Financial Planning
& Analysis (FP&A) Certificate Program

This module introduces the FP&A profession and its role in businesses of various sizes across different industries. We then examine common FP&A work products, evaluate current and emerging tools of the trade, and introduce a key skill set for FP&A professionals: strategic cost accounting.

• Examination of forecasts, budgets, variance analyses, scorecards, dashboards, and management decks.
• Understanding FP&A’s tools of the trade, including Excel, data analysis, visualization software, and emerging AI technologies
• Introduction to Strategic Cost Accounting in the context of FP&A

We review best practices for long-range planning and effectively managing the five phases of the annual budgeting process. The module covers how to get more out of your planning process by collaborating closely with the cross-functional team.

• In-depth review of the planning process, including long-range planning and annual budgeting
• Best practices for top-down and bottom-up planning jointly with the cross-functional team
• How to best manage the planning process with Excel

You will learn the forecasting techniques that are used today by major firms, including time series analysis, driver-based planning, sales pipeline forecasting, zero-based budgeting, and scenario planning methods. We cover methods for accurately projecting sales, expenses, cash flow, headcount, and capex.

• Step-by-step forecasting technique reviews, including hands-on practice
• Using scenario planning to identify risks and opportunities and develop mitigation plans
• Improving forecast accuracy by identifying and addressing forecast bias

The module covers the financial analysis process end-to-end, from data cleaning over evaluating data quality to identifying cost-saving opportunities, variance analysis commentary, and using operational metrics to spot trends early.

• Best practices for data preparation and quality
• Learn how to identify cost savings, risks, and opportunities
• Create variance analysis commentary that uncovers actionable insights

We cover how to create financial models from scratch in Excel using commonly accepted modeling standards. The module covers the financial model types top finance teams use to make go / no-go decisions about major investments, such as Payback, Return on Investment, Life Time Value (LTV), and Discounted Cash Flow models.

• Excel modeling standards and best practices
• Financial Statement and DCF modeling
• Break-even analysis and getting to answers without modeling

You will learn how to build strong professional relationships and influence, preparing you to become a strategic advisor to the business. We cover developing business acumen and using it to raise accountability, challenge assumptions, and create visibility of business performance while protecting the relationship.

• Developing a broad understanding of the business
• Building trust and holding people accountable while maintaining relationships
• Influencing skills and challenging assumptions with data

The module teaches how to effectively communicate financial information, be it in written form or when presenting live. It provides a deep dive into best practices for the performance management calendar, including flash reports, management reporting decks, visualizations, and telling a complete story of the business.

• Structuring management reporting decks that move the needle
• Matching visualizations to the story behind the numbers
• Impacting strategic decisions through effective financial presentations

The final module of the program covers best practices for using emerging technologies, including generative AI and machine learning. In addition, we cover the FP&A recruiting process from common interview questions and answers to typical case studies.

• How AI is changing the FP&A function
• Introduction to generative AI in finance and machine learning
• FP&A interview preparation