Financial Modelling with Excel

Learn the fundamentals to building robust and reliable models

Increased uncertainty in business trading conditions has made Financial Modelling one of the most sought-after skills for accounting and finance professionals today.

The wonderful thing with financial modelling is that it is applicable to all sectors and companies of all sizes. Whether it’s a start-up, SME, large corporate and global multinational the concepts and design principles are the same. All financial models come back to one critical element and that’s cash flow. No matter what business you are in, cash is king and remains the single most critical resource in any company. 

But tracking, modelling and stress-testing scenarios relating to cash flow can be complex given the many different drivers that impact it.

“All models are wrong, but some are useful” – George E Box.

It’s important to recognise modelling is not simply a single forecast, number or output and is unlikely to be 100% accurate. Rather, it is a process of constant improvement and evolution to assist in decision-making.

CFOs with strong financial modelling skills can add significant value by assisting the board in considering a range of strategic options. 

This session will cover an overview of the principles and technical content that was recently published in the CA (ANZ) study guide on financial modelling. It will also step through some of the practical steps you should take when building any model using principles and standards that are universally accepted as best practice.

This session will address the following key areas:

•    design features

•    the process of model-building along with the contents that should be contained within a model 

•    a step-by-step approach to building a model from scratch

•    the key attributes to consider such as scenario management, sensitivities and in some cases simulations.

Attendees will be provided with a practical user guide, an example model question and solution to step through so you can practice these concepts in your own time.

Learning Outcomes:

Attendees will gain an understanding of:

•    the ultimate purpose of models and how this affects design

•    the different types of models

•    what models should contain from a logic and feature perspective 

•    how you benchmark a model against a best practice approach and confirm whether you have any gaps.

Suited to:

Accountants, management accountants, FP&A, CFOs. The content is suitable to develop foundational skills in financial modelling as well as hone and sharpen existing skills to benchmark against leading best practice.

This On Demand includes: 

• a recording of the webinar Event which can be viewed multiple times
• a PDF of the presenter’s PowerPoint
• a verbatim Transcript
• any supporting documentation
• a CPD Certificate after successful completion of the Knowledge Quiz