Business Finance's annual roundup of best-of-breed software vendors provides the latest scoop on treasury technology. The credit crisis has hugely raised the profile of cash-related processes and the tools that enable them, and while work station vendors continue to dominate, niche providers offer products for just about every desk in treasury.

It's an unfortunate double whammy: cash flow at many companies has both declined and become more difficult to forecast. Recent research from the Hackett Group and the National Association of Corporate Treasurers found that just over one in five companies is able to develop a forecast of cash flow two to three months out that's accurate to within five percent. Despite that gloomy news, some firms are continuing to produce accurate forecasts quickly -- here are key principles these top performing companies follow.

Corporate treasurers whose companies use over-the-counter (OTC) derivatives to hedge interest rate, currency, or commodity exposures will want to look closely at reforms to the market now under consideration in Washington. A new report issued by the Department of the Treasury contains a number of proposed changes to the U.S. financial regulatory system including a “comprehensive regulation of all over-the-counter derivatives.”

Stock buybacks, which in theory should increase a company's share price because they mean fewer shares of stock on the market and higher earnings per share, don't actually boost the price or significantly reduce the number of shares outstanding, according to a Standard & Poor's study. Research from Financial Executive also found that companies that did not buy back stocks enjoyed higher earnings per share than companies that did.

A new study has found that the extent to which creditors’ rights are protected can have a dramatic effect on the interest rates banks charge, how much they lend, and the length of the loan maturities.

Last month, SEC Commissioner Luis Aguilar outlined proposed changes to Rule 2a-7, which regulates money market funds. These changes could have a big impact on corporate America, given that about four in five companies use money market funds as a cash management tool, according to the SEC.

How integrated are your company's sales forecasting and demand planning (SFDP) activities? Combining these forward-looking functions can increase innovation and effectiveness. Read Ventana Research's Analyst Note "Integrate Sales Forecasting and Demand Planning" in the BPM Resource Center to learn more.

The 6th Annual BPM Summit brought together some of the business world's foremost practitioners to explore the transformational role of finance in the enterprise. If you missed the live event, you can still enjoy access to the audio and slide shows from the keynote presentations at our on-demand archive.