Financial Analysis for Business Performance Course - Xero

Discover how sound financial analysis and the employment of cutting-edge technologies can transform business performance.

Explore how proper financial analysis can optimise business performance

Are you struggling to translate your financial data into valuable insights? The finance sector has seen a dramatic digital transformation in recent years, with the Financial Services Skills Taskforce identifying Big Data, Cloud Computing and AI as driving seismic change across the sector’s jobs & skills landscape.

These changes have resulted in the finance, accounting and insurance sectors experiencing a skills shortage, with analytics reported as the most in-demand skill set. In fact, 38% of organisations surveyed are experiencing a skills deficit in this area.

Learn how to understand and interpret financial data

This ExpertTrack will help you to move into entry-level finance roles across all sectors. You’ll learn how to manage, analyse and communicate insights gained from financial data, and make data-driven decisions that will optimise the business performance of your organisation. You’ll be able to input on profit and loss responsibility, team and budget management, and financial forecasting.

Build your financial and data analysis skills

The reliance on tools and technologies to improve productivity is an increasing trend across business finance functions. This means financial professionals - as well as other business professionals - are expected to be proficient in using a range of accounting, finance and data platforms, including spreadsheets and databases like Excel and Google Sheets.

Use Xero for business finance functions

Xero is the leading online accounting platform in both Australia and the UK, with upwards of 1.8 million subscribers. It’s a must-have tool for anyone looking to gain and applies knowledge of new financial concepts, which can then be reapplied across many areas. Business intelligence tools can be employed to communicate insights that drive effective decision-making through data visualisation and storytelling techniques.

Content for this ExpertTrack has been adapted from the Financial Analysis and Decision Making Microcredential - if you want to find out more, take a look at this Microcredential which offers smaller cohorts with tutor interactions and academic credit.

Key skills you will learn

• Financial analysis
• Budget planning
• Budget forecasting
• Insights
• Communication
• Data analysis
• Xero
• Tableau
• Excel

ExpertTrack course overview

• Financial Analysis for Business Performance: Planning, Budgeting, and Forecasting
  Learn how to conduct financial-performance analysis, forecasting and budgetary planning.
• Financial Analysis for Business Performance: Reporting and Stakeholder Management
  Communicate and report to key business stakeholders and use your financial knowledge to aid decision making.
• Financial Analysis for Business Performance: Data-Driven Decision Making
  Use your financial analysis to encourage data-driven decision making within your business.

How ExpertTracks work

Join an ExpertTrack to master new skills in your chosen specialist area. Work through a series of topic-focused courses at your own pace, and pass the final assessment to earn a digital certificate award that proves your expertise.

Who will you learn with?

Alysha Randall (CPA)

Commercially focused Finance Director / CFO with experience working with fast growth online SMEs in different sectors, including two successful exits (Amazon acquisition & Funding Circle’s IPO)

World-class learning with

FutureLearn

The social learning platform with hundreds of online courses from a quarter of the world’s top universities.

Xero

Learn how leading industry technology provider Xero supports the development of leading financial analysis skills and are used to drive business success.

Start learning today - free 7-day trial

After your free trial you can:

• Pay $39 per month to keep learning online
• Have complete control over your subscription; you can cancel any time
• Work at your own pace and set your own deadlines at every stage
• Only pay while you’re learning; the subscription will cancel automatically when you finish
• Complete online assessments to test your knowledge and prove your skills
• Earn digital course certificates and a final award that you can share online, with potential employers, and your professional network
• Keep access to the content of courses you complete even after your subscription ends