Critical insights for savvy financial analysts
Financial Planning & Analysis and Performance Management is the essential desk reference for CFOs, FP&A professionals, investment banking professionals, and equity research analysts. With thought-provoking discussion and refreshing perspective, this book provides insightful reference for critical areas that directly impact an organization’s effectiveness. From budgeting and forecasting, analysis, and performance management, to financial communication, metrics, and benchmarking, these insights delve into the cornerstones of business and value drivers. Dashboards, graphs, and other visual aids illustrate complex concepts and provide reference at a glance, while the author’s experience as a CFO, educator, and general manager leads to comprehensive and practical analytical techniques for real world application.
Financial analysts are under constant pressure to perform at higher and higher levels within the realm of this consistently challenging function. Though areas ripe for improvement abound, true resources are scarce–until now. This book provides real-world guidance for analysts ready to:
* Assess performance of FP&A function and develop improvement program
* Improve planning and forecasting with new and provocative thinking
* Step up your game with leading edge analytical tools and practical solutions
* Plan, analyze and improve critical business and value drivers
* Build analytical capability and effective presentation of financial information
* Effectively evaluate capital investments in uncertain times
The most effective analysts are those who are constantly striving for improvement, always seeking new solutions, and forever in pursuit of enlightening resources with real, useful information. Packed with examples, practical solutions, models, and novel approaches, Financial Planning & Analysis and Performance Management is an invaluable addition to the analyst’s professional library. Access to a website with many of the tools introduced are included with the purchase of the book. Please see About the Website page for access instructions.
Table of Content
Preface
About the Companion website
1. Introduction to Financial Planning & Analysis and Performance Management
Part I: Fundamentals and Key FP&A Capabilities
2. Fundamentals of Finance
3. Key Analytical Tools and Concepts
4. Developing Predictive and Analytical Models
5. Building Analytical Capability
6. Presenting and Communicating Financial Information
Part II: Performance Management
7. Business Performance Management
8. Dashboards and Key Performance Indicators
9. Institutionalizing Performance Management
10. Measuring and Driving What’s Important: Innovation, Agility, and Human Capital
11. The External View: Benchmarking Performance and Competitive Analysis
Part III: Business Projections and Plans
12. Business Projections and Plans: Introduction and Best Practices
13. Budgets, Operating Plans, and Forecasts
14. Long-term Projections
Part IV: Planning and Analysis for Critical Business and Value Drivers
15. Revenue and Gross Margins
16. Operating Expenses and Effectiveness
17. Capital Management and Cash Flow: Working Capital
18. Capital Management and Cash Flow: Capital Assets
19. Risk, Uncertainty, and the Cost of Capital
Part V: Valuation and Capital Investment Decisions
20. Capital Investment Decisions: Introduction and Key Concepts
21. Capital Investment Decisions: Advanced Topics
22. Business Valuation and Value Drivers
23. Analysis of Mergers and Acquisitions
24. Summary and Where to from Here?
Glossary
About the Author
Acknowledgments
Index
About the author
JACK ALEXANDER is an experienced CFO and operating executive turned consultant, author, and educator. As the founder of Jack Alexander & Associates, LLC, he provides advice to businesses across a wide range of financial and operating areas, with a focus and passion on Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A) and Performance Management (PM). The firm also offers customized training and workshops on FP&A. He is a frequent speaker on FP&A and PM. He is the author of Performance Dashboards and Analysis for Value Creation and Financial Planning and Analysis and Performance Management, both from Wiley.