XML 27 R16.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT v3.7.0.1
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2017
New Accounting Pronouncements And Changes In Accounting Principles [Abstract]  
Recent Accounting Pronouncements

Note 10 — Recent Accounting Pronouncements

In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued ASU No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, which supersedes all existing revenue recognition requirements, including most industry specific guidance. The new standard requires a company to recognize revenue when it transfers goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration that the company expects to receive for those goods or services. The guidance also includes enhanced disclosure requirements which are intended to help financial statement users better understand the nature, amount, timing and uncertainty of revenue being recognized and the related cash flows. In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-08, Revenue from Contracts with Customers: Principal versus Agent Considerations, which clarifies the implementation guidance on principal versus agent considerations. In April 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-10, Revenue from Contracts with Customers: Identifying Performance Obligations and Licensing, which clarifies certain aspects of identifying performance obligations and licensing implementation guidance. In May 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-12, Revenue from Contracts with Customers: Narrow Scope Improvements and Practical Expedients, which relates to disclosures of remaining performance obligations, as well as other amendments to guidance on collectability, noncash consideration and the presentation of sales and other similar taxes collected from customers. In December 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-20, Technical Corrections and Improvements: Revenue from Contracts with Customers, which clarifies several topics including, certain types of transactions that are outside the scope of the new standard, disclosure requirements and balance sheet considerations.

 

In 2016, Forrester established a formal program and cross-functional implementation team to identify, design and implement changes to its accounting systems and policies, business processes and internal controls to support recognition and disclosures under the new standard. The Company estimates it is more than half way through its adoption analysis and significant completed activities to date include assessments of material, active contracts, performance obligations, standalone selling prices and transaction price allocation, revenue recognition timing and variable consideration.

 

The Company does not anticipate that the standard will have a material impact on its results of operations. The number of performance obligations in the Company’s arrangements will not be different under the new standard than under current guidance. Determining standalone selling prices and allocating contract consideration on multiple element arrangements will not be different from the Company’s current methodologies of establishing fair value / estimated selling price for our goods and services or allocating total contract consideration under the relative selling price method. Additionally, the timing of revenue recognition will remain substantially unchanged for most products. Subscription based research services revenues will continue to be recognized over time, using the new standard’s output method of time elapsed, as Forrester’s clients receive and consume the benefits of our services as we transfer control throughout the contract period. Advisory, reprint and events revenues will continue to be recognized at the point in time as control is transferred to the customer, which will generally be when the client has physical possession of the good(s) or upon completion of the service(s). The Company expects that most of its consulting contracts will continue to be recognized over time, while some contracts may be required to be recognized at a point in time upon completion of the project.

 

Key areas still in process include the evaluation of contract costs and the recording of contract assets and liabilities on the

consolidated balance sheet. The adoption program and all remaining activities, including updates to the Company’s systems,

processes, policies and controls, are expected to be completed in late 2017.

 

The new standard will be effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods within that reporting period. The two permitted transition methods under the new standard are the full retrospective method, in which case the standard would be applied to each prior reporting period presented, or the modified retrospective method, in which case the cumulative effect of applying the standard would be recognized at the date of initial application. The Company has not yet determined its adoption methodology.

 

Notwithstanding the Company’s current conclusions above, certain areas of the standard, as well as implementation issues, continue to be worked through by the various standard setting bodies. The Company’s implementation team continues to monitor industry activities and standard updates and will adjust its adoption plans based on any relevant guidance issued by the standard setters and regulators.

 

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02, Leases. The new standard requires that all lessees recognize the assets and liabilities that arise from leases on the balance sheet and disclose qualitative and quantitative information about its leasing arrangements. The new standard will be effective for the Company on January 1, 2019. The adoption of this standard is expected to have a material impact on the Company’s financial position. The Company is currently evaluating the potential impact that this standard may have on its results of operations.

In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-13, Financial Instruments - Credit Losses: Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments. The new standard amends the current financial instrument impairment model by requiring entities to use a forward-looking approach based on expected losses to estimate credit losses on certain types of financial instruments, including trade receivables. The new standard will be effective for the Company on January 1, 2020. The adoption of this standard is not expected to have a material impact on the Company’s financial position or results of operations.

 

In August 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-15, Statement of Cash Flows: Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments. The new standard clarifies certain aspects of the statement of cash flows, including contingent consideration payments made after a business combination, proceeds from the settlement of insurance claims, and distributions received from equity method investees, among others. The new standard will be effective for the Company on January 1, 2018. The adoption of this standard is not expected to have a material impact on our statements of cash flows upon adoption.

 

In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-04, Intangibles-Goodwill and Other: Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment. The new standard simplifies the subsequent measurement of goodwill by eliminating Step 2 from the goodwill impairment test and requires that instead, an entity should perform its goodwill impairment test by comparing the fair value of a reporting unit with its carrying amount. The new standard will be effective for the Company on January 1, 2020. The adoption of this standard is not expected to have a material impact on the Company’s financial position or results of operations.