Transforming Finance Professionals into Business Partners

Venue may change up to 14-days before the course start date. Enquire for dates.

Course Content

• Drivers of change in finance.
  
  • Why the finance function must change: the changing business environment; the demands on finance from the rest of the business; moving up the finance value chain - from efficiency to effectiveness; from finance as a cost centre to finance as a value generator.
  • The need to become world class: what is world class finance?; driving efficiency in finance - finance working smarter not harder; delivering effectiveness in finance - the need to provide decision support; the shifting profile of the finance pyramid.
• The broadening scope of the finance function.
  
  • The emerging strategic role of finance: why finance must get more involved in strategic issues; finance providing answers to the strategic questions of managers; linking strategy, budgeting and forecasting; finance's contribution to risk management - an increasing requirement.
  • Greater involvement in performance management: decision information - a key to strategic performance management; the key role of finance in performance management; performance management models for success; new dynamic management reporting trends that drive performance.
• The enabling platforms for transforming finance.
  
  • The powerful management accounting tool-set: the importance of management accounting in finance transformation; exploring leading edge management accounting tools; applying new management accounting tools to drive business performance; other tools and techniques that complement management accounting.
  • Business analytics: understand and explore the power of business analytics; how business analytics can drive business value; predictive analytics to exploit business opportunities; how analytics can enhance the finance function.
• Finance as business partners.
  
  • Exploring the concept of finance business partners: the emerging finance landscape - the emergence of business partnering; exploring the various models of business partnering; finance professionals as coach and mentor; finance business structures that drive true partnering.
  • The finance transformation journey: finance leadership - where the finance transformation journey begins; the required skills and competencies for transformation; the challenges in transforming - are you ready?; how the finance teams of leading global organisations are transforming.

Learning outcomes include obtaining a greater understanding of:

• the changing role of finance professionals and the finance team.
• how to turn financial data into important business decision making information.
• the emerging technique of business analytics.
• tools and techniques for setting and monitoring business strategies.
• performance management techniques such as managing KPIs that give the best insights for improvement.
• ways to share financial skills and act as coaches and mentors across the business.

The changing business environment plus greater demands for information from business managers emphasises the need for the finance professional to act as a business partner and play a more significant strategic role in order to add value and drive performance management. Irrespective of the size of the organisation, finance needs to transform to add value.

The course is aimed at finance teams that work in large organisations as well as those in the SME sector. Being world class is not a matter of size. You will learn analysis, reporting, business strategy monitoring and performance management skills as well as successful collaboration techniques to feed directly into decision making and expand your role as a financial business partner. This course is for all visionary finance professionals. Latest practical case studies as well as leading thought leadership on the topic will be shared.

Venue may change up to 14-days before the course start date. Enquire for dates.