Finance is everyone's business
11 October 2019 – “Accounting and finance is the language of business”, says famed investor and businessman Warren Buffett.
And indeed, finance is everybody’s business, as the actions of all have an impact on the organisation’s bottom line.
Today’s digital economy has also necessitated the upgrading of skills to stay competitive and employable.
For non-finance professionals, there is an added incentive to be equipped with financial knowledge and skills – to make the leap from middle to senior management.
However, wading into unfamiliar territory and a sea of numbers can be daunting if you are a non-finance manager.
Designed for non-finance professionals
Conducted by NUS SCALE, the Financial Analysis and Business Decisions for Non-finance Managers course was developed to help non-finance professionals make better business decisions through the appreciation of numbers.
It is unlike any of the run-of-the-mill finance courses out there. It is finance made simple, easy to understand, and fun.
The course utilises the financial storytelling approach and teaches participants to speak in the language of finance.
To augment their understanding, real-life case-studies are also employed for relevance and to anchor concepts.
“Financial statements are basically stories that tell in numbers if a company is doing well or not,” says Adjunct Associate Professor James Leong C. Foo, who teaches the course.
“In this course, we don’t download information or formulas to the participants. Rather, we have financial conversations, demystify jargon and explain the reason behind the formulas.
“This helps the participant to understand and make the right decisions, and eventually align with their CEO or CFO.”
Participants of varied backgrounds
“The course has widely surpassed my expectations, which I had initially thought would be a typical accounting course. Case studies were used in a visual manner to explain concepts, and I now have a better appreciation of numbers, a skill I didn’t possess before. This will help me to have an improved understanding of my financial statements and board papers.” – Mr Poh Leong Kok, General Manager, Operations, Keppel Shipyard
“The course was well-organised and easy to understand, and has made financial statements such as balance sheet and profit and loss statements more approachable. As I work in a creative team, I also now better understand the perspectives of my non-creative colleagues, which is helpful in building workplace synergy.” – Ms Carynl Tan, Entertainment Producer, Resorts World Sentosa
“The course has been very insightful, engaging, and has helped us to easily understand finance concepts which we will be able to apply to our business. We are now better equipped to analyse financial statements, and to protect ourselves from a financial standpoint, such as when issuing credit terms to our customers.” – Mr Jeremy Tay, Manager, Denko Lighting
“The course was well-structured, and gives meaning and purpose to the numbers that we see in our financial statements. Concepts were explained in simple terms which helped to reinforce learning, and real-life examples made the course relatable, especially from an SME’s perspective.” – Ms Carrie Choong, Marketing Manager, Denko Lighting
To sign up for the next run of Financial Analysis and Business Decisions for Non-finance Managers, please visit this link: https://nus.edu/2OU4I3y