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Quest Training

Finance for Non-Financial Managers Training Course

Translates financial statements, ratios, budgets and costs into practical tools so managers without a finance background can make sound business decisions.

CFFM · Corporate Finance & Financial ManagementAll Levels#2684ClassroomEnglish , Arabic
Duration
5 Days
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Free substitution at any time · 30+ days' notice: full refund minus 10%. Cancellation policy

Sectors:Finance, Investment & BankingCategories:Corporate Finance & Financial Management

Course Overview

The Finance for Non-Financial Managers Training Course provides managers and business professionals with the financial knowledge and analytical skills required to make informed business decisions, manage resources effectively, and contribute to organizational performance. The programme translates essential financial concepts into practical management tools, enabling participants without a formal finance background to understand financial information and apply it confidently in their daily responsibilities. Financial awareness is essential for managers across all organizational functions. Decisions involving staffing, procurement, operations, project implementation, service delivery, and business development can directly influence costs, profitability, cash flow, and overall financial sustainability. This course explains how financial results are generated, how business activities affect financial performance, and how managers can align operational decisions with organizational financial objectives. Participants explore the fundamentals of financial statements, budgeting, cost management, financial planning, and performance measurement. Particular attention is given to understanding the income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow statement, as well as interpreting key financial indicators to evaluate business performance, identify potential risks, and recognize opportunities for improvement. The programme also develops practical capabilities in budget preparation, variance analysis, forecasting, investment appraisal, and resource allocation. Participants examine how to assess financial implications before committing resources, monitor expenditure against approved budgets, and develop corrective actions when actual results differ from expectations. Through realistic business scenarios, financial exercises, and management-focused case studies, participants build the confidence to engage in financial discussions, collaborate effectively with finance departments, and take greater ownership of the financial consequences of their decisions. The course is suitable for organizations seeking to strengthen financial accountability, improve managerial judgment, and promote a culture of cost awareness and value creation.

Learning Objectives

  • Explain fundamental accounting and finance concepts relevant to managerial responsibilities.
  • Interpret financial statements and identify the information most relevant to business decisions.
  • Evaluate organizational performance using financial ratios and key performance indicators.
  • Distinguish between fixed, variable, direct, indirect, and semi-variable costs.
  • Apply budgeting techniques to plan departmental expenditure and allocate resources.
  • Analyse budget variances and identify the operational factors contributing to financial deviations.
  • Develop basic financial forecasts using historical information, assumptions, and business expectations.
  • Assess the relationship between revenue, costs, profit, working capital, and cash flow.
  • Evaluate the financial implications of operational decisions and proposed business initiatives.
  • Apply cost-control techniques to improve efficiency and reduce unnecessary expenditure.
  • Compare investment alternatives using fundamental capital appraisal methods.
  • Strengthen financial communication and accountability across managerial and operational functions.

Who Should Attend

This course is designed for professionals who make business, operational, or resource-allocation decisions but do not require an advanced accounting background. Department heads and functional managers responsible for departmental budgets and performance. General managers and business unit managers seeking stronger financial decision-making capabilities. Operations, production, and maintenance managers responsible for controlling operational expenditure. Human resources managers involved in workforce planning, recruitment budgets, and employee-related costs. Procurement and supply chain managers responsible for purchasing decisions, supplier costs, and inventory management. Project managers overseeing project budgets, resource utilization, and financial performance. Sales and marketing managers responsible for revenue targets, campaign expenditure, and profitability. Administrative and office managers responsible for budgets, services, and operational resources. Government and public-sector managers involved in budget utilization, expenditure monitoring, and value-for-money initiatives. Engineers and technical professionals moving into supervisory or management positions. Business development professionals evaluating commercial opportunities and operational feasibility. Emerging leaders and high-potential employees preparing to assume broader management responsibilities.

