Course Introduction

The role of finance and accounting in modern organizations are not just on cost reduction strategies, but are also involved in improving planning, driving efficiencies, and providing company-wide insights. A better understanding of finance and accounting by non-financial managers and decision makers can be used to exploit these insights and align business strategies effectively. The Accounting for Investment and Managerial Decision-Making training course will equip the delegates with the financial and managerial accounting skills critical for business and investment decisions and improve organization’s performance. The delegates will have the opportunity to explore the building blocks of financial reporting, gain an ability to interpret income statements and balance sheets, and discover how to communicate the results to business stakeholders.

This Oxford Management Centre training course will use practical real-life cases to illustrate the importance of accounting and finance for organizations. Delegates will also explore how to evaluate costs, efficiencies, and profits to create a sustainable improvement, and learn how to set budgets and targets that fit the organization’s risk profile.

This Accounting for Investment and Managerial Decision Making training course will highlight:

• The accounting function, financial and management accounting systems
• The income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow statement
• How to determine accurately the cost of product or service.
• Effective finance and accounting techniques for decision making
• Using budgets to set targets and control the business

Objectives

By the end of this Oxford Management Centre Accounting for Investment and Managerial Decision Making training course, participants will be able to:

• Analyze and interpret an organizations’ annual report
• Explain the difference between profit and cash flow
• Interpret cost behaviour and its impact on product costing
• Use accounting techniques to improve profitability and efficiency
• Use ratio analysis to evaluate financial position and financial performance
• Understanding functional and departmental budgets

Training Methodology

This Oxford Management Centre training course will utilize a variety of proven learning techniques to ensure maximum understanding, comprehension, and retention of the information presented. Relevant examples and empirical studies are provided to illustrate the application of each of the topics covered and opportunities are provided to learn and apply the key accounting and finance concepts.

Organisational Impact

Participants of this training course will provide benefits for their organisation through an enhanced knowledge of accounting and finance.

The set of skills that they will take back to the organisation includes:

• Awareness of the importance of accounting and finance for organizations
• Relevant techniques to monitor and improve business performance
• How to identify problem areas and suggest realistic solutions
• A practical understanding of fundamental financial and managerial accounting concepts and principles to enhance business decision-making
• Appreciation of the impact of financing on the cost of capital, investment projects and business valuations
• Identification, analysis and management of business and financial risk

Personal Impact

By attending this Accounting for Investment and Managerial Decision Making training course, you will greatly improve your Accounting and Financial Analysis skills and develop:

• Improved understanding of the language of finance and accounting
• Increased awareness of the tools and techniques of financial analysis
• Develop your ability to analyze income statements and balance sheets using ratio analysis, and learn how to communicate the results effectively to stakeholders
• An appreciation of the importance of cash flow versus profit
• Enhance your capacity to delegate management control and decision-making authority, fostering responsibility and accountability within your team
• Greater confidence to tackle new situations
• The ability to identify, analyse and manage risk and other problem areas

Who Should Attend?

This Oxford Management Centre Accounting for Investment and Managerial Decision Making training course is suitable for a wide range of professionals who wish to achieve career progress by expanding their financial knowledge. The training course will be most suitable for operational and middle Managers who wish to better understand and make use of financial information in their management roles such as:

• Non-financial Managers who want to leverage accounting to enhance their decision-making and business analysis skills.
• New or aspiring managers seeking to expand their financial knowledge
• Members of the operational management team
• Managers who have responsibility for support functions
• Consultants who provide advice on systems and operations
• Senior staff members of any department

Course Outline

DAY 1

Introduction to Financial Analysis

• The importance of financial accounting data
• Users of financial information
• Sources of financial information
• The purpose of published annual reports and accounts
• The structure and contents of an annual report and accounts
• The three main financial statements
• Income statement
• Balance sheet
• Statement of cash flows

DAY 2

Ratio Analysis

• Ratios and other analyses of the annual report to assess financial performance
• Efficiency and working capital
• Liquidity and short-term solvency
• Investment and growth
• Financial structure and long-term solvency

 DAY 3

 Capital Investment Decisions

• Identify long-term debt and equity, and short-term financing
• Cost of capital: capital asset pricing model (CAPM) and cost of debt
• Weighted average cost of capital (WACC)
• Optimal capital structure models and WACC
• Future values, present values, and discounted cash flow (DCF)
• Using net present value (NPV), internal rate of return (IRR), modified internal rate of return (MIRR) and equivalent annual cost (EAC) to analyse and evaluate capital projects
• Business valuations

DAY 4

Cost Analysis

• Cost, behaviour and activities
• Fixed and variable costs, direct and indirect costs
• Product costs and period costs
• Cost allocation and absorption of overheads
• Absorption or full costing
• Cost-volume-profit (CVP) analysis
• Activity based costing (ABC)

DAY 5

Budgetary Control and Performance Improvement

• Budget preparation process
• Preparation of the master budget
• Responsibility accounting and variance analysis
  • Standard costing; flexed budgets; budgetary control to measure organisational and management performance
• Advantages, disadvantages, and behavioural aspects of budgeting
• The conflict between performance improvement and the costing system