Budgeting, Forecasting, and Planning In Uncertain Times


Book Description

Budgeting, planning and forecasting are critical management tasks that not only impact the future success of an organization, but can threaten its very survival if done badly. Yet in spite of their importance, the speed and complexity of today’s business environment has caused a rapid decrease in the planning time horizon. As a consequence, the traditional planning processes have become unsuitable for most organization’s needs. In this book, students will find new, original insights, including: 7 planning models that every organization needs to plan and manage performance 6 ways in which performance can be viewed A planning framework based on best management practices that can cope with an unpredictable business environment The application of technology to planning and latest developments in systems Results of the survey conducted for the book on the state of planning in organizations







Financial Planning, Budgeting, and Forecasting: Financial Intelligence Collection (7 Books)


Book Description

Don’t let your fear of finance get in the way of your success. This digital collection, curated by Harvard Business Review, brings together everything a manager needs to know about financial intelligence. It includes Financial Intelligence, called a “must-read” for decision makers without expertise in finance; A Concise Guide to Macroeconomics, which covers the essentials of macroeconomics and examines the core ideas of output, money, and expectations; Essentials of Finance and Budgeting, which explains everything HR professionals need to know to make wise financial decisions; Ahead of the Curve, Joseph H. Ellis’s forecasting method to help managers and investors understand and predict the economic cycles that control their businesses and financial fates; Beyond Budgeting; which offers a coherent management model that overcomes the limitations of traditional budgeting; Preparing a Budget, packed with handy tools, self-tests, and real life examples to help you hone critical skills; and HBR Guide to Finance Basics for Managers, which will give you the tools and confidence you need to master the fundamentals of finance.







Financial Planning Using Excel


Book Description

This book covers all aspects of budget preparation, from designing and creating a budgetary control system, consolidating data and working with spreadsheets. Now fully updated to include the latest version of Excel, Excel 2007 and for easy budgeting. The book shows how things are done in Excel 2003 and Excel 2007 to ease transition from the previous version to the new version. Now in full colour throughout to aid quick understanding through numerous color screen shots.For those who use Excel on a daily basis in budget planning, this book is a must. It contains a wealth of practical examples, tips, new techniques all designed to help quickly exploit and master Excel to its full advantage and therefore use spreadsheets for more effective management accounting in your firm. - covers migration from Excel 2003 to Excel 2007 showing how to do it in both versions - new edition now in full colour through out to aid quick understanding - practical examples, tips and techniques - exploit Excel 2007 for effective management accounting




Using Excel for Business Analysis


Book Description

This is a guide to building financial models for business proposals, to evaluate opportunities, or to craft financial reports. It covers the principles and best practices of financial modelling, including the Excel tools, formulas, and functions to master, and the techniques and strategies necessary to eliminate errors.




Future Ready


Book Description

The recent crisis in the financial markets has exposed serious flaws in management methods. The failure to anticipate and deal with the consequences of the unfolding collapse has starkly illustrated what many leaders and managers in business have known for years; in most organizations, the process of forecasting is badly broken. For that reason, forecasting business performance tops the list of concerns for CFO's across the globe. It is time to rethink the way businesses organize and run forecasting processes and how they use the insights that they provide to navigate through these turbulent times. This book synthesizes and structures findings from a range of disciplines and over 60 years of the authors combined practical experience. This is presented in the form of a set of simple strategies that any organization can use to master the process of forecasting. The key message of this book is that while no mortal can predict the future, you can take the steps to be ready for it. ’Good enough’ forecasts, wise preparation and the capability to take timely action, will help your organization to create its own future. Written in an engaging and thought provoking style, Future Ready leads the reader to answers to questions such as: What makes a good forecast? What period should a forecast cover? How frequently should it be updated? What information should it contain? What is the best way to produce a forecast? How can you avoid gaming and other forms of data manipulation? How should a forecast be used? How do you ensure that your forecast is reliable? How accurate does it need to be? How should you deal with risk and uncertainty What is the best way to organize a forecast process? Do you need multiple forecasts? What changes should be made to other performance management processes to facilitate good forecasting? Future Ready is an invaluable guide for practicing managers and a source of insight and inspiration to leaders looking for better ways of doing things and to students of the science and craft of management. Praise for Future Ready "Will make a difference to the way you think about forecasting going forward" —Howard Green, Group Controller Unilever PLC "Great analogies and stories are combined with rock solid theory in a language that even the most reading-averse manager will love from page one" —Bjarte Bogsnes, Vice President Performance Management Development at StatoilHydro "A timely addition to the growing research on management planning and performance measurement." —Dr. Charles T. Horngren, Edmund G. Littlefield Professor of Accounting Emeritus Stanford University and author of many standard texts including Cost Accounting: A Managerial Emphasis, Introduction to Management Accounting, and Financial Accounting "In the area of Forecasting, it is the best book in the market." —Fritz Roemer. Leader of Enterprise Performance Executive Advisory Program, the Hackett Group




