Seminar on Finance for Engineers, Project, and Technical Professionals

Innovate or die!  Nokia and Kodak are both recent examples of once great companies that failed to heed this dire warning. New technologies are at the core of disruptive business models and the company’s ability to innovate critically depends on its ability to bring forward, evaluate and develop new processes and technologies. This has put unprecedented demands on engineers, project, and technical managers to not just understand the principles of project finance but also to be able to communicate and apply them effectively.

This hands-on project finance training course will focus on practical financial skills directly relevant for understanding, planning, and presenting persuasive project evaluations for investment decision-making.

Course Objectives

By the end of the course, participants should be able to:

• Analyse and interpret company financial statements.
• Understand cost behaviour and common costing approaches.
• Select and implement appropriate cost estimation techniques.
• Use effective tools to produce reliable cash flow forecasts.
• Build powerful investment appraisal models using Excel.
• Prepare and present capital investment appraisals.

Duration:       5 Days

Who Should Attend

This training course will not only be of benefit to engineering, project and technical function team members, but it will also provide a useful insights and tools for other professionals in related fields, in particular the course will greatly benefit:

• Project managers
• Technical team members
• Engineering professionals
• Investment department staff
• Cost and management accountants
• Planning team members
• Procurement and supply chain professionals

Course Content

Day One: Business Finance Fundamentals

• Competitive and finance strategy fundamentals
• Business models and their disruption
• The context for project and capital investment
• Financial statements - function and structure
• Measuring financial performance and strength
• The vital difference between profit and cash flow 

Day Two: Financial Analysis and Interpretation

• A systematic approach to financial analysis
• Analysing and improving financial performance
• Analysing and improving asset management efficiency
• Analysing and interpreting capital structure and risk
• An investor’s perspective on financial appraisal
• Key cash flow ratios

Day Three: Mastering Pricing, Costs and Profit

• Understanding cost behaviour
• Analysing the cost-volume-profit relationship
• Mastering the principles of gross margin and break-even
• Cost classification and costing concepts
• A strategic approach to cost reduction
• Evaluating cost and value approaches to pricing
• Building an Excel pricing model

Day Four: Forecasting Methods for Investment Projects

• Forecasting fundamentals
• Using Excel statistical analysis tools
• Revenue forecasts: time series analysis techniques
• Qualities of a good project cost estimate
• Common approaches to project cost estimation
• Identifying relevant project cash flows
• Principles and best practice in Excel financial modelling

Day Five: Preparing and Presenting Investment Appraisals

• Sources and cost of business funding
• Funding strategy and optimal capital structure
• The bank’s perspective on project finance
• Principles of capital investment decision-making
• Mastering discounted cash flow (DCF) analysis
• Building an Excel investment appraisal model
• Preparing and presenting an investment project appraisal

General Notes

• This course is delivered by our seasoned trainers who have vast experience as expert professionals in the respective fields of practice. The course is taught through a mix of practical activities, theory, group work and case studies.
• Training manuals and additional reference materials are provided to the participants.
• Upon successful completion of this course, participants will be issued with a certificate.