Introduction

This hands-on, practical finance & accounting training course will demonstrate how you can develop spreadsheet models to create a forecast, which can then be utilised to generate business plans and operating budgets with the use Excel® as it is used in practice. The applications will be focused on three crucial aspects of business and financial management - strategic planning, intelligent forecasting and realistic budgeting. Delegates will learn how accessible the power of Excel® is to provide realistic forecasts and prepare flexible budgets. The impact on efficiency in planning and control and therefore return on investment for companies and/or divisions will be startling.

Course Outline :

• The power of Excel for building financial models
• The Ribbons of Excel with their commands and functions
• Using formulae: Copying, anchoring and special pasting
• Using functions: financial, statistical and mathematical
• Review of the financial objectives of business: ROI, ROA, ROE
• Overview of Financial Statements
• Classical strategic planning models
• Cost-Volume-Profit Analysis and Break-Even as a planning example
• Forecasting in perspective - the Past vs. the Future
• Necessity to apply a range of different forecasting methods
• Qualitative Models used in forecasting
• The budget process: Timing and Cycles
• Setting budgeting objectives and tolerance levels
• Budgeting Techniques
• Build your planning model
• Build your forecasting model
• Build your budgeting model

Training Methodology :

This course uses large-screen demonstrations to illustrate the spreadsheet techniques discussed and participants receive a diskette containing all the examples shown. Although the demonstrations are performed using Excel, this course is relevant to users of any Windows-based spreadsheet system.

This course will utilise a variety of proven adult learning techniques to ensure maximum understanding, comprehension and retention of the information presented. The approach is two pronged; firstly, there is a focus on principles of financial management, from review of financial reports to making capital project decisions, secondly, the principles are applied using financial models built in Excel and based on the use of scenario and sensitivity analysis before making decisions.

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

Suitable for :

• Business advisors, analysts & staff from all functional areas who need to advise, comment or develop business forecast plans and budgets
• Strategic planners and Finance officers
• Management Accountants
• Managers without formal financial qualifications

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

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

Fees

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