An Intensive Professional
Development Training Course on
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Integrating budgeting, forecasting and business planning is a critical finance competency — and this course gives professionals a structured, end-to-end framework for connecting strategic planning with operational budgets, robust forecasts, and capital investment decisions.
The course covers organisational planning frameworks, business plan development, zero-base and activity-based budgeting, and key value driver identification alongside the international business environment in which these processes operate.
Forecasting is addressed in depth using Excel, covering time series models, regression analysis, exponential smoothing, and the practical challenges of using historical data to predict future performance.
Activity-based costing, cost behaviour, breakeven analysis, and process-level budgeting give delegates a rigorous approach to cost analysis that goes beyond conventional departmental budgeting.
The course closes with capital budgeting and project appraisal, covering NPV, IRR, ARR, WACC, ROIC, and the development of hurdle rates — giving delegates a complete framework from strategy through to investment decision-making.
This integrating budgeting, forecasting and business planning course is designed to give delegates a connected, applied command of the full planning cycle — from strategic business planning and budget development through to Excel-based forecasting, activity-based cost analysis, and capital project appraisal.
By the end of this course, delegates will be able to:
This integrating budgeting, forecasting and business planning course is designed for finance and planning professionals who need a structured, connected approach to business planning, budget development, forecasting, and capital investment appraisal across their organisations.
This course is suitable for:
This integrating budgeting, forecasting and business planning course is delivered through structured technical instruction, applied Excel-based exercises, and practical cost and capital analysis sessions — ensuring delegates build real, connected capability across strategy, budgeting, forecasting, and investment appraisal.
Delivery methods include:
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The course opens with the relationship between strategic, tactical, and operational planning and how each level of the planning hierarchy connects to the business plan and budget development process. Delegates learn how key value drivers are identified at a strategic level and how those drivers feed directly into budget assumptions, cost analysis, and capital allocation decisions. This is particularly relevant for those who find that their organisation's budgets are disconnected from its strategic objectives and want to build a more coherent planning framework.
Zero-base budgeting and activity-based budgeting are both covered as alternatives to conventional incremental budgeting, addressing how each method works, what it requires from the organisation in terms of data and management effort, and the contexts in which each approach adds the most value. Activity-based budgeting is also developed further through the cost driver and key activity analysis content, giving delegates a complete end-to-end methodology for building budgets at process level rather than simply allocating costs by department.
The course covers NPV, IRR, ARR, and payback as the primary capital project appraisal models, alongside WACC and ROIC as benchmarks for evaluating whether capital investments meet the organisation's return requirements. The development of a hurdle rate for capital projects is addressed as a structured decision-making framework that combines cost of capital and risk considerations into a single investment threshold. Delegates leave with a complete appraisal toolkit and the understanding to apply it consistently across different types of capital investment proposals.
The course covers time series model development, regression analysis as a predictor and estimator, and exponential smoothing as a data analysis tool — all applied directly in Excel using historical datasets. Delegates work through the practical challenges of using historical data to forecast future performance and learn how to select the appropriate technique based on the data available and the forecast horizon required. These skills are directly applicable to any planning environment where quantitative forecasting underpins budget assumptions.
Activity-based costing is covered as the analytical foundation for activity-based budgeting, addressing how cost behaviour is analysed, how key cost drivers are defined, and how activities are mapped to understand where costs are truly incurred across the organisation. Delegates learn how to translate ABC analysis into an activity-based budget that reflects how work is actually done rather than how the organisation chart is drawn. Breakeven analysis is also covered to give delegates a complete picture of how cost structure affects financial performance.
The international business environment is addressed as part of the strategic planning content, covering how operating across multiple markets, currencies, and regulatory environments affects the assumptions, risk considerations, and structural choices involved in business planning and budgeting. Delegates gain a working understanding of how international complexity is incorporated into planning frameworks rather than being treated as an exception to a domestic model, which is directly relevant for those working within or supporting multinational organisations.
