Finance Data Analysis: Better Business Through Financial Management
Unlock business potential with balanced scorecards, balance sheets, ratio analysis and other strategic financial analysis tools.
Duration
Approx 10 weeks5 hrs per week
Discover how data and financial analysis can be used to boost business
How can financial data be used to help a company and its employees to make sound decisions that will supercharge the business?
This ExpertTrack will show you how firms can create value through expert investment decisions and financial strategies.
Whether you’re in a management or leadership role, or aspiring to one, you’ll have the chance to explore tools for assessing financial performance and the economic condition of an organisation, using the financial reports of real-world organisations. You’ll also be introduced to the key concepts of managerial accounting and explore how to identify relevant costs for short and long-term decision making.
Decipher financial reports from around your organisation
A strong understanding of your financial status is essential to running an effective and profitable organisation. On this ExpertTrack, you’ll have the chance to explore the importance of financial statement analysis by looking at statements of income, financial position, and further analysis. You can also get to grips with financial ratio analysis, liquidity ratios, and break-even analysis to be able to manipulate the core numbers from your reports.
As you work through the courses in this ExpertTrack, you’ll look at financial analysis examples from real businesses, helping you understand the importance of financial reporting and analysis.
Make sound capital investments in your organisation
Recognising good investment opportunities, avoiding the bad ones, and understanding financial risk management are all crucial business skills.
With this ExpertTrack, you’ll learn how to review capital investment details, calculate the different rates of return, and make informed decisions on the right investments to make.
FAQs
Will this ExpertTrack cover what ROI (return on investment) is used for?
Yes. Return on investment (ROI) is a widely used financial metric that measures the likelihood of gaining profit on an investment. You’ll learn about this metric in relation to evaluating the return potential of a standalone or several investments.
Will I learn how to read a balance sheet?
Yes. You’ll build your understanding of what’s on a balance sheet, how it relates to business interests, and how to use the data within it for business decision making.
Does this ExpertTrack cover Financial Ratio Analysis?
Yes. There is an entire course dedicated to learning how to assess the health of a business with financial ratios, exploring profitability ratios, and fixed asset turnover.
Key skills you will learn
- Industry analysis
- Liquidity and efficiency ratios
- Break-even analysis
- Investment decision making
- Working with financial statements, income statements, and cash flow statements
- Analysing company performance
- Investor ratios
- Capital investment
- ROI
- Financial data analysis
- Finance management
- Cost-profit analysis
Learning outcomes
By the end of the ExpertTrack, you’ll be able to...
- Evaluate the performance of an organisation using various financial analysis tools
- Identify different patterns of cost behaviour and apply cost-volume-profit analysis to business decisions
- Apply discounted cash flow and other techniques to capital investment decisions
- Describe the performance of an organisation using financial and non-financial measures
Experience required
It’s recommended that you have two years of experience to take this ExpertTrack – whether it’s as a student or in a work environment.
Getting started
This ExpertTrack is designed for anyone looking to build their financial data analysis and interested in using data for business decision making.
It will be of particular interest to people in senior management and leadership roles who lack an accounting background, especially if you wish to learn the skills to help you make better decisions and advance your career.
ExpertTrack course overview
Course 1
Financial Statements Unlocked: How to Understand Corporate Finance and Financial Management
Learn how to make better, more informed business decisions with in-depth understanding of financial accounting information.
2 tests
2 weeks
5 hours per week
Week 1
The purpose of accounting and financial statements
- Getting started
- Introduction to accounting
- Financial statements
- Income statement
- Weekly wrap
Week 2
The statement of financial position and the cash flow statement
- Welcome to Week 2
- Statement of financial position
- Cash flow statement
- Bringing them all together
- Closing thoughts
Course 2
How to Master Financial Statements: Financial Ratio Analysis and Interpretation
Learn how to assess the health of a business with financial ratios, exploring profitability ratios, and fixed asset turnover.
2 tests
2 weeks
5 hours per week
Week 1
Profitability and liquidity ratios
- Welcome
- Calculating ratios
- Profitability ratios
- Liquidity ratios
- Summary and reflection
Week 2
Efficiency, gearing and investor ratios
- Welcome to Week 2
- Efficiency ratios
- Gearing ratios
- Investor ratios
- Closing thoughts
Course 3
Break-Even Analysis Unlocked: How to Understand the Profit and Loss Statement
Find out how to predict business profitability, the break-even point and the margin of safety with powerful financial tools.
1 test
2 weeks
5 hours per week
Week 1
Cost, profit and breaking even
- Getting started
- Introducing cost
- Exploring the concept of break-even
- Summary and reflection
Week 2
Operational gearing
- Welcome to Week 2
- Margin of safety and profit
- Introducing operational gearing
- Summary and reflection
Course 4
How to Make Better Capital Investment Decisions and Recognise Investment Opportunities
Master the techniques of investment appraisals and long-term financial decision-making – from present value to compound interest.
1 test
2 weeks
5 hours per week
Week 1
Methods used in capital investment appraisal
- Getting started
- Capital investment decisions
- The payback method
- Accounting rate of return
- Summary and reflection
Week 2
Discounting methods
- Welcome to Week 2
- Introducing net present value (NPV)
- Internal rate of return (IRR)
- Comparing discounting methods
- Summary and reflection
Course 5
Divisional Performance Measurement: How to Achieve Operational Excellence
Learn how to enhance the performance of divisional structures with the right operational and financial performance measures.
1 peer-graded assignment
2 weeks
5 hours per week
Week 1
Introduction to divisionalisation
- Getting started
- Roles and responsibilities of operating segments
- Investment centres – return on investment
- Profit centres – residual income
- Summary and reflection
Week 2
Balanced scorecard
- Introduction to the balanced scorecard
- Perspectives of the balanced scorecard
- Closing thoughts
Prove you're job ready
Highlight the new, job-relevant skills you’ve gained and supplement existing qualifications with a hard-earned, industry-specific digital certificate – plus one for every course within your ExpertTrack.
- Learn the latest in your chosen industry or subject.
- Complete each course and pass assessments.
- Receive certificates validated by the educating organisation.
- Impress employers with learning outcomes you can add to your CV.
- Make your career dreams a reality.
Download a PDF
How ExpertTracks work
Join an ExpertTrack to master new skills in your chosen specialist area. Work through a series of topic-focused courses at your own pace, and pass the final assessment to earn a digital certificate award which proves your expertise.
Decide if the ExpertTrack is right for you with free access to the full suite of courses and assessments for a week.
Pay a monthly subscription fee of $39 for as long as it takes you to complete the ExpertTrack. You can learn at your own pace and cancel at any time.
Receive a certificate for every completed course and pass the final assessment to earn a digital certificate.
Use your specialist training to progress further in your career or build expertise in areas you’re passionate about.
World-class learning with Coventry University
Coventry secured 5 QS Stars for Teaching and Online Learning in the QS World University Ranking 2020 and has received No. 1 in the world for Massive Open Online Courses in MoocLab’s World University Ranking 2021.
Established
1992Location
Coventry
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ExpertTracks are a series of online courses designed to help you master new skills in specialist areas. You pay a monthly subscription fee which includes access to all courses within the ExpertTrack, as well as assessments and the final digital certificate.
Each ExpertTrack comes with a 2-day free trial period. You may cancel your subscription at any time and your subscription will automatically cancel when you finish the courses and assessments in your chosen ExpertTrack.
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