FP&A: Financial Planning and Analysis
Drivers, models, variance reviews and the monthly business review.
Taught by Manisha Bhattarai · ACCA, Finance Manager
What you'll learn
- Build a driver-based revenue and cost model that links operational drivers to the P&L
- Run an annual budgeting cycle and set up a 12 to 18 month rolling forecast
- Model base, upside and downside scenarios and test sensitivity to key drivers
- Split revenue variances into price, volume and mix effects and write clear commentary
- Design a KPI dashboard that balances leading and lagging indicators
- Present a monthly business review that ends in decisions, owners and dates
About this course
Financial planning and analysis is where finance stops only reporting the past and starts shaping decisions. This intermediate FP&A course teaches the working methods of a modern FP&A team: building driver-based models that link operational activity to the P&L, running the annual budget and rolling forecasts, planning scenarios, explaining variances with price, volume and mix analysis, designing KPI dashboards and presenting a monthly business review that leaders act on. You will build small models in Excel, Python and SQL, write variance commentary and practise turning numbers into a clear recommendation. The course suits accountants moving into FP&A, financial analysts, finance business partners and managers who own a budget. You should be comfortable reading a basic income statement and working in spreadsheets. No programming experience is required, as every code example is short, explained in plain language and easy to mirror in a spreadsheet.
Course content
7 lessons- 1What FP&A Does and Why It MattersThe role of FP&A, how it differs from accounting, and the planning cycle it runs all year.Preview
- 2Building a Driver-Based ModelLink operational drivers such as customers, price and headcount to revenue, cost and profit.
- 3Budgeting and the Annual Operating PlanTop-down and bottom-up budgeting, zero-based budgeting, and how to run a budget cycle people trust.
- 4Rolling Forecasts and Scenario PlanningReplace the static annual view with rolling forecasts, then test base, upside and downside scenarios.
- 5Variance Analysis That Explains, Not Just ReportsSplit variances into price, volume and mix, and write commentary that tells leaders why and what next.
- 6KPIs and Dashboards Leaders Actually UseChoose a small set of KPIs, balance leading and lagging indicators, and design a dashboard that drives action.
- 7The Monthly Business Review and Financial StorytellingRun a monthly business review that ends in decisions, and structure financial messages so leaders act.