15 Topics
5 Days
75 Sessions
Programme Overview
Training Description
- Management accountants
- Financial controllers
- Corporate planning professionals
- Business analysts
- Data and analytics professionals
- Treasury professionals
- Strategy and performance-management professionals
- Finance transformation professionals
- Departmental and business-unit managers
Session Objectives
- Understand the principles of data-driven decision-making in a financial context. Identify key data sources and metrics for building effective budgets. Master techniques for cleaning, preparing, and analyzing financial data. Utilize visualization tools to present complex data clearly. Develop dynamic, data-backed forecasting models.
About the Course
Data-Driven Budgeting: Strategic Financial Planning is an advanced professional training course designed to equip finance, budgeting, FP&A, accounting, strategy, and management professionals with the skills required to use financial and operational data to develop more accurate, flexible, and strategically aligned budgets.The course focuses on transforming budgeting from a largely historical exercise into an evidence-based decision-making process. Participants will learn how to collect, validate, analyze, and interpret financial data; identify cost and revenue drivers; build data-driven forecasts; conduct scenario and sensitivity analysis; monitor budget performance; and use dashboards, analytics, and emerging technologies to support strategic financial planning.
Curriculum & Topics
15 Topics | 75 Sessions
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Workshop 1.1:
The evolution of budgeting from static to dynamic.
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Workshop 1.2:
Core concepts of data literacy and financial intelligence.
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Workshop 1.3:
The role of data in strategic resource allocation.
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Workshop 1.4:
Understanding the data-driven decision cycle.
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Workshop 1.5:
Case studies in successful data-driven finance.
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Workshop 2.1:
Internal data: ERP systems, CRM, HR data, and operational metrics.
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Workshop 2.2:
External data: market trends, economic indicators, and competitor data.
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Workshop 2.3:
The value of unstructured data and text analysis.
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Workshop 2.4:
Integrating non-financial data into financial models.
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Workshop 2.5:
Ensuring data reliability and relevance.
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Workshop 3.1:
Techniques for extracting data from various systems.
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Workshop 3.2:
Using SQL and other tools for data queries.
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Workshop 3.3:
Data cleaning: handling inconsistencies and missing values.
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Workshop 3.4:
Data normalization and standardization.
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Workshop 3.5:
Structuring data for analysis and modeling.
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Workshop 4.1:
Descriptive statistics for understanding historical performance.
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Workshop 4.2:
Correlation and causation in financial data.
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Workshop 4.3:
Using Excel functions for basic data analysis.
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Workshop 4.4:
Introduction to pivot tables and data tables.
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Workshop 4.5:
An overview of statistical software for finance.
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Workshop 5.1:
Principles of effective data visualization.
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Workshop 5.2:
Creating compelling charts, graphs, and dashboards.
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Workshop 5.3:
Choosing the right visualization for your data type.
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Workshop 5.4:
Using tools like Tableau, Power BI, and Google Data Studio.
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Workshop 5.5:
Telling a story with your data.
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Workshop 6.1:
Moving beyond simple historical trends.
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Workshop 6.2:
Creating driver-based and activity-based models.
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Workshop 6.3:
Incorporating market trends and business drivers.
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Workshop 6.4:
Utilizing time-series analysis for forecasting.
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Workshop 6.5:
The role of assumptions in forecasting.
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Workshop 7.1:
Introduction to regression analysis for predicting financial outcomes.
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Workshop 7.2:
Multiple regression models with different variables.
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Workshop 7.3:
Machine learning basics for predictive forecasting.
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Workshop 7.4:
Utilizing Python or R for more complex models.
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Workshop 7.5:
Validating and backtesting your forecast models.
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Workshop 8.1:
Linking sales pipeline data to revenue forecasts.
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Workshop 8.2:
Tying marketing spend to customer acquisition cost.
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Workshop 8.3:
Analyzing supply chain data for cost of goods sold (COGS).
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Workshop 8.4:
Using employee metrics for payroll and headcount planning.
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Workshop 8.5:
Creating a unified view of operational and financial performance.
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Workshop 9.1:
Going beyond simple budget vs. actuals.
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Workshop 9.2:
Decomposing variances into price, volume, and mix effects.
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Workshop 9.3:
Using data to understand the root cause of variances.
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Workshop 9.4:
Creating automated variance reports.
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Workshop 9.5:
Implementing a continuous variance monitoring process.
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Workshop 10.1:
Developing a framework for scenario modeling.
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Workshop 10.2:
Building a worst-case, best-case, and most-likely scenario.
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Workshop 10.3:
Stress testing the budget against external shocks.
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Workshop 10.4:
Using data to quantify the impact of strategic decisions.
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Workshop 10.5:
Presenting scenario analysis results effectively.
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Workshop 11.1:
Defining key performance indicators (KPIs) with data.
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Workshop 11.2:
Creating a data-driven performance management dashboard.
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Workshop 11.3:
Linking budget performance to individual and team goals.
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Workshop 11.4:
Using data to identify areas for cost optimization.
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Workshop 11.5:
Monitoring performance in real-time.
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Workshop 12.1:
The art of presenting complex data to non-technical stakeholders.
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Workshop 12.2:
Building a compelling narrative around your budget.
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Workshop 12.3:
Creating a data-driven budget presentation.
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Workshop 12.4:
Handling questions and objections with data.
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Workshop 12.5:
Fostering a data-centric culture in your organization.
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Workshop 13.1:
Overview of budgeting software with data integration capabilities.
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Workshop 13.2:
Using automation to streamline data collection and reporting.
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Workshop 13.3:
Integrating different systems for a single source of truth.
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Workshop 13.4:
Building automated dashboards and alerts.
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Workshop 13.5:
The future of automated budgeting.
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Workshop 14.1:
Establishing data governance policies for financial data.
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Workshop 14.2:
Ensuring data security and privacy.
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Workshop 14.3:
The importance of data lineage and audit trails.
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Workshop 14.4:
Creating a data quality framework.
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Workshop 14.5:
Best practices for maintaining data integrity.
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Workshop 15.1:
Shifting the finance team's role from reporting to strategic partnership.
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Workshop 15.2:
Using the budget to drive business strategy.
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Workshop 15.3:
Long-range planning with predictive insights.
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Workshop 15.4:
The continuous improvement loop in a data-driven environment.
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Workshop 15.5:
Creating a roadmap for your organization's data journey.
