Financial Analysis Certificate by Distance Learning

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1 Australia s premier Excel course for finance professionals for remote study Financial Analysis Certificate by Distance Learning Using Excel This course is designed for existing users of Excel or similar spread sheet programs needing to vastly increase their modelling and analytical skills especially in the disciplinary areas of Accounting, Finance and Management. It is a unique and practical 48-hour hands on course designed to improve the Excel modelling and analytical skills of finance professionals for the forecast, analysis and presentation of business and financial information. This course delivers: a thorough grounding in the tools and features available in Excel; techniques to assist in auditing and understanding existing workbooks; techniques to improve sensitivity analysis within models; coverage of essential Excel functions for forecasting and financial analysis; methods to generalise formulas for more dynamic and flexible calculations and analysis; practical guidance on the layout and structuring of workbooks for analysis and forecasting; frameworks to aid in understanding and assimilating information on complex formulas and formatting; and measurable improvements in the accuracy and productivity for attendees. Who will benefit? Anyone who uses Excel on a regular basis for modelling, forecasting, valuation or analysis will find this course beneficial. The Financial Analysis Certificate is especially designed for professionals in the finance, accounting and management environments. It appeals especially to accountants, bankers, finance managers, financial analysts, business analysts, financial controllers, financial advisers and others who wish to add model design, security and advanced modelling, sensitivity analysis and analytics to their skill sets. Finance professionals who are already familiar with Excel, and building models and reports as part of their role, but who are concerned by, complexity or difficulties in implementing sensitivity analysis will find this course extremely rewarding. Managers from other disciplines also find it invaluable in assisting them to improve their model-building skills and to understand the models used in their organisations. This course will improve your depth of knowledge, provide usable and straight forward techniques to improve productivity, increase the robustness of models constructed and reduce your error rate. And, very importantly, increase the ease with which sensitivity analysis will be carried out once the base model has been completed. What does the course offer employers? This course leads to a direct and measurable improvement in staff productivity and a reduction in through good design. Standardisation of technique within workgroups is an important outcome. The very flexibility that is the principal attraction of modern spread sheet products is the reason for shortcomings in design. A user must adopt and develop a strongly defined technique that enhances their efficiency, increases transparency and improves reliability. This course is not just another Excel course, it delivers on these requirements. A number of our clients have made this course an integral part of their employee training and development programs and have reaped measurable benefits from the standardised techniques adopted. It is also ideally suited to internal graduate training and development programs. Corporations that have regularly used either the public or private in house offerings of our courses over many years include: Telstra, Macquarie Bank, UBS, CCA, Procter & Gamble, Ernst & Young, AMP, McDonalds, BNP Paribas, NAB, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Westpac, Caltex, Deutsche Bank, Lend Lease, Optus, KPMG, St George, CBA, Rothschild Australia, Bankwest, ANZ, Johnson & Johnson, Colonial First State, and many more

2 Key Techniques for Model Building Guidelines for effective model layout Guidelines for improving model and analytical clarity and reducing complexity Handling assumptions and designing for powerful and effective sensitivity analysis Building formulas robustly How to develop productive and error-averse formula entry techniques Pointing techniques to reference ranges and avoid Keyboard techniques: non rodent access to ribbon controls, menu commands, ranges, dialog boxes etc Navigating and selecting ranges, sheets, objects, chart elements Sensitivities Setting up workbooks to enable sensitivity analysis and the implementation of sensitivity analysis is a particular focus of this course Sensitivity analysis using Data Tables Sensitivity analysis using Scenarios Sensitivity models with tables of scenarios Dynamic reference sensitivity solutions Use of data tables on any worksheet and for multiple variables Working with Names Understanding names Working with names Defining, creating and editing names Documenting names Guidelines for the use of names - when and when not to use names Effective naming techniques Creating dynamically defined names Alternatives to naming ranges Use of names to improve workbook links Working with names in formulas Avoiding local names being created Working with Lists and Filling Ranges Understanding AutoFill Re-ordering rows and columns Pick from list keys and settings Autocomplete settings Paste special settings Excel Tables (Lists in 2003) "During the six weeks since this course commenced, my models have evolved from complex and volatile to simple and efficient. Furthermore, I have been able to add a level of functionality that was hitherto unappreciated." - Patrick H Formatting Understanding and using styles to build effective and manageable workbooks Key settings to improve workbook layout Using custom number formatting to control appearance of models Advanced custom formatting Conditional formatting Understanding Office themes Page layout settings Using and formatting shapes Working with linked text objects Understanding Formulas Understanding Excel expressions (formulas) and how they are evaluated Excel operators and their precedence Relative, mixed, absolute and multi-sheet addressing; A1 versus R1C1 addresses Expression nesting and managing complexity Identifying and implementing the appropriate function to solve problems Formula building techniques to reduce referential Range, Union and Intersection operators Built-in tools to build, edit and audit formulas Data types and conversion Understanding array formulas When to use array functions Alternatives to array formulas Conditional Expressions Logical expressions and logical operators Use of trigger and switch expressions Use of IF() to handle conditional logic Replacing IF() with alternative, less complex solutions for conditional logic Handling complex, multi-step conditions Simplifying date-sensitive logic Implementing conditional formatting to identify, mismatches, duplicates Logical expressions in array formulas Alternatives to AND() and OR()

