article thumbnail

When It Pays to Think Like a Finance Manager

Harvard Business Review

If you want approval for a new project — purchasing new equipment or computer systems, applying for a patent, building a new store — chances are you need your company’s finance department on board. To get the green light, it helps to understand how finance people think. Finance & Accounting Tool.

article thumbnail

How to Improve Your Finance Skills (Even If You Hate Numbers)

Harvard Business Review

If you’re not a numbers person, finance is daunting. Stop avoiding finance because you’re afraid of numbers. Think of it this way, “Finance is the way businesses keep score. “Finance and accounting are very simple. .” “Finance and accounting are very simple. Overcome your fears.

Insiders

Sign Up for our Newsletter

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

article thumbnail

A Refresher on Internal Rate of Return

Harvard Business Review

According to Knight, it’s commonly used by financial analysts in conjunction with net present value, or NPV. With NPV you assume a particular discount rate for your company, then calculate the present value of the investment ( more here on NPV ). Finance & Accounting Article. Further Reading.

article thumbnail

Will You Be Writing Off Your Investment in Egypt?

Harvard Business Review

With political upheaval roiling the streets of Cairo, the first concern of top management in many multinationals is to get their employees and their families out of Egypt safely. Anyone who has had to make the argument for an investment knows the basic tool involved: a Net Present Value (NPV) calculation.

NPV 12
article thumbnail

Hospital Budget Systems Are Holding Back Innovation

Harvard Business Review

A second, more radical solution is to create budgets and authority for a service line or integrated practice unit (IPU) that manages a patient’s entire treatment for a high-volume medical condition. The IPU is an essential component of the value-based care model advocated by Harvard Business School’s Michael Porter.

article thumbnail

Stop Focusing on Profitability and Go for Growth

Harvard Business Review

So, in real terms, debt financing is essentially free. Next time you're deciding about a big investment, NPV can help you make a more informed decision. Even when an organization has a robust pipeline of growth ideas and manages to keep many of them alive, it may lack the human capital needed to accelerate growth.

ROE 14