Financial Management and Accounting

Graduate School of Management and Technology

Announcements/News

Financial Analysis and Modeling: Valuable Skills for the Work World

This fall, students in FIN 615 are demonstrating their skills in financial analysis and modeling.

The new course is an exploration of how financial managers use Excel financial modeling, analysis and research to build forecasts and projections, evaluate financial alternatives, and support financial decision making in both operational and strategic contexts. Topics include financial statements and ratio analysis, cash flow forecasting, operations budgeting, breakeven and leverage analysis, time value of money applications, and capital budgeting and risk assessment. 

Additionally, students will develop unique models to assist in their own work. 

Finance’s Role in the Organization
“Compliance isn’t enough for effective governance” cites Strategic Finance (September 2007).  Comprehensive corporate governance takes into account effective business policies, long-term corporate objectives, strategies for attainment, and guidelines for  monitoring performance.  Governance should be integrated with operations management and finance professionals “can play a role in providing top managers and executives with key information to foster the links between corporate governance and strategic direction” (p. 24). 

The article offers that because the CFO organization has been charged with SOX and other regulatory responsibilities, it is positioned to initiate and expand governance initiatives.  The framework of such initiatives should include regulatory compliance, rigorous performance measures, and timely and honest financial reporting.  The finance organization can implement such a framework by creating “a shared language of measurement” (p. 28), that is part of a financial accounting and reporting system that accurately collects and communicates relevant information about business performance to all stakeholders.  By serving as a link between stakeholders, finance helps all involved have the information necessary to ensure that “business operations are aligned with the vision of the board” (p. 28), and that the company as a whole can function within its governance framework.