3 Formula Errors Understanding the Excel error types Errors generated by ambiguous references Identifying and handling formula Identifying and handling data type Identifying and handling calculation Use of built-in functions to bypass rather than tortuous nested IF() functions Errors aren t all bad making use of Use of ISNA(), ISERR(), ISERROR(), ERROR.TYPE(), IFERROR() to manage Use of VALUE(), TEXT(), N(), T(), SUM() and information functions to avoid data type mismatch Formatting Reducing the complexity engendered by formula, alternative approaches Background error checking User Errors Building-in cross checks to identify data inconsistency and user Building-in defaults to avoid Identifying using conditional formatting and styles Useful custom formatting to present cross-checks and Identifying out-of-order lookup tables Lookup and Referencing Formulas Use of VLOOKUP() and HLOOKUP() Use of MATCH() and INDEX() to more flexibly reference data and ranges Exact match and range or threshold match type lookups and when to use each Dealing with discontinuities and conditional logic using lookup tables Use of OFFSET(), INDIRECT(), INDEX() and CHOOSE() to dynamically reference ranges Building dynamic name definitions to be sensitive to data Use of ROW(), COLUMN(), ROWS(), COLUMNS(), ADDRESS() and CELL() in referential formulas to locate values Use of and issues with GETPIVOTDATA() Using choices in drop-down boxes to dynamically access data / settings / assumptions Alternatives to lookup formulas Working with Dates & Times Understanding the built-in date and time functionality provided by Excel Date & time functions available in Excel Building date and time triggers for models and forecasting Apportionment between financial periods Sensitivities dependent upon action dates and timing of transactions Robust solutions to deal with common but difficult calendrical calculations Simplifying date and time logic which is a common source of complexity in many models Calculating financial year, financial quarter, recurrent dates, public holidays, maturities Forecasting cyclically Date and time custom numeric formatting and related issues Converting to and from date and time values, solving text import problems "I am writing to just let you know how much your course has helped me increase my productivity and add value to the work I do. With the learning s from the course I can run various scenarios with so much ease. I have received appreciation from my manager and senior management as these models have really helped them in making informed business decisions - Sameer M Summary & Analysis using Tools Pivot tables and accessing summarised data from pivot tables for reporting Pivot table settings and new settings and options in Excel 2007 and 2010 Building calculated fields in Pivot Tables Data consolidate Consolidation using pivot tables Data subtotalling Group & outline and associated settings and shortcuts Filtering and sorting records De-duplicating data Sorting by colour Working with text, CSV and data files Parsing text ranges Icon sets, colour scales and data bars using conditional formatting

