When it comes to numbers, there is always more than meets the eye. In operational finance, you will learn how to read the “story” that the balance sheet and income statement tells about the company’s operations. The insights you gain from this “financial story” will then become a tool for short-term decision-making at the top management level relating to current assets, current liabilities and the management of working capital. Finally, by the end of the course you will understand the financial consequences of managerial decisions on operations, marketing, etc.
This course is part of the Foundations of Management Specialization
Finance for Managers
Offered By
About this Course
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Skills you will gain
Dupont AnalysisManagement AccountingBusiness AnalysisFinance
Syllabus - What you will learn from this course
Week
14 hours to complete
Course Overview & Week 1
Welcome to Operational Finance: Finance for Managers. In this course you will learn the basics of operational finance to help you make sound financial decision or to run a robust business! Before you get started with this week's video content, please have a look at the course syllabus. In this first week, we'll discuss what operational finance is all about by looking at a business case. What do the numbers on the Balance Sheet and P&L Statement tell us about its performance and future prospects? If you were a bank, would you approve a half million euro loan for this business? Why or why not? Course objective: To get an overview of operational finance and the types of analyses necessary to develop solid financing decisions.
16 videos (Total 82 min), 6 readings, 1 quiz
16 videos
3.- Polypanel Case: What to do?7m
4.- Polypanel Case: What to do? (continued)5m
5.- Business Analysis Part 1: Sales7m
6.- Business Analysis Part 1: Sales, (continued)3m
7.- Business Analysis Part 2: Strategy and Management5m
8.- P&L Analysis Part 1: Sales and Gross Margin6m
9.- P&L Analysis Part 1: Sales and Gross Margin, (continued)3m
10.- P&L Analysis Part 2: OPEX, EBITDA and Financial Results6m
11.- P&L Analysis Part 2: OPEX, EBITDA and Financial Results, (continued)2m
12.- What is a Balance Sheet?7m
13.- Polypanel's Balance Sheet8m
14.- Polypanel's Balance Sheet, (continued)7m
15.- Brief Recap3m
6 readings
Course Overview & Syllabus10m
About Week 110m
Required Reading Week 11h 20m
Optional Reading10m
Financial Terms & Definitions10m
Quiz Week 1 Solutions & Explanations10m
1 practice exercise
Quiz 120m
Week
23 hours to complete
Week 2: Operational Ratios and Forecasting
In week 1, we looked at Polypanel’s Balance Sheet and P&L Statement. In the Balance Sheet, we noted that receivables increased from €188,000 in 2004 to €649,000 in 2007. We left off with the question: Is this difference due to an increase in sales or delays in payments from customers? In week 2, we will introduce operational ratios, the tools we need to disentangle both effects and understand what’s going on below the surface. We will also conduct a forecasting exercise of Polypanel to understand how well it will be positioned to pay back a potential credit line in the future. Objectives: By the end of the session you will understand the different types of operational ratios (Days of Collection, Days of Inventory and Days of Payables) in order to analyze how well a business is performing. You will also learn how to use forecasting to support financing decisions.
14 videos (Total 72 min), 4 readings, 1 quiz
14 videos
4.- Operational Ratios: Days of Collection, (continued)3m
5.- Operational Ratios: Days of Inventory3m
6.- Operational Ratios: Days of Inventory, (continued)4m
7.- Operational Ratios: Days of Payment6m
8.- Operational Ratios: Days of Payment, (continued)4m
9.- Forecast of the P&L7m
10.- Forecast of the Balance Sheet (Theory)5m
11.- Forecast of the Balance Sheet (Theory), (continued)5m
12.- Forecast of the Balance Sheet (Polypanel)6m
13.- Forecast of the Balance Sheet (Polypanel), (continued)3m
14.- Brief Recap3m
4 readings
About Week 210m
Required Reading Week 230m
Optional Reading10m
Quiz Week 2 Solutions & Explanations10m
1 practice exercise
Quiz 222m
Week
33 hours to complete
Week 3: Diagnosis and Action Plan
By now you have a pretty good grasp of the Polypanel case and the main issues that could impact future financing. This week, it’s time to roll up our sleeves and work out a diagnosis for these issues. We’ll discuss Need of Funds for Operations (NFO) and Working Capital (WC), two concepts that will help us better understand the company’s problems. Finally, with a solid diagnosis we can develop an action plan that will lead to sustainable growth. Objectives: By the end of the session you will have a framework for diagnosing a company’s financial health. You’ll also gain insights into how to develop an action plan to address its problems.