Learning Outcomes

  • Understand the relationship between accounting information, financial management, and organizational strategy.
  • Read and interpret income statements, balance sheets, and cash flow statements.
  • Identify the financial significance of revenue, expenses, assets, liabilities, and equity.
  • Use financial ratios to assess profitability, liquidity, efficiency, and financial risk.
  • Classify costs and determine how cost behaviour influences managerial decisions.
  • Prepare and review departmental budgets aligned with operational priorities.
  • Investigate budget variances and recommend appropriate corrective measures.
  • Produce basic financial forecasts and explain the assumptions behind projected results.
  • Evaluate cash flow implications and recognize the importance of working capital management.
  • Compare alternatives using break-even analysis, payback period, and other basic investment appraisal techniques.
  • Identify opportunities to reduce costs, improve resource utilization, and strengthen financial performance.
  • Communicate financial information clearly and demonstrate accountability for the financial outcomes of managerial decisions.

Course Outline

Day 1

Fundamentals of Finance and Financial Statements

  • The role of finance in organizational strategy, planning, and managerial decision-making.
  • Understanding the relationship between operational activities and financial results.
  • Core accounting principles and terminology for non-financial professionals.
  • The accounting equation: assets, liabilities, and equity.
  • Understanding revenue, operating expenses, gross profit, operating profit, and net profit.
  • Reading the income statement and assessing business profitability.
  • Understanding the balance sheet and evaluating the organization's financial position.
  • Interpreting the cash flow statement and distinguishing cash from accounting profit.
  • Relationships between the three principal financial statements.
  • Recognizing common financial reporting limitations and interpretation risks.
  • Practical Exercise: Review a simplified set of financial statements, identify key performance indicators, and explain what the figures reveal about the organization's financial position.
Day 2

Cost Management and Financial Performance Analysis

  • Understanding cost structures and their impact on business performance.
  • Classifying fixed, variable, direct, indirect, and semi-variable costs.
  • Distinguishing controllable costs from costs that are difficult to influence in the short term.
  • Understanding contribution margin and its role in managerial decisions.
  • Conducting break-even analysis and calculating the margin of safety.
  • Applying cost-volume-profit analysis to evaluate alternative operating scenarios.
  • Introducing relevant costing and opportunity costs in decision-making.
  • Understanding profitability indicators and their managerial implications.
  • Using financial ratios to assess profitability, liquidity, and operational efficiency.
  • Identifying cost inefficiencies, waste, and opportunities for financial improvement.
  • Practical Exercise: Analyse a departmental cost structure, calculate the break-even point, and recommend measures to improve cost efficiency without compromising service quality.
Day 3

Budgeting, Forecasting, and Variance Analysis

  • The purpose of budgeting in financial planning and managerial accountability.
  • Understanding the budgeting cycle, responsibilities, and approval processes.
  • Developing departmental operating budgets based on organizational priorities.
  • Estimating personnel, procurement, operating, and project-related expenditure.
  • Understanding fixed budgets, flexible budgets, and rolling forecasts.
  • Using historical data and operational assumptions to prepare financial forecasts.
  • Comparing actual expenditure and performance against approved budgets.
  • Calculating and interpreting favourable and unfavourable variances.
  • Investigating the root causes of budget deviations.
  • Preparing corrective action plans and communicating financial performance to senior management.
  • Practical Exercise: Prepare a departmental budget, analyse a set of actual-versus-budget figures, and present a variance report with practical recommendations.
Day 4

Cash Flow, Working Capital, and Investment Decisions

  • Understanding the difference between profit, cash flow, and available liquidity.
  • The importance of cash flow forecasting for operational continuity.
  • Working capital fundamentals and the management of current assets and liabilities.
  • Understanding the financial implications of inventory, receivables, and payables.
  • Evaluating payment terms and their impact on cash requirements.
  • Assessing financial risks associated with delayed payments, rising costs, and changing demand.
  • Introduction to the time value of money and discounting concepts.
  • Evaluating investment proposals using payback period and net present value fundamentals.
  • Understanding return on investment and the financial implications of competing priorities.
  • Assessing financial assumptions, uncertainty, and sensitivity in management decisions.
  • Practical Exercise: Compare two investment or operational improvement proposals, assess their cash flow implications, and prepare a recommendation supported by basic financial analysis.
Day 5

