COURSE OUTLINE

• Introduction
  • Finance Induction
  • Finance for Non-Financial Managers
  • Fraud Awareness
  • Introduction to Accounts Payable
  • Payments to Individuals

• The macro-finance picture
  • Understanding the accounting cycle
  • The income statement
  • The balance sheet
  • Changes in owners’ equity statements
  • Cash flow statements
  • The relationship of financial statements
  • Functions of management
  • Elements of a vision for finance and accounting department
  • Effectiveness versus efficiency
  • Supporting the operating departments
  • Purpose of the finance and accounting function
• Key Excel functions and tools to enhance efficiency
  • Consolidating multiple sets of data
  • Applying control at the data entry through data validation
  • Reconciling accounts by using 'vlookup'
• Organizing the finance function
  • Teamwork skills in finance and accounting
  • Assessing the need for team building program
  • Finance as a project
  • Organizing by function
  • Organizing by purpose
  • Staff duties and responsibilities
  • The need for review and authorization procedures
  • The authorization matrix and control of processes in organizations
  • Cross training and backup strategies
  • Scheduling the monthly accounting cycle

• Budgeting
  • Managing a Budget
  • Managing a Budget (excluding Research Grants)
  • Salary Forecasting                                                                     

• Research Grants
  • Forecasting Research Grants Overheads
  • Managing a Research Grant

• Finance Skills
  • Presenting Financial Data in Reports, Charts and Tables
  • Writing a Business Case
  • Year-end procedures