Global Learning for Operational Leaders
Course AF-007
Integrating Budgeting, Forecasting & Business Planning
Successful organizations align budgeting, forecasting, and business planning to improve performance, manage uncertainty,... The outline covers Budgets and Strategy in Today’s International Environment, The Business Plan...
Classroom
16 sessions
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Online / Live
16 sessions
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Introduction
Course overview
Why Attend
Successful organizations align budgeting, forecasting, and business planning to improve performance, manage uncertainty, and achieve strategic goals. Integrated planning enables better resource allocation, stronger financial control, and faster responses to market changes. This course provides participants with practical tools to connect strategy with budgets, forecasts, cost analysis, and investment decisions.
Course Methodology
This course uses an interactive and practical approach through presentations, case studies, Excel exercises, budgeting workshops, forecasting models, financial analysis, and real workplace examples.
Course Objectives
- Integrate budgeting, forecasting, and business planning processes
- Link financial plans with strategic objectives
- Develop effective operating and cash budgets
- Apply forecasting tools using historical data
- Use activity-based budgeting and cost analysis techniques
- Evaluate capital investment opportunities
- Improve planning accuracy and decision-making
- Build a practical integrated planning framework
Target Audience
- Finance and Accounting Professionals
- Budget Analysts
- Planning Managers
- Department Managers
- Business Controllers
- Project Managers
- Anyone involved in budgeting and planning processes
Target Competencies
- Budgeting
- Forecasting
- Business Planning
- Financial Analysis
- Cost Management
- Investment Appraisal
- Strategic Thinking
- Decision-Making
What you will achieve
Learning objectives
- Integrate budgeting, forecasting, and business planning processes
- Link financial plans with strategic objectives
- Develop effective operating and cash budgets
- Apply forecasting tools using historical data
- Use activity-based budgeting and cost analysis techniques
- Evaluate capital investment opportunities
- Improve planning accuracy and decision-making
- Build a practical integrated planning framework
Who should attend
Target audience
- Finance and Accounting Professionals
- Budget Analysts
- Planning Managers
- Department Managers
- Business Controllers
- Project Managers
- Anyone involved in budgeting and planning processes
- Target Competencies
Methodology
Learning approach
- This course uses an interactive and practical approach through presentations, case studies, Excel exercises, budgeting workshops, forecasting models, financial analysis, and real workplace examples.
Course content
Five focused days of learning and application
Day 1
Budgets and Strategy in Today’s International Environment
- Organizational planning framework
- The product / information / decision support cycle
- Strategic, tactical and operational forecasts
- The strategic approach to business planning
- Various strategic and tactical approaches to business planning
- The international business environment
Day 2
The Business Plan and Budget Development
- Developing the business plan
- Identification of key value drivers
- Achieving objectives
- Zero base budgeting
- Activity based budgeting
- Developing the cash budget
Day 3
Analysing the Applicability of Historical Data Using Excel®
- Problems of forecasting
- Using historical data to help predict the future
- Forecasting techniques and applications
- Development of time series models
- Using regression analysis as a predictor and estimator
- Mastering exponential smoothing as a data analysis tool
Day 4
Using Activity-Based Budgeting and Cost Analysis Techniques
- Cost behaviour and breakeven analysis
- Activity based costing
- Budgeting for processes rather than departments
- Defining key cost drivers
- Defining key activities
- Developing the activity-based budget
Day 5
Capital Budgeting and Project Appraisal
- Identify the various types of capital projects
- Discuss the capital project evaluation process
- The impact time has on the value of money
- Using WACC and ROIC as benchmarks
- Development of the hurdle rate for capital projects
- Evaluate capital projects using NPV, IRR, ARR and payback models
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What does Integrating Budgeting, Forecasting & Business Planning (AF-007) cover?
This course covers Accounting and Finance through a structured five-day outline focused on practical application, discussion, and implementation planning.
When is the next available session?
The next scheduled session starts on 1 - 5 June 2026, with additional classroom dates and mirrored Online / Live options listed in the course schedules section.
Who should attend this course?
Finance and Accounting Professionals, Budget Analysts, Planning Managers
How can I register for a session?
Use any Register button next to the available course dates to open the participant registration page and submit your booking request for the selected session.
Is this course available online as well as classroom-based?
Yes. The course detail page includes both classroom sessions and Online / Live sessions, with online options aligned to the same course dates for easier planning.
Where are classroom sessions delivered?
Current classroom venues include London, Barcelona, Istanbul, Amsterdam, Paris, Munich, Kuala lumpur.
Still Have Questions?
Contact the academy team for course details, delivery options, and delegate guidance.
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