Financial Decision-Making, Cost Control, and Management Reporting

  • Integrating financial information into strategic and operational decision-making.
  • Evaluating the financial consequences of pricing, procurement, staffing, and resource allocation decisions.
  • Applying cost-benefit analysis to proposed initiatives and improvement projects.
  • Establishing financial performance indicators aligned with departmental objectives.
  • Developing cost-control plans and monitoring implementation.
  • Identifying financial risks and incorporating appropriate controls into management processes.
  • Preparing concise financial reports and management dashboards.
  • Communicating financial findings to finance teams, executives, and operational stakeholders.
  • Strengthening budget ownership, expenditure discipline, and financial accountability.
  • Translating financial analysis into measurable operational improvement actions.
  • Final Workshop: Participants receive a simulated departmental financial performance pack containing budget data, financial statements, cost information, and operational assumptions. Working individually or in teams, they analyse financial performance, identify significant variances and risks, assess alternative actions, and prepare a management recommendation. Each team presents its findings, explains the expected financial impact, and responds to questions from a management review panel.

Upcoming Dates

Selected date

Madrid · 4 – 8 Jan 2027 · Classroom

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KigaliScheduled
2 – 6 Nov 2026€5,100—
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MakkahScheduled
2 – 6 Nov 2026€4,200—
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ManamaScheduled
9 – 13 Nov 2026€4,700—
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MarbellaScheduled
16 – 20 Nov 2026€5,400—
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LondonScheduled
23 – 27 Nov 2026€5,600€5,040until 2 Nov
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MilanScheduled
23 – 27 Nov 2026€6,000€5,400until 2 Nov
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MunichScheduled
30 Nov – 4 Dec 2026€5,400€4,860until 9 Nov
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MuscatScheduled
30 Nov – 4 Dec 2026€5,300€4,770until 9 Nov
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OnlineScheduled
6 – 10 Dec 2026€1,700€1,530until 16 Nov
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ParisScheduled
14 – 18 Dec 2026€5,700€5,130until 23 Nov
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MadinahScheduled
14 – 18 Dec 2026€4,200€3,780until 23 Nov
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RiyadhScheduled
21 – 25 Dec 2026€4,200€3,780until 30 Nov
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RomeScheduled
28 Dec 2026 – 1 Jan 2027€5,800€5,220until 7 Dec
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MadridScheduled
4 – 8 Jan 2027€5,400€4,860until 14 Dec
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Sharm El-SheikhScheduled
4 – 8 Jan 2027€4,300€3,870until 14 Dec
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SingaporeScheduled
11 – 15 Jan 2027€6,700€6,030until 21 Dec
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ViennaScheduled
11 – 15 Jan 2027€5,700€5,130until 21 Dec
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AmmanScheduled
17 – 21 Jan 2027€3,100€2,790until 28 Dec
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SalalahScheduled
18 – 22 Jan 2027€5,300€4,770until 28 Dec
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AmsterdamScheduled
25 – 29 Jan 2027€5,400€4,860until 4 Jan
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BarcelonaScheduled
1 – 5 Feb 2027€5,400€4,860until 11 Jan
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CairoScheduled
8 – 12 Feb 2027€3,300€2,970until 18 Jan
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AbujaScheduled
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CasablancaScheduled
15 – 19 Feb 2027€4,300€3,870until 25 Jan
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DammamScheduled
22 – 26 Feb 2027€4,200€3,780until 1 Feb
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AccraScheduled
1 – 5 Mar 2027€5,100€4,590until 8 Feb
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DohaScheduled
1 – 5 Mar 2027€4,400€3,960until 8 Feb
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DubaiScheduled
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GenevaScheduled
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