Financial Planning & Forecasting

Financial Planning & Forecasting

About the Course:

In today's highly volatile environment, estimating future costs and revenues is critical for justifying investment decisions!

Gain state-of-the-art forecasting tools and modeling techniques that will help you analyze financial data...predict revenues and costs...assess the risk inherent in your forecasts...effectively report the forecasting results to management...and improve corporate decision making.

The Program is designed to help the participants:

• Understand the principles of financial planning and forecasting and the practical problems and how to overcome them.

• Understand how economic outcomes of business decisions are planned for and reflected in your organization’s financial reports.

• Communicate more effectively with the financial executives in your organization.

• Improve your financial vocabulary so that you are better able to understand and interpret financial information.

• Increase your comprehension of current analytical financial planning and forecasting practices and techniques.

• Learn to use financial forecasting information in managerial decision-making.

• Discuss current financial problems.

• Understand the impact of operating decisions on financial performance.

Objectives:

  • Creating a framework for financial forecasting
  • Identifying data patterns and applying time series modelling techniques
  • Modelling and forecasting your key business drivers
  • Simulating a complete financial forecast: Drilling down to the bottom line
  • Dealing with uncertainty
  • Weighing approaches to interest rate risk modelling
  • Communicating the forecast to management Data visualization techniques

 

Who Should Attend

  • CFOs
  • Vice Presidents of finance
  • Financial managers and Analysts, Controllers and Treasurers
  • Directors of planning and corporate and business development
  • Business unit Managers
  • Operations Analysts
  • Budget Managers and Analysts.

 Methodology

All courses include full material in both hard copy and in electronic CD Rom format for each individual participant and also for the clients training department's files. The material includes a full manual, exercises, and all PowerPoint slides. In addition the CD Rom includes significant additional material including software, excel template spreadsheets and other material that can be very valuable for participants in their everyday work. The courses are fully interactive with lots of discussions, exercises, multiple choice questions and answers including breakout sessions and where possible video presentations. The trainer has over 20 years experience of providing training programmes throughout the world. The trainer is widely acknowledged for his ability to present at times complex material in an easy friendly manner with clear explanations. 

Outline

 

Tools to Meet the Challenges of the 21st Century 

  • The nature and challenge of competitive business
  • Managing risk and uncertainty
  • Business planning and performance management
  • Measuring the key drivers of business success
  • Financial models – what they are and how to use them most effectively
  • Best practice in building financial models
  • How to get the best results using Excel

Building Models for Financial Statement and Ratio Analysis 

  • The financial analysis tool kit
  • Building a company financial database in Excel
  • Excel charting basics
  • Analysing the cost-volume-profit relationship
  • Understanding the drivers of shareholder value
  • Modelling and interpreting financial rations
  • Using the model to improve business performance

Building Forecasting Models 

  • Understanding the drivers of profit and cash flow
  • Designing and building a cash flow forecast model
  • Using Excel’s built-in data analysis tools
  • Analysing trends in past data – moving averages and regression tools
  • Designing and building a sales forecast model
  • Designing and building a cost forecast model
  • Avoiding common problems in forecasting

Building Models for Capital Investment Decisions 

  • Principles of capital investment decision-making
  • Building a model to calculate company cost of capital
  • The time value of money and principles of discounted cash flow (DCF)
  • Understanding and using Excel’s built-in DCF functions
  • Designing and building a capital investment appraisal model
  • Principles of business valuation
  • Designing and building a business valuation model

Building Models for Managing Risk and Uncertainty 

  • The impact of risk on financial performance
  • Identifying the key drivers of financial performance and strength
  • “What if” forecasts and how they work
  • Designing and building a financial statement forecasting model
  • How to use Excel Goal Seek tool
  • Using Excel’s Scenario Manager tool
  • Building rolling forecast models in Excel

 

Certificates

A Certificate of Completion will be issued to those who attend & successfully complete the programme.

Schedule

  08:30 – 10:15 First Session

 10:15 – 10:30 Coffee Break

10:30 – 12:15 Second Session

 12:15 – 12:30 Coffee Break

12:30 – 14:00 Third Session

 14:00 – 15:00 Lunch

Training Methodology:

This interactive training course includes the following training methodologies as a percentage of the total tuition hours:

  • 30% Lectures, Concepts, Role Play
  • 30% Workshops & Work Presentations, Techniques
  • 20% Based on Case Studies & Practical Exercises
  • 20% Videos, Software & General Discussions
  • Pre and Post Test

Fees

 The Fee for the seminar, including instruction materials, documentation, lunch, coffee/tea breaks & snack is: