Course Description

The BCS Professional Certificate in Business Finance assesses proficiency in financial management and reporting. This course covers essential financial concepts for business analysts, including:

• Key financial documents interpretation
• Business case and investment appraisal techniques
• Supplier financial evaluation
• Financial Ratio Analysis
• Financing service delivery

This course serves as a Business Skills module for the BCS Advanced International Diploma in Business Analysis.

Pre-requisites

There are no entry requirements for this certification.

Target Audience

Designed for non-finance professionals who need to analyse financial data, this certificate is ideal for business analysts, architects, and project managers.

Business Finance is also a Business Skills module on the BCS Advanced Diploma in Business Analysis.

Course Materials

We'll send a printed copy of the latest comprehensive course manual to your home address well before your course begins. Additionally, you'll receive an email with a link to access a digital version of the same manual, ensuring you have both physical and electronic references for your convenience and future use.

Exam

The course prepares delegates for the BCBCS Professional Certificate in Business Finance examination. If this course is part of your BCS Advanced International Diploma in Business Analysis programme you have three further modules to choose in addition to already having completed the BCS International Diploma in Business Analysis.

The exam is accessible only at the registered date and time. Candidates with disabilities or special considerations, including English as a second language, may request adjustments or additional time in line with BCS reasonable adjustments policy.

Learning Objectives

You'll gain a broad understanding of financial management techniques and reporting including:

• Finance in the project lifecycle
• Developing a business case
• Constructing a financial case
• Budgets and budgeting
• Costs and cost behaviour
• Evaluating supplier financial stability
• Financing service delivery

Course Content

Finance in the project lifecycle

• A financial perspective on the project lifecycle
• Published regulatory accounts
• The statement of cash flows and the distinction between cash and profit
• Cash flow forecasting

Developing the business case

• The business case in the business change lifecycle
• The contents of a business case

Constructing the financial case

• Costs and benefits to include in a business case
• Investment appraisal: payback, NPV and IRR
• The cost of capital and the weighted average cost of capital
• NPV, IRR, systemic risk and project risk
• Return on investment (ROI) and ROI and risk
• The concept of shareholder value added (SVA)

Budgets and budgeting

• Budgeting, long-term plans and corporate objectives
• Cost centres, profit centres and the use of charge-out
• Capital and revenue expenditure
• Actual versus budget comparisons and actions
• Budgetary control

Costs and cost behaviour

• Fixed and variable costs and the concept of contribution
• Breakeven analysis and the margin of safety
• Price/volume calculations and charts
• Marginal analysis: outsourcing, make or buy decisions
• Costing approaches and types of cost

Evaluating supplier financial stability

• Financial analysis and the calculation of ratios
• Calculating and interpreting ratios
• The relationship between primary and secondary ratios
• Principles of shareholder value added (SVA) and economic value added (EVA)
• The limitations of ratio analysis

Financing service delivery

• Depreciation of assets: straight-line and reducing balance
• Depreciation of assets: disposal and upgrade issues
• Financing and leasing
• Outsourcing