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The evolution and advancement of AI, financial modelling and Excel in financial careers

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By BPP and Alex Burden, Professional Development

15 March 2018

Are you an accounting or finance professional who wants to take your financial modelling skills to the next level or get to grips with the integration of AI with accountancy?

A process known as exponential doubling (Moore’s Law) is accelerating the advancement of technology and applications on a yearly basis.

Thinking back 15 years, smartphones did not even exist, and now most office-based employees carry mini-super computers in their pockets, capable of transporting the everyday office onto a four-inch screen.

In this video, chess champion Garry Kasparov explains the importance of addressing our reservations over technology and using it to our advantage – where computers have almost infinite ability to revolutionise our day to day jobs, we have the understanding and purpose to make it work.

Artificial intelligence will benefit anyone who is interested in the evolution and progression of artificial intelligence in the world today, and how it is poised for integration into society.

Even everyday applications continue to evolve over time, such as Excel functionality, so revisiting and refreshing knowledge with basics up to the more advanced financial modelling and VBA processes can turn processing power into an automated function at your fingertips.

Through our partnership with BPP Professional Development we have a number of classroom Excel and Financial Modelling course. Financial modelling introduction provides all of the basic excel skills needed to start building a financial model, from basic navigation through to more complex "lookup" function.

The two-day Financial modelling – Intermediate course, enables you to build, interpret, review and audit financial models (forecast integrated income statement, cash flow statement and balance sheet).

You will also learn the Golden Rules of Financial Modelling. The Dos and Don’ts will ensure high-quality, flexible and dynamic models that won’t fall down as soon as your boss (or your client) starts to try them out.

Getting back to basics with office staples

The ability to open up Microsoft Excel and construct a simple spreadsheet that will crunch the numbers and help predict how the future of a business might pan out (based on some reasonable assumptions) is a key skill for accounting and finance professionals.

Get an insight into programming and practical exercises in VBA compilation and an introduction into the complexity of repeating code using loops with Excel VBA for finance professionals, or get back to basics with our one-day ‘Using Excel techniques to analyse data – Introduction course’, featuring quick tips to improve functionality, spreadsheet formatting, data searching and large data set calculations. The intermediate course provides a variety of reporting tools, as well as scenario analysis and macro automation.

Spreadsheet skills for better forecasting and budgeting gives specific skills in Excel which help enhance forecasting and budgeting practices, as part of the management accounting function.

These courses will help you to learn about the Excel features that will help you achieve greater efficiency and automation, which will dramatically simplify your daily use of Excel.

Over the years, there has been recurring and emphatic feedback that learners had wished they studied the courses much earlier in their careers. Don’t get left behind; take a look at the full listing of our IT Skills courses and don’t miss the opportunity to gain valuable practical guidance and hands-on training.


Register for IT Skills courses

Missed our recent Excel webinar on Top 20 shortcuts?

Watch now

Delivered by BPP's lead Financial Modelling trainer Dave Marlow, this webinar gives a taster of some of the most useful excel shortcuts and provides materials to help you practice on your own.

2022 06 aon 2022 06 aon
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