COURSE OBJECTIVES:This two-day course is designed to assist finance personnel to achieve effective communication of financial information and data to various stakeholder groups. It examines both external and internal reporting procedures and, in respect of the latter, focuses on the need to convey information in a style and format that can be understood and acted upon by non-financial managers.
On completion of the course, participants will be able to:
- Recognise the principal characteristics of an effective financial report
- Differentiate between the purpose and aims of internal and external reports
- Select and present content which is relevant to the target audience
- Use a combination of financial data and non-financial information to report on performance
The course will be taught through a combination of mini-lectures, small group activities, practical exercises and discussion topics.
COURSE CONTENT
Introduction to Financial Report Writing
- Principles of effective report writing
- Recipients and users of financial reports
- Types of financial report
- External and internal reporting requirements
- Combining financial and non-financial information
Effective Communication
- Identifying the message
- Explaining financial jargon
- Style and format
- Incorporating ‘visuals’ into the report
- When and how to use comparatives
Internal Reporting
- Types of internal report
- Frequency and timeliness
- Selecting performance measurement criteria
- Historical and forward-looking reports
- Reporting by market segment or activity
- Variance reporting
- Using a ‘traffic-light’ system to highlight levels of urgency and/or importance
External Reporting
- Identifying the target audience
- Reporting on financial statements
- Selecting and using performance measures
- Reporting on financial strategy
WHO SHOULD ATTEND
The two-day course will be of particular benefit to recently appointed finance personnel. Experienced finance professionals who consider that there is potential to improve communication with their non-financial colleagues may also find the content of interest.
Would you like this course run in-house? Call us on 0207 566 8207 to find out more