Financial Analysis with MS Excel (Analyzing The Business Bottom-line and Topline), 22nd - 24th NOV 2017

The goal of business performance analysis is to identify improvement opportunities, understand their root causes, and taking action. These opportunities can come in many forms. They can be performance issues or areas of the business that perform extremely well and can be leveraged even further.

This course, introduces you to key concepts of business performance analysis. We focus on the analysis of the profit and loss (the P&L) statement and on the key dynamics you need to understand in order to interpret the performance of your business. Understanding this data will help you make informed decisions that benefit your company in the long run.

We will teach you how to analyze the top line (or revenue) of your company and identify areas of under- or over performance with Excel. We explore essential financial concepts that are necessary to understanding your company's revenue data. We then introduce the tools and techniques you can use in Excel, including PivotTables and the invaluable SUMIF function, to prepare and analyze the data you have available. Plus, learn how to analyze your customer base, determine revenue per product, and identify upsell opportunities. 

We will also show how to make sure you're treating your data fairly, by considering the impact of seasonality, recurrent vs. one-off business, and interdependencies.

In our Second section we will teach you how to analyze the bottom line (or profitability) of your company and identify areas of under- or over performance with Excel. We show you how to use the data your company generates every day to break down your gross margin and operating expenses. 

We introduce the tools and techniques you can use in Excel to prepare and analyze that data. Plus, you'll learn to identify and analyze sales and marketing spending, staff expenditures, and productivity separately, so you can get a really clear picture of your data from multiple angles.

Summary blocks:

• An introduction to financial analysis
• Preparing your revenue information
• Comparing past performance
• Analyzing customer data
• Analyzing product information
• Identifying exceptional revenue
• Finding data points
• Prepping data
• Calculating standard cost and gross margins
• Analyzing overall gross margin performance
• Analyzing individual and overall expenses

Course Overview:

1.       Analyzing business performance

·         Analyzing P&L components

·         Know when to stop analyzing

·         Controllable and uncontrollable factors

·         Exceptional factors

·         Analysis about decision making

·         Analysis vs dashboard

2.       Preparing your revenue information

·         The basics of revenue analysis

·         Finding the data points

·         Assembling the data

·         Preparing the data

·         Pivot tables and SUMIF

·         Using Pivots

·         Adding consolidation levels

3.       Past performance

·         Past performance and seasonality

·         Comparing to past performance

4.       Customer information

·         Analyzing customer information

·         Identifying current customers

·         Determining revenue per customer

·         New vs returning customers

5.       Product information

·         Analyzing product information

·         Determining revenue per product

·         Determining upsell Opportunities

6.       Exceptional Revenue

·         Identifying recurrent vs one-off business Isolating recurrent from one-off business

7.       Identifying dependencies

·         Analyzing further revenue with Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

8.       Analyzing Gross margin

·         Basics of gross margin analysis

·         Finding data points

·         Preparing the data

·         Categorizing expenditure

·         Allocating costs by category

·         Calculating standard costs

·         Using standard cost to calculate gross margin

·         Performing a price mix analysis

·         Analyzing overal gross margin performance

·         The gross margin percentage levers

9.       Analyzing operating expenses

·         The basics of operating expenses analytics

·         Finding data points

·          Analyzing overall operating expenses performance

·          Analyzing sales and marketing

·         Analyzing non sales staff expenditures

·         Analyzing productivity

·         Analyzing general expenses

Venue: Westlands, Nairobi.
     Date: 22nd  - 24th NOV 2017
Duration: 3 Days
     Fees: 300$ per delegate Inclusive of Meals, Certificates, 6 Month Post training support. (Group discounts available)
    
RSVP: outreach@opencastlabs-africa.com

Mobile Phone Based Data Collection Using ODK 20th - 24th November, Kigali - Rwanda

Data collection and monitoring and evaluation (M&E) have always been integral parts of development work. In the past, these tasks were performed with paper and pen, which made them prone to error, difficult to conduct on a large scale, and high in transaction costs.

Information and communication technology (ICT) tools, including hardware like mobile phones and tablets, applications with the capacity to create digital surveys, and software that allows users to upload data to storage facilities in real-time, have reduced the conventional challenges associated with remote data collection and M&E.

ODK is an online tool that enables humanitarian staff to quickly build digital surveys. Data is collected through computers or mobile phones, and stored online. The platform is very flexible and enables you to build surveys in a number of ways, such as with cascading questions, multiple choice, or free text.

Course Overview

Training and Implementation Requirements

·         A computer (to build the form)

·         Smartphones, tablets or computers (to collect the data)

·         Internet access (it does not need to be consistent)

Training Checklist

·        The team should come up with mock questions that will be used in the survey: The training will follow a real case scenario of building a survey from scratch

Topics:

   1.      Basic Concepts and Principles

1. Introduction of ICT based M&E
2. Benefits of Mobile Applications for Monitoring and Evaluation
3. Data and types of data
4. Challenges of data collection
5. Mobile Data collection and the M&E work plan
6. Considerations for Integrating Mobile Data Gathering Tools into M&E Project
7. Hardware and application selection

   2.      Mobile Data Gathering Tools for M&E

1. Discussion on the choice of platform
2. Design forms using a web interface
3. Form Creation tools

   3.      Survey Design using XLS Forms

1. Introduction to XLS forms

   4.      Basic Survey Authoring

1. New Data Types
2. Notes and Dates
3. Multiple Choice Questions

   5.      Intermediate Survey Authoring

1. Multiple Language Support
2. Hints and Metadata
3. Conditional survey constructs
4. Required questions
5. Constraining Responses
6. Asking Relevant Questions
7. The Specify Other Shortcut

   6.      Data collection

I). Form development and deployment

1. Planning data entry form
2. Overview of using ODK for form data collection
3. Developing data collection forms
4. Deploying a data collection forms
5. Setting up an Android Phone for data collection
6. Data Entry using ODK Collect
7. Aggregating data
8. Visualizing data in maps
9. Exporting data for analysis

j.        Qualitative data entry

k.       Quantative data entry

l.        Collecting Rich data, Photos, audio and videos

m.    Form-Project transition

n.      Online VS Offline data collection

   7.      Data Analyses

o.      The Excel Analyser

p.      Response mapping

q.      The quickfix data view

r.       Response disintegration and graphing

    8.      Mapping

s.       Creating GPS Points

t.        Map processing

    9.      Result export and consumption of findings

   10.  Core excel data analysis tools

a.      Pivot tables frequency tables and crosstabs

b.      Introduction to Excel Formulas

  Data sets and Terminology

• Cross sectional and time series data   
• Graphing and charting
•  Scales of measurement   
• Descriptive statistics
• Inferential statistics
• T tests and Analysis of variance
• Regression analysis
•  
• Venue: Kigali, Rwanda.
  Date: 20th - 24th Nov 2017
  Duration: 5 Days
  Fees: 600$ per delegate Inclusive of Meals, Certificates, 6 Month Post training support. (Group discounts available)
  RSVP: outreach@opencastlabs-africa.com

Advanced Report Development and Spreadsheet Modelling with MS Excel, 22nd-24th Nov Kigali - Rwanda.

Advanced Report Development and Spreadsheet Modelling with MS Excel, Kigali - Rwanda.

Excel has a number of useful built in functions, but there are also some caveats about its computations. For this reason and to facilitate more flexibility, in this course we shall demonstrate some handcrafted techniques to help the delegates manage large data sets and improve their reporting efficiency.

The course sessions shall focus on how to effectively and efficiently utilize Microsoft Excel for data management, modeling and projection with a positive bias to lookups. Users will not only use Excel to build models, but also to crunch a large data dump. Learn how to minimize as much manual labor as possible, thereby saving time and performing more detailed analysis and projections quickly.

 Apply commonly-used formulas in new and different ways; uncover often over-looked Excel features; streamline number crunching with pivot tables, functions, arrays, Data tools, Formatting, Macros and VBA programming. 

Course Description:

This course shows how spreadsheets can be used to enhance management reporting.

The course shows how to analyze and review data extracted from ERP systems and databases in order to prepare management reports, including using Excel’s graphing capabilities. The course studies Excel’s functions and how to use these effectively. The program also shows how to access the Visual Basic Editor and use macros and user defined functions in order to enhance Excel’s functionality. 

Half a day will also be spent showing attendees how to use Excel’s pivot table functionality. Pivot tables are often poorly understood and yet are the most powerful feature in Excel. A basic pivot table will allow you to summarize 50,000 rows of data in 30 seconds.

The course is highly practical: delegates will be exposed to examples (in Microsoft Excel) throughout the course. 

Methodology

The course is highly interactive, and formal lecture content is kept to a minimum. Spreadsheet techniques are explained and demonstrated by using extensive case studies, adhering closely to real life examples. Throughout the program emphasis is laid on the importance of reality-checking and the dangers of spreadsheet blindness, on a fundamental understanding of key issues and on the skills of communicating conclusions from spreadsheet techniques to colleagues and partners.

Delegates will be expected to be highly participative and motivated to learn, and to express their needs and priorities clearly.

Knowledge Pre-Requisites

Attendees will be expected to be using Excel in the context of a reporting related role and be comfortable with using Excel for data entry. A basic knowledge of Excel 2007 and later will therefore be assumed, but if delegates need a refresher on specific items then, time permitting, the course director will try and meet their needs. 

The course is also suitable for all senior professionals who may not have had specific spreadsheet training in reporting, analysis, modeling and forecasting, who have developed their skills over time and who would like to develop a broader knowledge of what Excel can offer, as well as reassurance about their existing spreadsheet techniques.

Candidates ideally should bring their own computers with MS Excel loaded in order to benefit from the course

Course Details:

1.      Analyzing Data

·         Using Automatic Outlining

·         Consolidating Information by Position or Category

·         Inserting Subtotals

·         Creating an Advanced Filter

·         Using Database Functions

2.      Data Management

·         Importing Data from a Text File

·         Exporting Data

·         Converting Text to Columns

·         Connecting to Data in an Access Database

·         Creating a Web Query

·         Importing Web Data using a Saved Query

·         Working with Hypertext Links

3.      Fundamentals of Excel Pivoting

·         Understanding PivotTables

·         Creating a PivotTable using Worksheet Data

·         Creating a PivotTable using an External Data Connections

·         Laying out a PivotTable on a Worksheet

·         Modifying PivotTable Fields

·         Using a Report Filter

·         Refreshing a PivotTable

·         Formatting a PivotTable

4.      Enhancing PivotTables

·         Working with Summary Functions

·         Sorting Items in a PivotTable

·         Creating a Slicer

·         Grouping Data

·         Applying Label and Value Filters

·         Creating a Calculated Field

·         Creating a Calculated Item

·         Creating Charts from PivotTables

5.      Excel Business Analysis

·         Creating Scenarios

·         Working with Scenarios

·         Using Goal Seek

·         Using One-Input Data Tables

·         Using Two-Input Data Tables

·         Understanding Solver

·         Defining a Problem

·         Solving a Problem

·         Generating a Report of Results and Alternate Solutions

6.      Forecasting, Charting and Dashboards

·         Inserting chart Trendline

·         Choosing the right Trendline for the right data

·         Linear forecasting

·         Relationship equations for projection

·         Using Excel for Budgeting

·         Budgeting best practices Building & Linking Budgets

7.      Advanced Formulas and Functions

·         Working with Functions

·         Using the IF Function

·         Nesting Functions

·         Using Multiple Conditions with the IF Function

·         Using Table Lookup Functions (HLookup and VLookup)

·         Using Text Functions

8.      Business Intelligence Fundamentals

·         Introduction to excel PowerBI tools• Importing Data

·         Transforming, cleansing and Filtering Data

·         Merging and Shaping Data

·         Grouping and Aggregating Data

·         Inserting Calculated Columns

9.      Excel automation

·         Recording a Macro

·         Saving a Macro-Enabled Workbook

·         Executing a Macro

·         Creating a Macro Button

·         Working with Macro Buttons

Venue: Kigali, Rwanda.  

Date: 22nd - 24th Nov 2017  

Duration: 3 Days 

Fees: (300$) 175,000 Frw  per delegate Inclusive of Meals, Certificates, 6 Month Post training support. (Group discounts available) 

RSVP: outreach@opencastlabs-africa.com