Working with Financial Models

Working with Financial Models teaches the principles and skills needed to work safely and effectively with financial models, including how to test and review them. The course is practical and hands-on, and suitable for all model types and business sectors. It includes ongoing post-course support  from our team of expert modellers.

This course is available on an in-house, or live online basis.

Book and pay online for your place below, or contact us to request an invoice.

What will you learn?

By the end of the course you will be able to:

  • Navigate and read models more effectively
  • Understand the best practices that models should follow
  • Perform technical reviews of models, including reviewing them for inconsistent formulas, embedded constants, unused inputs and workings
  • Build a best practice input structure including scenario and sensitivity functionality
  • Use Excel structures to maintain version control and an audit trail
  • Undertake high level analytical reviews of a model’s outputs and a more focussed review on targeted elements of the model

Who should attend?

This course is designed for professionals who need to work with and rely on complex financial models, either on an ongoing basis or to support a particular transaction.

The case study for the course is based upon a going concern but the principles and techniques we teach are transferable to all business sectors and all types of financial models.

CPD accredited training

Book your course

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Date
Format
Location
Duration
Instructor
Price
9 & 10 Jul
Live Online
GMT timezone
6 sessions
John Dimberline
$1,012

Course Topics

Set up
  • setting up the file
  • setting up Excel
  • navigational shortcuts
  • maintaining audit trail
High level review and familiarisation
  • locating items in the model
  • analytical review of the financial statements
  • reviewing the model's inputs
  • further familiarisation
Review of how the model has been built
  • compliance with modelling best practices
  • identification of high risk features
  • forming an opinion on risk profile
Technical review of the model
  • using Excel functionality to identify technical errors
  • embedded constants
  • inconsistent (and missing) formulas
  • Excel errors
  • misplaced inputs
Targeted review
  • detailed review of standard calculations
  • using a template for checks and standard metrics
  • reviewing line items by interrogating formulas
Running scenarios and stress testing
  • adding a scenario structure
  • making changes and rationalising results
  • making changes to calculations
Concluding the review
  • keeping track of review points
  • checklist review
Find out more:
Working with financial models brochure cover

Our clients

Asset Alliance Group logo
Energia logo
Drax logo
I use my new found skills on a daily basis and can’t speak highly enough of the course and what it has given myself and my colleague. It has changed how we do all of our modelling in the company and has received really positive feedback from everyone that has used the model or reviewed the model.
Sally Brierley, Financial Modeller, FCC Environment
We were stunned at the difference that a standardised approach made. Our new Excel models can provide information that just isn’t accessible through an ERP.
Philip Whittingham COO (and former FD), Virgin Trains
The course was great. I learned so much and really enjoyed it. I’m looking forward to using it in my own work. I would be very happy to recommend the course.
Eric Eastlund, Head of Analytics, SCIO Capital
From start to finish the team were very professional and demonstrated considerable experience in what they were doing. The end result is an exceptionally powerful tool, which is straightforward to use, and now forms the backbone to our forecasting process. I would have no hesitation in recommending F1F9.
Douglas McArthur, CA Group FD, Asset Alliance
[The instructor] was enthusiastic about the material and the course itself which created good engagement in class. I particularly liked the fact that we were consistently taking part in the course, rather than being "taught" we were facilitated.
Andrew Dias, Finance Business Partner, Stansted Airport
The Enterprise model is great value for money. We compared it to the other standard reporting systems available such as Sage and Oracle but the F1F9 solution was much cheaper and also gave us the flexibility to change the way we report our business as it grows and develops. It has halved the time our month end reporting process takes. We started out wanting a model for budgeting purposes only but when we saw what the model could do we decided to use it for actuals reporting as well as our rolling forecasts.
Charles Carolan, Senior Financial Analyst, Skrill
[The instructor] was absolutely excellent. Everything was extremely clear, the pace of the class was spot on. I thought I would come away being slightly better at reading models but actually now I would feel completely confident starting my own.
Emma Paterson,  SSE/ Beatrice Offshore Windfarm Limited 
The team at F1F9 were responsive, hardworking and helped us upgrade our model to be fit for purpose post acquisition. F1F9 took the time to understand our needs early in the process, met deadlines and were professional in their approach.
Investment Manager, UK Private Equity House
Thanks for the excellent academy which has so boosted my own modest modeling skills. F1F9's strong customer service culture is a big help.
Geoffrey Finch, Resident Adviser for Infrastructure Finance for the US Treasury Office of Technical Assistance - Government of Paraguay, Ministry of Finance
I particularly liked the setup of the online training, and the portions provided in each section. The ability to go back and review and exercise with the models after each training and even after a few training provided an excellent opportunity to really 'learn' the skills. The setup allowed for my own pace of learning and the time I was able to dedicate besides work to complete the training. I highly recommended the training to colleagues.
Hartmut Weissmann
Very useful tips and tricks, certainly helped me a lot in understanding and 'simplifying' the enormous models. Thank you very much!
Julie de Bock, Senior Advisory / Corporate Finance, BDO

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