Overview

Unlock the power of numbers in business! In this Operational Finance course, you'll learn to interpret the 'financial story' told by balance sheets and income statements, gaining insights crucial for short-term decision-making. Master the management of current assets, liabilities, and working capital to optimize business performance. Understand the financial impact of managerial decisions on operations and marketing, making you a more strategic leader. Prerequisites: Basic understanding of accounting principles recommended. Experience with Microsoft Excel is helpful. Learning Outcomes: * Analyze balance sheets and income statements to identify key financial ratios. * Make data-driven decisions related to working capital management. * Evaluate the financial consequences of marketing and operational strategies. Benefits: Gain the confidence to make sound financial decisions, improve business profitability, and advance your career in finance or management. Equip yourself with skills applicable across diverse industries. Are you ready to transform your understanding of finance and its impact on your business?

Syllabus

Course Overview: Introduction to Finance Concepts & Week 1: Financial Statements

Welcome to Operational Finance: Finance for Managers. In this course you will learn the basics of operational finance to help you make sound financial decision or to run a robust business! Before you get started with this week's video content, please have a look at the course syllabus. In this first module, we'll discuss what operational finance is all about by looking at a business case. What do the numbers on the Balance Sheet and P&L Statement tell us about its performance and future prospects? If you were a bank, would you approve a half million euro loan for this business? Why or why not?

Week 2: Financial Analysis - Operational Ratios and Forecasting

In module 1, we looked at Polypanel’s Balance Sheet and P&L Statement. In the Balance Sheet, we noted that receivables increased from €188,000 in 2004 to €649,000 in 2007. We left off with the question: Is this difference due to an increase in sales or delays in payments from customers?In week 2, we will introduce operational ratios, the tools we need to disentangle both effects and understand what’s going on below the surface. We will also conduct a forecasting exercise of Polypanel to understand how well it will be positioned to pay back a potential credit line in the future. Objectives: By the end of the module you will understand the different types of operational ratios (Days of Collection, Days of Inventory and Days of Payables) in order to analyze how well a business is performing. You will also learn how to use forecasting to support financing decisions.

Week 3: Business Financial Health Diagnosis and Action Plan

By now you have a pretty good grasp of the Polypanel case and the main issues that could impact future financing. This week, it’s time to roll up our sleeves and work out a diagnosis for these issues. We’ll discuss Need of Funds for Operations (NFO) and Working Capital (WC), two concepts that will help us better understand the company’s problems. Finally, with a solid diagnosis we can develop an action plan that will lead to sustainable growth. Objectives: By the end of the module you will have a framework for diagnosing a company’s financial health. You’ll also gain insights into how to develop an action plan to address its problems.

Week 4: Understanding Negative Net Funds Outflow (NFO) and DuPont Analysis

In this final module, we will introduce the final pieces of the puzzle to give you a complete overview of operational finance. We’ll discuss tools like sensitivity analysis that will help you consider the potential outcome of a decision given different variables. In this session we will also look at other crucial concerns for the firm and its shareholders like sustainable growth and ROE (Return On Equity) plus revisit NFO (Need of Funds for Operations) and other topics. Objectives: By the end of this module, you should have a complete overview of the key aspects of operational finance. You will also understand what tools financial professionals use in order to make decisions to strengthen a company’s position.