This is the third report in the IMA® (Institute of Management Accountants) Rising to the Challenge research series, which was created to help accounting and nance leaders better understand business obstacles and ways that companies are overcoming them to elevate the role of nance. In 2012, IMA’s research study “Productivity in Accounting and Finance Organizations” identified and explored the most critical challenges facing accounting and nance teams: streamlining processes and improving productivity. In 2013, “Achieving Real-time Visibility across the Organization” focused on another pressing area facing nance executives: improving the management reporting cycle and achieving real-time visibility across the organization.