Why Attend This Training Course?

This training course practically applies Excel within a financial framework to explore how forecast financial models can be efficiently created and modified. The efficient use of Excel is key and so the course starts by ensuring the participants can quickly and accurately harness Excel’s tools and functionality. We then apply these skills to the best practice modeling guidelines to build, and then flex, the structure and modules of a forecast model.

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What Is The Training Course Methodology?

ACAD Corp’s methodology depends on enabling participants to interact and exchange experiences, explore their competencies and achieve their career aspirations, using forward-thinking training arts, such as Theoretical Lectures, Workshops, Open discussion to exchange opinions and experiences, Scenarios, innovative thinking brainstorming and teamwork, Role-play and simulation, and Audiovisual tools and materials. Participants will receive an agenda including training material as a reference, in addition to some extra notes and booklets. Training material will be presented in English and Arabic.

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Who Should Attend This Training Course?

This training course is designed for Professionals in corporates and financial institutions who need to create useful and robust financial models. Attendees should be able to use the basic facilities of Microsoft Excel and have basic accounting knowledge. 

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What Are The Training Course Objectives?

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

• Fast, efficient and accurate Excel skills

• Design and construct useful and robust financial modeling applications

• Efficient financial forecasting techniques

• Audit and debug models

• Utilize switches and scenario analysis

• Create and edit flexible charts

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What Is The Training Course Curriculum?

Excel Skills for Modeling

• Effective use of keyboard shortcuts

• Dynamic referencing

• Formatting data professionally

• Style basics

Introduction to Modeling

• Effective construction of a model

• Objective and structure

• Initial preparation

The Fundamentals of Model Building

• Model set up

• Consistent sheet and print set-up

• Input vs formulas

• Inputting base data

• Key Excel functions and tools

• IF (and other logicals) with flags

• Setting up date flexibility throughout the model using EDATE or EOMONTH

• Text strings

• Conditional formatting

• Adding the financial data

• Data transfer and links

• SUMIF and data validation to extract the relevant data

• Breakdown and grouping of accounting elements

• Determine drivers of the forecasts

• Using Excel tools to identify trends

• Effectively creating assumptions for projections

• Model diagnostics and checks

• Identifying what could go wrong and flagging up any errors 

• Flexible and user-friendly models

• Quick build scenario manager with switch – base case vs downside vs upside

Auditing and Debugging

• Using existing models

• How to become comfortable with ‘new’ models

• Auditing models

Formatting and Showcasing

• Creating an output sheet / dashboard

• The camera

• Professional showcase

• Use of graphs