Significant Accounting Policies

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2014

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Significant Accounting Policies

2. Significant Accounting Policies

Special Items — We recognize expenses resulting directly from our business combinations, employee termination benefits, certain R&D agreements, certain contract terminations, consulting and professional fees and asset impairment or loss on disposal charges connected with global restructuring, quality and operational excellence initiatives, and other items as “Special items” in our condensed consolidated statement of earnings. “Special items” included (in millions):

	Three Months Ended March 31,
	2014		2013
Impairment/loss on disposal of assets	$	9.7	$	0.3
Consulting and professional fees		15.0		26.9
Employee severance and retention		0.9		(0.3	)
Dedicated project personnel		10.9		5.4
Certain R&D agreements		4.5		—
Relocated facilities		0.7		1.3
Certain litigation matters		—		(3.8	)
Contract terminations		1.0		0.5
Contingent consideration adjustments		0.5		0.3
Accelerated software amortization		1.5		1.5
Other		1.2		1.4
Special items	$	45.9	$	33.5

In the three months ended March 31, 2014, we reduced the estimated useful lives of certain intangible assets to zero because we determined we would no longer utilize those assets. This was accounted for as a change in accounting estimate, which resulted in their remaining net book values of $7.2 million being amortized immediately. We have included this amortization expense in the caption “Impairment/loss on disposal of assets.”

Recent Accounting Pronouncements — There are no recently issued accounting pronouncements that we have not yet adopted that are expected to have a material effect on our financial position, results of operations or cash flows.