Getting more for less in finance shared services

Arguably the cost of the typical finance function has halved over the last two decades, during which time expectations from the business have almost doubled. A series of transformation programs have implemented ERP systems, established shared services centres (SSCs) and addressed the stringent demands for greater control and regulatory compliance. At the same time, the pressure to benchmark performance against ‘world’s best practice’ have also increased, together with the demand from business units for better and more comprehensive decision relevant information based on a single version of the truth. In this article David Mitchell and Ian Herbert look at the nature of ‘continuous improvement’, as a ‘business as usual’ (BAU) process, and the emerging role for accountants as the executive managers of global business processes (often titled “Global Process Owners”)

The Agreement’s impact on political cooperation

<p>This article aims to examine the impact of the Agreement on political cooperation. It examines party political cooperation in Northern Ireland and also bilateral British–Irish intergovernmental cooperation. In the first section, the Agreement’s consociational system and its criticisms are outlined. In the second section, the effect of the Agreement on cooperation between the Northern Ireland political parties is assessed. In the third section, the impact on British–Irish East–West cooperation is assessed along with the effects of Brexit.</p

Supplemental Material, SLGR_17-0019R2,_Table_5_Supplement - Planning for Change: Incorporating Contextual Implementation Design into Strategic Planning

<p>Supplemental Material, SLGR_17-0019R2,_Table_5_Supplement for Planning for Change: Incorporating Contextual Implementation Design into Strategic Planning by David Mitchell, Sarah E. Larson, Claudia Colantonio, and Christina Nguyen in State and Local Government Review</p

Sport for peace in Northern Ireland? Civil society, change and constraint after the 1998 Good Friday Agreement

Using the case of Northern Ireland, this article examines how post-conflict transition impacts sports organisations which have traditionally underpinned societal division, and what factors facilitate or restrain such organisations fulfilling peacebuilding functions. The article identifies three peacebuilding functions of sport: in-group socialisation, promoting social cohesion, and symbolically representing new identities. Then, after outlining the sporting and political context in Northern Ireland, the article explores changes within the sporting environment stemming from the peace process as well as persistent socio-political barriers to sport’s capacity to encourage reconciliation and integration, especially symbolic contestation and territorial segregation. The analysis draws on a public attitudes survey (n = 1210) conducted by the authors as part of a major government-funded study. The findings demonstrate the potential of the three peacebuilding functions of sport, yet also, crucially, the constraints imposed by the distinct and divided political context. Avenues for further and comparative research are identified

Lamellae preparation for atomic-resolution STEM imaging from ion-beam-sensitive topological insulator crystals

Good specimen quality is a key factor in achieving successful scanning transmission electron microscope analysis. Thin and damage-free specimens are prerequisites for obtaining atomic-resolution imaging. Topological insulator single crystals and thin films in the chalcogenide family such as Sb2Te3 are sensitive to electron and ion beams. It is, therefore, challenging to prepare a lamella suitable for high-resolution imaging from these topological insulator materials using standard focused ion-beam instruments. We have developed a modified method to fabricate thin focused ion-beam (FIB) lamellae with minimal ion-beam damage and artifacts. The technique described in the current study enables the reliable preparation of high-quality transmission electron microscope (TEM) specimens necessary for studying ultra-thin surface regions. We have successfully demonstrated that the careful selection of FIB milling parameters at each stage minimizes the damage layer without the need for post-treatment

Supplemental Material, SLGR_17-0019R2,_Table_1_Supplement - Planning for Change: Incorporating Contextual Implementation Design into Strategic Planning

Supplemental Material, SLGR_17-0019R2,_Table_1_Supplement for Planning for Change: Incorporating Contextual Implementation Design into Strategic Planning by David Mitchell, Sarah E. Larson, Claudia Colantonio, and Christina Nguyen in State and Local Government Review</p

Sport for peace in Northern Ireland? Civil society, change and constraint after the 1998 Good Friday Agreement

Using the case of Northern Ireland, this article examines how post-conflict transition impacts sports organisations which have traditionally underpinned societal division, and what factors facilitate or restrain such organisations fulfilling peacebuilding functions. The article identifies three peacebuilding functions of sport: in-group socialisation, promoting social cohesion, and symbolically representing new identities. Then, after outlining the sporting and political context in Northern Ireland, the article explores changes within the sporting environment stemming from the peace process as well as persistent socio-political barriers to sport’s capacity to encourage reconciliation and integration, especially symbolic contestation and territorial segregation. The analysis draws on a public attitudes survey (n = 1210) conducted by the authors as part of a major government-funded study. The findings demonstrate the potential of the three peacebuilding functions of sport, yet also, crucially, the constraints imposed by the distinct and divided political context. Avenues for further and comparative research are identified

SLGR_17-0019R2_Table_7_Supplement - Planning for Change: Incorporating Contextual Implementation Design into Strategic Planning

<p>SLGR_17-0019R2_Table_7_Supplement for Planning for Change: Incorporating Contextual Implementation Design into Strategic Planning by David Mitchell, Sarah E. Larson, Claudia Colantonio, and Christina Nguyen in State and Local Government Review</p

Supplemental Material, SLGR_17-0019R2,_Table_4_Supplement - Planning for Change: Incorporating Contextual Implementation Design into Strategic Planning

<p>Supplemental Material, SLGR_17-0019R2,_Table_4_Supplement for Planning for Change: Incorporating Contextual Implementation Design into Strategic Planning by David Mitchell, Sarah E. Larson, Claudia Colantonio, and Christina Nguyen in State and Local Government Review</p

Additional file 3: of Remote ischaemic preconditioning versus sham procedure for abdominal aortic aneurysm repair: an external feasibility randomized controlled trial

3a Baseline patient characteristics by operative procedure. Data are shown as mean (SD) or n (%) as appropriate, unless indicated otherwise. VO2 Max is the maximal oxygen uptake in 1 min during maximal exhaustive exercise. VE/VCO2 is the ventilatory equivalent for carbon dioxide (an indicator of ventilatory efficiency). V-POSSUM stands for the risk profile measured by the Physiological and Operative Severity Score for the enUmeration of Mortality and Morbidity. ACEI = angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor. 3b: Outcome by operative procedure. Data are shown as n (%) and cover the period from surgery to 6 months. *Wound infection, buttock or groin pain, pyrexia of unknown origin, graft problems. AKIN refers to Acute Kidney Injury as classified by Acute Kidney Injury Network [26]. (DOCX 17 kb