13 videos (Total 77 min), 3 readings, 1 quiz
13 videos
4.- Need of Funds (NFO) and Working Capital (WC)6m
5.- Need of Funds (NFO) and Working Capital (WC), (continued)4m
6.- Diagnosis (II)4m
7.- Action Plan (I)7m
8.- Action Plan (I), (continued)6m
9.- Action Plan (II)6m
10.- Action Plan (II), (continued)5m
11.- Sustainable Growth6m
12.- Sustainable Growth, (continued)6m
13.- Brief Recap5m
3 readings
About Week 310m
Required Reading Week 345m
PolyPanel Balance Sheet and P&L with Forecast & Solutions to Quiz 310m
1 practice exercise
Quiz 322m
Week
44 hours to complete
Week 4: Negative NFO and DuPont Analysis
In this final week, we will introduce the final pieces of the puzzle to give you a complete overview of operational finance. We’ll discuss tools like sensitivity analysis that will help you consider the potential outcome of a decision given different variables. In this session we will also look at other crucial concerns for the firm and its shareholders like sustainable growth and ROE (Return On Equity) plus revisit NFO (Need of Funds for Operations) and other topics. Objectives: By the end of this session, you should have a complete overview of the key aspects of operational finance. You will also understand what tools financial professionals use in order to make decisions to strengthen a company’s position.
16 videos (Total 86 min), 3 readings, 2 quizzes
16 videos
3.- Sensitivity Analysis7m
4.- Sensitivity Analysis (Part 2)5m
5.- An Example of Sustainable Growth6m
6.- Minimum Cash and Other Elements in the NFO7m
7.- Seasonal Companies6m
8.- Building up the ROE (Part 1)3m
9.- Building up the ROE (Part 2)5m
10.- Building up the ROE (Part 3)4m
11.- Blind Financial Statements5m
12.- Blind Financial Statements (Part2)3m
13.- Blind Financial Statements (Part 3)7m
14.- Brief Recap2m
15.- Course Conclusions6m
3 readings
About Week 410m
Considerations for Final Exam Parts I & II - Week 410m
Final Quiz Week 4 Part I Solutions10m
1 practice exercise
Quiz Week 4 - Part 120m
4.8
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Top reviews from Finance for Managers
It's a great course that helps break components of P&L and balance sheet.\n\nEmphasis is on Receivables, Payables, Dupont analysis and how these variables affect the cash/bank position of the firm.
Excellent course, Very highly recommend it! This is my first course in Coursera and what a surprise, it was great! Well explained, concise and the professor is excellent. This class is A+
Instructor
Miguel Antón
Associate ProfessorFinancial Management
About IESE Business School
For over fifty years, IESE, the graduate business school of the University of Navarra, has been at the forefront of management education, developing and inspiring business leaders who strive to make a deep, positive and lasting impact on the people, companies and society they serve.
About the Foundations of Management Specialization
Good management is equal parts knowing and doing. No matter what industry you work in or where you are in your career, a basic understanding of financial, marketing and decision-making principles and other management fundamentals will help you achieve your professional goals - be it getting promoted in your current job, getting ready for a MBA program, or starting your own company.
This Specialization will give you a comprehensive introduction to the practice of management through the lens of four key disciplines: accounting, finance, marketing, and organizational behavior. In each course, you'll analyze real business cases from these four perspectives. In the final Capstone Project, you’ll apply what you’ve learned to develop a holistic solution to a real-world business dilemma.
This Specialization will provide you with the skill set needed to help achieve the next step in your career.
Frequently Asked Questions
When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?
Once you enroll for a Certificate, you’ll have access to all videos, quizzes, and programming assignments (if applicable). Peer review assignments can only be submitted and reviewed once your session has begun. If you choose to explore the course without purchasing, you may not be able to access certain assignments.
What will I get if I subscribe to this Specialization?
When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free.
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