This course will provide not only the theoretical background but also the necessary skills to build world class standards into your planning, budgeting, performance measurement and reporting system. The course will concentrate on imparting to delegates how to learn the concepts, processes, and techniques of budgeting and business planning in order to be better able to carry out their budgeting and business planning tasks and responsibilities.

By combining techniques analysis, problems and examples with real case studies the course provides delegates with key cost awareness and budgetary skills, which is essential in managing and controlling processes/projects in times of increasing global competition where the budgets are inextricably linked with both strategy formulation and cost analysis.

This course will feature:

• Budgets and Strategy in Today’s International Environment
• The Business Plan and Budget Development
• Analysing the Applicability of Historical Data Using Excel®
• Using Activity-Based Budgeting and Cost Analysis Techniques
• Capital Budgeting and Project Appraisal

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

• Build an integrated planning, budgeting and reporting process
• Understand costs behaviour more accurately
• Deliver more timely and useful information to decision makers
• Improve you the budgeting/financial skills required for better decision-making
• Appreciate the need to link projects within budgets

The course is designed for anyone involved in the budget and business planning process within their organisation. Itis equally appropriate for those who manage projects and who wish to have a greater understanding of how budgets, business plans, and projects interlink.

This course is suitable to a wide range of professionals who have budgetary control and are involved in the business planning process, including, but not limited to:

• Professionals who require a more in-depth understanding of integrated planning & budgeting techniques
• Accountants responsible for budget preparation & management reporting
• Financial Planners and Cost Analysts
• Line heads with direct planning and budgeting responsibility
• Professional advisers, Account Personnel and Business Consultants

This course will utilise a variety of proven adult learning techniques to ensure maximum understanding, comprehension and retention of the information presented. This will include presentations delivered in a highly participative style with discussion, practical exercises and team-based case studies.

The course will provide the practical tools and techniques necessary for the development of budgets, forecasts and business plans. It will provide a real-world practical context by incorporating worked examples, case studies, and Excel© models so that you will see how theory applies in practice and discuss the various issues raised.

Day One : Budgets and Strategy in Today’s International Environment

• Organizational planning framework
• The product / information / decision support cycle
• Strategic, tactical, and operational forecasts
• The strategic approach to business planning
• Various strategic and tactical approaches to business planning
• The international business environment

Day Two : The Business Plan and Budget Development

• Developing the business plan
• Identification of key value drivers
• Achieving objectives
• Zero base budgeting
• Activity based budgeting
• Developing the Cash Budget

Day Three : Analysing the Applicability of Historical Data Using Excel®

• Problems of forecasting
• Using historical data to help predict the future
• Forecasting
• Development of Time Series Models
• Using Regression Analysis as a predictor and estimator
• Mastering the use of Exponential Smoothing as a Data Analysis tool

Day Four : Using Activity-Based Budgeting and Cost Analysis Techniques

• Cost behaviour and breakeven analysis
• Activity based costing
• Budgeting for Processes rather than Departments
• Defining Key Cost Drivers
• Defining Key Activities
• Developing the Activity-Based Budget

Day Five : Capital Budgeting and Project Appraisal

• Identify the various types of capital projects
• Discuss the capital project evaluation process
• The impact time has on the value of money
• Using WACC and ROIC as benchmarks
• Development of the “Hurdle Rate” for capital projects
• Evaluate capital projects by applying NPV, IRR, ARR Payback model