Business Analytics and Reporting (Excel i3BAR)

This course teaches a proven methodology used by finance professionals worldwide to build Excel based models for reporting, sensitivity analysis, data modelling and analytics.  What makes the i3BAR course so different from other Excel training is that it’s designed by finance professionals to tackle the core problems finance staff face in analytics and reporting:

• Working with multiple raw data sources, often in messy formats and turning them into reports quickly, regularly and consistently with minimal manual effort.
• Creating models that are interactive and easy for users to explore, analyse and carry out sensitivities/ what if analysis on data in tabular, visual and dashboard formats through buttons, selection boxes, sliders etc.
• Saving time and reducing the risk of modelling errors when tackling new scenarios/ sensitivities/ budget variations. Building interactivity for sensitivity/ modelling into the structure means new scenarios/ sensitivities don’t require the model builder to rework the model – just for someone (even the end user directly) to use the interactive controls to change parameters/ selection etc. 
• Separating data, logic and reporting sections, with a structure and method that facilitates easy and safe maintenance and model development over time and enables them to be understood by and transferred to others.
• Reducing the size and improving the speed of Excel models by using more efficient formulae and structure so that larger and more sophisticated models can be safely built and used.

Because i3BAR teaches a method, it does not rely on participants using fixed format templates – they can use the method to create the models they need to solve their own needs.  It does not use plugins or anything other than standard Microsoft Excel.

Learning objectives
Participants will learn how to:

• Build models that automate the process from new data to report generation to reduce reporting time from days to minutes.
• Integrate data from disparate data sources into Excel for more sophisticated metrics and reports.
• Build reliable and sustainable excel-based reporting models to make new data sources/ reports/ new workings easier and safer to create.
• Construct interactive models removing the risks of users overwriting/ breaking models and enabling interactive real time sensitivity work or for users to do their own sensitivity analysis.
• Reduce the size and increase the speed of models, reducing the risk of crashes and problems and making larger more sophisticated models possible.
• Apply techniques to design and build models to solve their own problems.

Course outline
The course is conducted in a highly participative workshop style, with participants working through a complete case study from raw data to finished automated reporting and building a budget sensitivity model.  Each stage of the case study builds on the previous one and includes the completed solution to the previous stage – enabling easy options to practice/ revise concepts.  In addition, several revision exercises are built into the course where participants practice what they have learnt.

The course is structured as follows into six sessions, each session is three and a half hours long:

Session 1: Introduction to i3BAR Structure and Stage 1 (model building) method
Session 2: Completing the Stage 1 foundation. Interactive data tables and charts
Session 3: Stage 2: Bridging – updating reports in seconds with your updated data
Session 4: More advanced techniques, and the power of creative combinations
Session 5: Budgeting and sensitivity analysis
Session 6: Pulling it all together and building your own models

More information on the content of each session

Pre-course learning
Practice files for participants to work on the key Excel functions needed for the course, this ensures that participants can focus during the sessions on key principles such as model structure and work on applying the techniques in the case study exercises straight away.

In between sessions
Participants will be able to practice the new techniques between sessions and ask for help if needed in extra time at the end of a session, or after the course if they need it.

Optional post course project
To apply the ideas learnt to build an Excel model for the participant’s organization that demonstrates the core techniques taught in the course either to build an interactive reporting model with rapid data updating or a model with interactive data simulation and sensitivity analysis.  Successful completion will earn a certificate of competency in Business Analytics and Reporting from the Institute of Business Analytics.

Who this course is for
This course is for accounting, finance and other business professionals who want to build robust reliable and scalable Excel models for reporting, analytics and simulation.

The course is in English, the Excel parts are demonstrated with the English version of Excel.