No. 1 CFO Concern: Understand Customer Needs

Return to main page


"No. 1 CFO Concern: Understand Customer Needs"


"Spending more time understanding customer needs" was ranked as the No. 1 issue by CFOs for 2000, according to 37% of the respondents to a KPMG survey. Other important themes for the year are to:

  • Determine how the Internet will affect profits and growth (33.3%).
  • Better understand the impact of the company's Internet strategy (30.2%).
  • Improve analyst relations (19.0%).
  • Increase time spent with family (17.5%).

Additional findings:

  • 66% of CFOs see a reduction in their stress levels in the year ahead vs. 34% who expect stress levels to increase.
  • 62% of CFOs say their firms will devote equal time to reducing costs and increasing revenues vs. 20% who expect to pay more attention to reducing costs and 18% whose firms will spend more time increasing revenues.
  • 60% of CFOs have no specific target for reducing their company's effective tax rate, compared to 16% who will attempt to reduce the corporate tax rate by 1%.

Writer: Tom Truman

Related Articles

Sweet Charity

The Power of Peer Networks, Part I

Lessons In Quiet Leadership

No. 1 CFO Concern: Understand Customer Needs

Gun Shy on M&A? 10 Reasons to Get Trigger-Happy



Building and Inspiring an Organization

Articles in our Entrepreneur’s Resource Center appeared in print and online newsletters published previously by the foundation. More than 1,000 articles can be found in the categories below, addressing timeless challenges faced by entrepreneurs of all types.