Performance Measurement Models: the role of IAS /IFRS standards and XBRL language

To implement a sound Performance Measurement Model, a relevant issue is the selection of a proper set of measures. In this sense, a good starting point could be the analysis of the Annual Report containing all the relevant financial data about a company. It is a generally accepted fact that Annual Reports are a good means of describing the situation of a company to all the stakeholders although it is difficult to compare Annual Reports coming from different entities. A process of harmonization of European accounting principles was started in order to bring Annual Reports into line and it is currently being carried out through the adoption of IAS/IFRS standards. Once Annual Reports have been created adopting a common accounting standard, the very next step is to code them using the same IT language. If a common computer language is selected, Annual Reports or other documents can easily be compared without recoding and retyping them. The starting point of this process is the definition of an appropriate taxonomy to be used by both those drafting and reading the documents. The process of choosing an appropriate Accounting Standard, selecting the related taxonomy and, finally, compiling documents using XBRL language leads companies to produce sound, meaningful and clear documents that greatly improve sharing of useful information. Moreover, the adoption of IAS/IFRS standards and XBRL encoded statements provides a set of measures for building sound and widely accepted models. Those models may provide the basis for both internal and external comparisons and analyses. As a matter of fact, a company can easily compare its current situation with its previous performance and, furthermore, can compare its situation with that of other companies of the same industrial sector. Moreover, these analyses could be provided to external stakeholders to be judged in a more complete and objective way.