legal problems. This session includes analysis of candidate behavior, how to interpret it, and how to develop standard practices to deal with red flags that may arise from it. You'll also discover how to manage the difficult topic of compensation with candidates, and hear enlightening information on how and when to extend the offer. Don't miss the “war stories” from the trenches and how these strategies have saved time, money, and improved results for many construction companies.

Learning Objectives:

  • Understand why slow hiring is costly and ineffective, and what you can do about it
  • Connect the dots between poor processes and bad hires
  • Identify best practices to avoid the most common process pitfalls
  • Get instructions on if, how, and when offers should be extended
  • Learn specific strategies to prevent hiring problems, before they arise

Creating a Pain-Free Injury Claim Management Process

Jun 5, 2017 9:30am ‐ Jun 5, 2017 10:45am

Identification: R1

Although construction is a much safer industry for workers today than in the past, workplace injuries still occur. One mishandled injury, even if it is seemingly minor, can result in years of negative impact on a company’s finances and reputation. Being prepared to deal with issues related to an injured employee before an event happens is key to minimizing the damage. This session will examine the various ways that an injury claim can affect a company’s Experience Modification Rating (EMR), Incident Rate Ratios, and employee morale as well as what can be done to minimize the effect of an injury by having proper policies and processes in place to effectively manage a claim. An insurance agent with a progressive approach to managing workers' comp claims and the CFO/HR Manager of a contractor will co-present to bring experience and provide insight from different angles of handling an injury claim.

Learning Objectives:

  • Study the upstream-midstream-downstream approach to suicide prevention in the workplace and identify interventions at each level.
  • Understand why construction is one of the top at-risk industries for suicide.
  • Identify warning signs of mental health issues and risk of suicide in employees.
  • Provide a toolbox of mental wellness and suicide prevention resources and training available for integrating mental health and suicide prevention in the workplace.
  • Clarify why it is not only okay, but necessary, to address warning signs without concern of privacy issues – and how to address them properly.

Using Predictive Analytics to Enhance Project Execution & the Bottom Line

Jun 5, 2017 9:30am ‐ Jun 5, 2017 10:45am

Identification: T1

By the end of 2016, an estimated 73% of companies across different industries will have invested in big data analytics. In the construction industry, however, a mere 6% of professionals are familiar with the concept of the Internet of Things (IOT). By innovating operations with analytics, contractors have the opportunity to be on the forefront of a revolution. This session will introduce techniques for data collection and analytic integration to fuel profitability. It will also present key areas of the business for implementation and teach accurate analysis methods to support positive organizational change.

Learning Objectives:

  • Discover ways to shift from a historical orientation to a future-driven perspective
  • Reduce detail and complexity in accounts, the ledger system, budgeting and reporting systems, and measures of performance
  • Understand effective data collection and analysis methods
  • Gain insight on the best practices for analytic implementation

Specialty Trade – Killer Subcontract Clauses: Is There a Cure?

Jun 5, 2017 1:45pm ‐ Jun 5, 2017 3:00pm

Identification: S1

Subcontractors are faced with numerous risks, including onerous clauses in the subcontract. Subcontractors must decide whether to insure against them, try to change the language, or pass on the job. This session will look at those objectionable clauses and identify those that can be insured against, those that can even the playing field by changing a word or two, or when it is wise to say thanks but no thanks.

Learning Objectives:

  • Recognize when the least risk is to pass on the project and the contractor.
  • Identify Subcontract Clauses that pose the most risk for the Specialty Trade Subcontractor.
  • Learn strategies to negotiate changes to those clauses.
  • Identify clauses that we can insure for and which coverages we already have will apply.

Optimizing Field Operations for Mobility, Agility & Profitability

Jun 5, 2017 1:45pm ‐ Jun 5, 2017 3:00pm

Identification: T2

Software for construction field operations, including mobile technology, is evolving rapidly and is critical to profitability. The faster a company has accurate information on what is happening in the field, the faster it can react to protect margins. Minimizing inefficiency, redundancy, and delays in this data capture and analysis process are parallel goals. This session will cover field operations software approaches, unifying field applications with accounting/ERP systems and other workflows, and strategies for successful deployment.

Learning Objectives:

  • Approaches and considerations related to unifying field applications with applications for estimating and other operational workflows to maximize efficiency, accuracy and collaboration
  • How expectations and demands for construction field operations are evolving, and how software applications – including mobile capabilities – create opportunities to reduce costs and
  • How to sort through the extensive range of software options for field operations, evaluate the ROI potential and know when to move forward with a
  • Real-world challenges of introducing software in a construction environment and the proven strategies to overcome them
  • The advantages of connecting field operations applications with the accounting/ERP system to eliminate redundancy and leverage accurate, real-time data