Strategic Business Forecasting


Book Description

A book on practical business forecasting belongs in the library of everyone interested in business. Forecasting is extremely important to finance and accounting executives, business economists and managers at all levels. Strategic Business Forecasting: The Complete Guide to Forecasting Real World Company Performance provides you with a working knowledge of the fundamentals of business forecasting that can be applied in the real world regardless of the size of the firm. The author explains the basic forecasting methodology and the practical applications. All aspects of business are discussed, making this a comprehensive and valuable reference. The author avoids theoretical and mathematical discussions to gets right into how, when , and why to use this book. Many practical examples, applications, illustrations, guidelines, measures, checklists, rules of thumb, tips, graphs, diagrams and tables aid your comprehension of the subject. The author displays and explains printouts obtained using many popular spreadsheet programs and software packages. The book goes far beyond just sales forecasting, encompassing a wide range of topics of major importance to practical business managers and finance professionals, including cash flow forecasting, cost prediction, earnings forecasts, bankruptcy prediction, foreign exchange forecasting, and interest rate forecasting. Written in an easy-to-read style, it is practical, current, and intriguing - a reference book to use throughout your business career.




Economics and Financial Management for Nurses and Nurse Leaders


Book Description

Written by and for nurses, this key foundational text helps to build the fundamental economics and financial management skills nurses and nurse leaders need for daily use. This third edition delivers several new features, adding to its value as the only timely and relevant text written for the full spectrum of RN-to-BSN, BSN, and MSN students. It has been significantly revised to simplify content, to address the vast changes in and increasing complexity of U.S. health care financing, and to be useful in both traditional in-class format and hybrid and online programs. Two new and refocused chapters address assessing financial health and nurse entrepreneurship and practice management, and new material illuminates recent research findings and statistics. Chapters feature worksheets such as business plan checklists and text boxes expanding on key chapter content. The book is distinguished by its provision of case examples based on nurse-run clinic and inpatient nursing unit financial issues. It provides multiple opportunities for experiential learning, such as writing business plans and health program grant proposals. It delivers cost-benefit and cost-effectiveness analyses, discusses budget preparation, offers strategies for controlling budget costs, and updates relevant health policies and statistics. The text’s engaging format promotes the synthesis of economics and finance across the nursing curriculum through the use of end-of-chapter exercises, discussion questions, and games based on concepts within the text. Additionally, tips throughout the book alert students about the need to apply concepts from other aspects of their education to economic and financial situations. Also included are online supplemental materials for teachers and students, including Excel spreadsheets, grant proposals, a test bank, and PowerPoint slides. New to the Third Edition: Updates health reform, health care spending, and other relevant policies and statistics Includes two new and refocused chapters that address assessing the financial health of a business and nurse entrepreneurship and practice management Highlights recent research findings and key concepts in text boxes Provides blank and completed worksheets, such as business plan checklists, so nurses can apply financial concepts in their clinical settings Fosters understanding of key concepts with enhanced explanations and samples of business plans and other reports Key Features: Aligned with AACN and AONE guidelines, the CNL certification exam, and QSEN competencies Serves as a primary financial management text for multiple nursing academic programs Facilitates experiential learning through end-of-chapter exercises, games, tips for synthesizing knowledge, worksheets, and case examples Designed for use in traditional classrooms and in hybrid and online learning programs Includes a chapter on measuring nursing care with indicators for capacity, staffing, patient acuity, performance, and patient flow NEW! a FREE Q&A App is availabel (see inside front cover)




Financial Forecasting, Analysis, and Modelling


Book Description

Risk analysis has become critical to modern financial planning Financial Forecasting, Analysis and Modelling provides a complete framework of long-term financial forecasts in a practical and accessible way, helping finance professionals include uncertainty in their planning and budgeting process. With thorough coverage of financial statement simulation models and clear, concise implementation instruction, this book guides readers step-by-step through the entire projection plan development process. Readers learn the tools, techniques, and special considerations that increase accuracy and smooth the workflow, and develop a more robust analysis process that improves financial strategy. The companion website provides a complete operational model that can be customised to develop financial projections or a range of other key financial measures, giving readers an immediately-applicable tool to facilitate effective decision-making. In the aftermath of the recent financial crisis, the need for experienced financial modelling professionals has steadily increased as organisations rush to adjust to economic volatility and uncertainty. This book provides the deeper level of understanding needed to develop stronger financial planning, with techniques tailored to real-life situations. Develop long-term projection plans using Excel Use appropriate models to develop a more proactive strategy Apply risk and uncertainty projections more accurately Master the Excel Scenario Manager, Sensitivity Analysis, Monte Carlo Simulation, and more Risk plays a larger role in financial planning than ever before, and possible outcomes must be measured before decisions are made. Uncertainty has become a critical component in financial planning, and accuracy demands it be used appropriately. With special focus on uncertainty in modelling and planning, Financial Forecasting, Analysis and Modelling is a comprehensive guide to the mechanics of modern finance.