Course Outline
This is a self-paced online course. Learners can register at any time and have 12 months to complete the course.
10 KEY STEPS TO A STRONGER FOCUS ON BUSINESS ANALYTICS
ACCA’s recent report on the future of professional accountants [Drivers of change and future skills] identified that ‘expert use of analytics will enable better and close to real time reporting, more predictive analysis and greater interconnectedness of financial and non-financial performance.’
The business analyst can see beyond the past to explore the future world of the client in relation to growth, value, profit and cashflow. Being curious about the numbers can open up immense opportunities for you and your firm to add real value to clients.
CPA Australia’s most recent ‘Firm of the Future’ update recognised that ‘accountants need diagnostic skills to interpret financial statements, along with a range of soft skills.‘ Do you encourage your accountants and managers to look beyond the numbers?
What’s the course all about?
The BUSINESS ANALYST self-paced eLearning course provides an introduction to the world of analytics for accountants and managers in public practice seeking to develop their diagnostic and advisory skills.
Over 10 modules, we’ll take you on a journey from accountant to analyst and finally to advisor. We’ll outline the skills required at each stage of professional development and help you to develop and implement a SMART action plan focusing on your personal interests and capabilities.
How does it work?
The BUSINESS ANALYST eLearning course consists of 10 modules with clear learning objectives. Content includes presentations, workbooks, support materials and assessment tasks. Most importantly, learners develop their own professional development pathway using our SMART action planning template.
The course is available anywhere, anytime through our eLearning portal. Visit www.cpdforaccountants.com.au
Who’s it for?
This course is suitable for accountants, managers and partners who want to spend more time thinking beyond the numbers and engage their business clients in deeper and broader discussions about their financial future.
Course Content
Course modules
A. The role of business analyst
1. Business Analyst vs Accountant – What’s the difference
2. The journey from accountant to analyst and advisor
B. Curiosity about the numbers
3. Core principles of financial analysis for accountants
4. Key financial ratios for business intelligence
C. Thinking beyond the numbers
5. Understand patterns and trends with financial data
6. How to identify underlying causes of financial issues
D. Engaging the business client
7. How to assess and review business performance and potential
8. Strategies to engage business clients in future-oriented discussions
E. Managing the business client
9. Key principles of management reporting and board review
10. How to deal with business client issues and roadblocks
To download the course brochure, click ‘BROCHURE DOWNLOAD’ in the course navigation bar to the right.
Course Structure
- Learners can complete courses at a place that suits them, within and outside work hours
- Each learner will have a dedicated login to give them personal access to their course
- Module material includes online presentations, workbooks, PowerPoint Slides, templates, scripts and articles
- All modules also incorporate formal qualitative assessment tasks that encourage learners to develop practical actions demonstrating understanding of the concepts
- All assessment tasks are scored, with directed feedback to learners on their response
- As the learner progresses, they develop their personal SMART action list to drive change
- Managers are able to see at a glance how their staff are progressing
- All learners have access to course content for 12 months following their enrolment
Learning Process
Our self-paced eLearning courses follow a 4-step process in relation to learning objectives:
Understand
→
Evaluate
→
Implement
→
Review
All modules are structured with specific learning objectives and assessment tasks. Learners are expected to demonstrate that they understand learning objectives and can apply concepts through completion of the assessment tasks. A SMART action planning template is used to consolidate specific actions and to ensure that a timeframe for completion is established and followed. Regular review of progress is ensured through commitment to completing the course.
Preview
Learner Feedback
I found the course was a good overview of different analytical tools and strategies to better engage with our clients ...it gave focus and structure to enable me to actually put the tools in place, rather than being distracted by my regular day-to-day work
Erin Gall
Learner Feedback
Excellent and refreshing course brings back the ideals when I commence practice to keep on adding values to my practice.
Battchoo Ratilal
Learner Feedback
The course is excellent. It provides general understanding on the transformation from accountant to business advisor. The transformation is quite a challenge but the course give practical suggestions. Also the course contains various tools and external resources to help the transformation.
Jianzhong Wang
Learner Feedback
The course offers a wide range of information relating to the challenges of delaing with advisory engagements and provides you with a number of questions to consider when determing how to improve the services you offer to your clients.
Benjamin Colling
Learner Feedback
This business analyst course has been useful in providing some excellent processes to follow. It has also challenged my current way of thinking and given me new ideas of templates, measuring tools and review processes to create a clearer picture for my clients at both the introductory and various review stages. Lastly it has given me a good understanding of how to establish a scope of works and to transparently discuss the cost of it. There is huge benefits we can offer to our clients through business analysis and it is important to be able to explain the long term benefits it will give the organisation to justify the short term cost especially when as per the "J" curve things may go backwards initially whilst employees learn develop and change before the true benefits are seen. I'd like to thank Dale for the course. It was good value for money and there was an excellent response time which was motivating too.
Jonathan Taylor
Learner Feedback
This course has been a great investment. In time I hope to implement everything I learned, but, to be honest, implementing just some learned points is a big strive forward for my business. This course will help my clients, which in turn, will help my business. Helping my clients improve their businesses is good business for me. This course has been the best professional development I have done to help my clients in this way.
Tony Meehan