What’s In Your Accounting Policies and Procedures Manuals?

People often ask us, “What should be in our ‘Accounting Policies and Procedures’ manual?”, which naturally leads us to the next question, “What’s in your ‘CFO Accounting Policies and Procedures’ manuals?”  In other words, what specifically is contained in the manuals?  What accounting processes are covered when you order the five-manual Accounting Policies- Procedures bundle?

The CFO Accounting Policies and Procedures Manuals includes 239 prewritten accounting procedure templates and 373 forms organized within five functional business manuals.  All 612 files are in Microsoft Word format, so you can easily edit each file to suit your company’s particular needs. Topics are well-researched and are based on best practices, saving you countless time and enabling you to meet approaching deadlines fast.

Improve your accounting process with:

Accounting Revenue Cycle Procedures

There are many elements to the Revenue Cycle.  Key tasks include how orders are confirmed and entered, and how credit and collections are performed.  There are 13 accounting procedures that address this important accounting process:

1. Cash Drawers And Credit Cards
2. Cash Receipts And Deposits
3. Sales Order Entry
4. Point-Of-Sale Orders
5. Customer Credit Approval And Terms
6. Sales Order Acceptance
7. Invoicing And Accounts Receivable
8. Wire Transfers
9. Problem Checks
10. Sales Tax Collection
11. Progress Billing
12. Account Collections
13. Customer Returns

Accounting Cash Disbursement Cycle Procedures

The Cash Disbursement cycle deals with controlling expenses, confirming expenditures, and ensuring effectiveness of purchases.  There are 12 procedures in the CFO Accounting Policies and Procedures set that address cash disbursement:

1. Check Signing Authority
2. Check Requests
3. Vendor Selection
   

   Vendor Selection Procedure

4. IT Vendor Selection
5. IT Outsourcing
6. General Purchasing
7. Project Purchasing
8. Receiving And Inspection
9. Shipping And Freight Claims
10. Accounts Payable And Cash Disbursements
11. Travel And Entertainment
12. Controlling Legal Costs

Accounting Production Cycle Procedures

The Production Cycle includes processes like how orders are shipped, how freight claims are processed, and how production documents are controlled.   There are 3 production cycle procedures available in the CFO Accounting set.  (Note: additional production cycle procedures are found in the ISO 9001 Quality manual, which is part of the CEO Company Policies and Procedures set of manuals).

1. Shipment of Goods
2. Shipping And Freight Claims
3. Document Control

Accounting Asset Cycle Procedures

The Asset Cycle includes inventory, asset management, and asset acqusition processes.  There are 10 procedures in the CFO Accounting set that address important parts of this key accounting cycle:

1. Inventory Control
2. Inventory Counts
3. Fixed Asset Control
4. Customer Property
5. Asset Acquisition
6. Inventory Management
7. IT Asset Standards
8. IT Asset Management
9. IT Asset Assessment
10. IT Asset Installation Satisfaction

Accounting Audit Cycle Procedures

The Audit Cycle encompasses internal and external (third-party) auditing procedures, as well as performing corrective actions in response to qualified audit opinions.   There are 3 accounting procedures that address this important check step in the accounting process:

1. External Auditing
2. Internal Auditing
3. Corrective Action

Accounting Finance Cycle Procedures

The Finance Cycle includes such processes as raising debt and equity capital, working with leases, mechant accounts, and foreign exchange.  There are 12 accounting procedures in the CFO series that address key elements of the finance cycle:

1. Capital Plan
2. Valuation
3. Bank Loans
4. Stock Offerings
5. Debt and Investment
6. Leasing Procedure
7. Working Capital
8. Cash Management
9. Foreign Exchange Management
10. Managing Bank Relationships
11. Merchant Accounts
12. Letters of Credit

Financial Reporting Cycle Procedures

The Financial Reporting Cycle contains 18 accounting procedures for management reports, stockholder reports, and financial statement reporting.  All companies have financial reporting obligations to their shareholders, investors, and regulators, making this a key accounting cycle:

1. Chart of Accounts
2. Bank Account Reconciliations
3. Management Reports
4. Period-End Review & Closing
5. Taxes And Insurance
6. Property Tax Assessments
7. Confidential Information Release
8. Files And Records Management
9. Fixed Asset Capitalization & Depreciation
10. Annual Stockholders’ Meetings
11. Board of Directors’ Meetings
12. Financial Forecasting
13. Financial Reporting
14. Financial Statement Analysis
15. Financial Management Review
16. Financial Restatements
17. Financial Information Release
18. Related Party Transactions

Strategic Planning Cycle Procedures

The Strategic Planning Cycle addresses management responsibilities, various forms of risk assessment, continuity, and compliance.  There are 13 accounting procedures in the CFO Accounting Policies-Procedures set of manuals that support this accounting cycle:

1. Business Plan
2. Risk Assessment
3. Risk Management
4. Financial Objectives
5. Management Responsibility
6. Continuity Planning
7. Document Control
8. Record Control
9. IT Threat And Risk Assessment
10. IT Security Plan
11. IT Disaster Recovery
12. Sarbanes-Oxley Compliance
13. SAS 70 Compliance

Accounting Payroll Cycle Procedures

The Payroll Cycle addresses benefits, compliance, and employee performance appraisals.  There are 9 accounting procedures available to you that are included in the Payroll cycle:

1. Payroll
2. Paid and Unpaid Leave
3. Insurance Benefits
4. Healthcare Benefits
5. Compliance Posting Requirements
6. Employee Performance Appraisals
7. Employee Retirement Income Security (ERISA)
8. Consolidated Budget Reconciliation (COBRA)
9. Family and Medical Leave (FMLA)

Information Integrity Cycle Procedures

The Information Integrity Cycle is a key part of the accounting-IT interaction.  Key procedures in this cycle include computer and Internat usage, IT access control, IT management, and IT incident handling.  There are 9 accounting procedures addressing this important accounting cycle:

1. E-Mail Policy
2. Computer and Internet Usage Policy
3. Information Technology Management
4. IT Records Management
5. IT Document Management
6. Computer Malware
7. IT Access Control
8. IT Security Audits
9. IT Incident Handling

CFO Accounting Policies Procedures Manuals

In all, there are over 200 prewritten accounting procedures and nearly 400 accounting forms organized within the five functional business manuals of the CFO Accounting Policies and Procedures Manuals series.  Each procedure and form is available in Microsoft Word, so they can be customized to reflect the accounting processes at your company.