The Effective Finance Professional

Process Excellence in the Financial Function

Introduction

In the globally competitive world of the 21^st century, world class Organizations are developing their finance functions to be more efficient and to better support the value creation process. The most progressive enterprises have transformed their finance professionals in to strategic business partners, bringing them out of the back room to support their key decision-makers. This leading edge LAKESHORE ISL, The Effective Finance Professional training seminar will help delegates to meet the challenge for today’s finance function to improve efficiency and effectiveness whilst controlling and reducing costs.

This LAKESHORE ISL training seminar will highlight:

• The Finance Function’s Role in the Organisation’s Value Creation Process
• How Finance Professionals can Work as a Strategic Business Partners
• Practical Steps to Improve Key Finance Processes
• Measures to Achieve Improvements in Efficiency and Effectiveness
• How to Manage Significant Change in the Finance Function

Objectives

At the end of this LAKESHORE ISL training seminar, you will learn to:

• Develop processes to transform finance professionals in to business partners
• Understand how the finance team creates and delivers value to its key stakeholders
• Implement practical measures to improve finance processes
• Improve key processes in receivables, payables and month-end closing
• Develop and use up to date tools for forecasting and decision-making
• Use principles of change management to transform the finance function

Training Methodology

This LAKESHORE ISL, The Effective Finance Professional training seminar is structured as a highly participative workshop with formal presentations, case studies and interactive worked examples. Relevant examples and case studies are provided to illustrate the application of each of the topics covered and opportunities are provided to learn and practice the use of powerful modern finance skills and tools, reinforced with practical examples and exercises.

Organizational Impact

The organisation will gain through greater awareness of the Finance function role in the value creation process and by the implementation of improved processes; specific benefits will include:

• Improvements in the cost, quality and timeliness of financial information
• Greater awareness of how value is created for key stakeholders
• Efficiencies and effectiveness in finance processes and systems
• Raised levels of strategic awareness and improved decision making
• Added value from effective risk management processes and tools
• Development of strategic business partnering skills in the finance team

Personal Impact

Delegates will benefit from the opportunity to learn about the principles, practice of business process improvement, and share their own experience with other delegates from the Finance function. Knowledge and expertise will be developed in some key areas:

• Addressing key areas of improvement for their finance team
• Principles and practice of process improvement methodologies
• Practical methods for improving basic finance functions and processes
• Using modelling tools to improve forecasting and decision-making
• Concepts and approach to becoming a strategic business partner
• Practical steps in managing change in the finance function

Who Should Attend?

Managers involved in the challenges facing today’s finance function whose focus is on improving the key processes and transforming the finance team in to strategic business partners.

This LAKESHORE ISL training seminar is suitable to a wide range of professionals but will greatly benefit:

• Finance Professionals
• Accounts Payable and Receivables Team
• Budget and Planning Officers
• Financial Advisers and other Finance Professionals and Accountants

Seminar Outline

DAY 1

21^st Century Challenges for the Finance Function

• Understanding the Organisation’s Value Creation Process
• The Role of the Finance Function in Value Creation
• Balancing the Pressures on Time, Cost, Quality and Service
• Today’s Challenges for Finance: Controlling, Closing, Reporting and Planning
• Future Challenges for Finance: Control and Empowerment
• The Role of the Finance Business Partner

DAY 2

Improving the Efficiency and Effectiveness of the Finance Function

• The Focus on Customer Value
• Understanding and Applying Lean Principles to Finance
• Business Process Re-engineering (BPR) Methods
• Improving the Efficiency of Receivables Systems
• Improving the Efficiency of Payables Systems
• Improving the Efficiency of Inventory Systems

DAY 3

Improving Key Finance Processes – Speeding Up the Period Close

• Key Areas of Focus to Speed-up Period Close
• Typical Problems and Fixes
• Accelerating the Reporting Process

Improving Key Finance Processes – Strategic Decision-Making

• Principles of Activity Based Management
• Strategic Activity Based Decision Making
• Implementing a Strategic Approach to Cost Reduction

DAY 4

Improving Key Finance Processes – Reporting and Performance Management

• Implementing an Effective Performance Management Framework
• Principles of Integrated Reporting
• Developing an Integrated Reporting System

Improving Key Finance Processes – Effective Planning and Forecasting

• Designing and Building Financial Models to Manage Risk
• Improving Financial Forecasting
• Beyond Budgeting – Implementing Adaptive Management Processes

DAY 5

Improving Finance Function Processes – The Way Forward

• Transforming the Finance Function: back office to front line
• The Finance Professional as Strategic Business Partner

Managing Change in the Finance Function

• Sharing the Vision for the Future of the Finance Function
• Managing Change in the Finance Function
• The Importance of Urgency
• Building and Leading the Winning Finance Team