4 Summary & Analysis using Formulas Formulas to identify and analyse matched, duplicate, missing or unique entries Summarising data using standard formulas Summarising data using array formulas Summarising data using database formulas Database functions, advantages and limitations Ranking and sorting data using formulas Techniques for building consolidated reports by function Transposing ranges using array formulas Transposing ranges using standard formulas Database functions such as DSUM(), DCOUNT(), DAVERAGE() to summarise data with complex criteria Using SUMIF(), SUMIFS(), COUNTIF() and COUNTIFS() and SUMPRODUCT() to summarise data with complex criteria Basic statistical functions Building frequency distribution charts using FREQUENCY() I found this course incredibly helpful and would highly recommend it as a good investment of time and money to anybody requiring advanced skills in the use of Excel. It has been an invaluable resource with fantastic quality of course notes for later reference. As a business person involved in feasibilities, computer modelling, due diligence etc and in my work as a Chartered Accountant and Licensed Real Estate Agent, it has certainly been very helpful - Rob E Model Deployment and Security Housekeeping and security Cell, scenario, object security settings Worksheet and workbook security and distribution of models Understanding styles Development of templates, incorporating standard content and predefined styles Adding hyperlink indexes to workbooks Template title pages Formula Auditing Built-in formula auditing tools Tracing precedents & dependents Conditional formatting to identify problems Error checking formulas and styles Locating inconsistent formulas and constant values Use of Go To dialog to jump to and from remote references Documenting names Financial Analysis Investment decision model Advanced investment analysis including sensitivity to leverage Financial functions including RATE(), PMT(), PPMT(), IPMT(), NPER(), PV(), FV() Discounted cash flow functions including NPV(), XNPV(), IRR(), XIRR() Forecasting balance sheet and cash requirements Du Pont analysis Z Score analysis Break-even and regression analysis including SLOPE(), INTERCEPT(), RSQ() Sales variance analysis including margin, volume and mix variances Charting & Presentation Charts sensitive to user selections Dynamic charts with variable periods Conditional formatting to present data Interface Design Data validation and creating in cell drop down boxes Utilising values from in cell drop down boxes and applying default values Embedded controls for managing dynamic lists, based on user selections Workbook Linking Building safe links using range names and the intersection operator Understanding link resolution Locating and removing invalid links Applications Financial distress forecasting using Z scores Monitoring financial performance, using the DuPont model Developing a planning model including variables and assumptions tables and managing and incorporating changes Cyclic cash forecasts Forecasting costs and cash flows using S Curves

5 Excel Version The course materials are fully compatible with all versions of Excel from Excel 97 to Excel Version specific instructions are given where these vary between versions. Some keyboard shortcuts taught are not available in the Macintosh versions of Excel (2004, 2008, 2011). "This course is not just about Formulas. James challenges our entrenched way of building models through technique and planning. A tremendous value-add for any employee using Excel" - John E. Public courses are conducted using Excel 2007, but with Excel 2003 installed and available for comparison where appropriate, and guidance is given to those who are still using the older versions. Course Materials The course materials include a 350+ page course text and a CD ROM which includes the sample versions and worked versions of the course files, as well as a number of reference documents, and a set of links to other useful resources. Commentaries and prepared sample solutions are also provided to the students for the review exercises, although these are not available for the assessment questions. Review Exercises & Study Process The student works their way through the materials, completing the included exercises as they go. Sampl e solutions are provided for those exercises which they will need to check their progress, those for which the solution is not provided in the materials themselves. In addition, there are four review exercises which are spaced at roughly even intervals throughout the materials and for which no solution is provided. They are designed to enable us to monitor the student s progress and to provide them with individual feedback and guidance. As each review exercise is encountered in the materials, the student should complete it and submit it for review. Upon review, the student is provided with a set of materials that includes the sample solution(s) and a commentary in PDF format which includes detailed instructions and commentary on the exercises. In addition, each submitted exercise is individually reviewed by one of the facilitators and feedback is provided that indicates how successfully the student has applied knowledge from the course and how well the exercise has been completed and presented, and guidance on any issues or misunderstandings brought to light. The review exercises are not marked and included in any final grade, they are presented for educational purposes only and to allow some dialog between the facilitators and students. Educational Support Support is provided initially by , although most students find they seek clarification on points as and when they submit review exercises, we will provide support at any time if the student is having difficulty completing exercises or understanding concepts. Most needs can be fulfilled by the exchange of s, however, where the concepts need to be explained or the student is clearly in need of further support, telephone will be made to discuss issues with the student. Certificate and Assessment Upon completing the course, the student has the option to sit the final assessment. If they do not elect to do so, the submission of the four review exercises, demonstrating techniques and knowledge from the course, lead to the award of the certificate of completion. If the student elects to undertake the final assessment, they may opt to submit only the first three review exercises and undertake the assessment. About half prefer to complete all four review exercises before attempting the asses sment. The student nominates a two-day period that is convenient to them, usually a weekend, and the materials are sent to them by and they have the two days to complete and submit one or more of the assessment questions for grading. In this case, after assessment, a certificate is awarded at Pass, Credit, Distinction or High Distinction grade. Time Allowed for Course Completion Initially a student is allowed six months for completion, and may be granted an automatic extension of six months if required, upon request. Extensions beyond that are subject to a fee equivalent to twenty five per cent (25%) of the original course fee, although leniency will be extended where there are genuine extenuating circumstances. Average time for completion is six to nine months.