We believe that the future of finance is value-driven. By that, we mean that the majority of the work your finance function does should be less time on tasks like building spreadsheets and reports and more time interpreting and analysing so you can make better decisions. However, many finance functions are still operating with legacy systems and using processes that were fine in the past, but now don't quite meet the needs of today or prepare you for the future.

The NextGen finance function course is designed for finance leaders, teams and individual professionals alike and will give you all of the tools you need to make the change towards a value-driven finance function.

Upcoming NextGen course dates

Important course info

Learning objectives

At the end of the course, attendees will be able to:

Describe what a Next Gen finance function is, how it operates and why that can benefit an organisation
Define what the “Finance function adding value” actually means for their entity, and the role of Finance teams in adding value
Discuss the key attributes, skills and behaviours that finance staff need to demonstrate to be seen to be adding value in their entity
Apply the methodologies we provide to upskill your team so they can add more value
Identify the parts of their finance function that could benefit from technological solutions
Create a business case for a finance transformation project
Prepare their organisation for a finance transformation project
Influence senior staff in their organisation more effectively
Mitigate some of the barriers to an effective Next Gen finance function, and know what needs to be in place for the transition to a Next Gen finance function to work.

Teaching methods

Our expert instructors use a range of engaging contemporary teaching methods on all VantagePoint Training courses. You can expect:

Group live instruction
Interactive exercises
Participation will be encouraged
At VantagePoint, we have a policy to avoid unnecessary printing. All course materials will be provided in soft copy. The only printed materials will be those necessary for exercises in class.

In depth course content

NextGen finance function course content:

What is a NextGen finance function and how that compares to traditional finance operations
Why your finance function needs to become NextGen
What is involved in a finance transformation project

Adding value to your business:

What does adding value mean?
How do finance teams add value?
Exploring the roles of finance teams in the context of adding value

Skills, attributes and behaviours needed to add value:

What are the key skills, attributes and behaviours needed for a finance team to add value?
French and Raven’s work on power
Basics of colour theory relating to people personality preferences
The pyramid principle and practical tips for effective presentation of financial information to non-financial staff

Technology underpins and empowers a Nextgen finance function:

What are the different ways technology can help the finance function
Identifying the technologies that are right for your finance function

Running a finance transformation project:

The key elements of a finance transformation project
Preparation needed before starting a finance transformation project
Building a business case for your finance transformation project

Ensuring your NextGen finance function works:

Right organisational structure
Clearly defined roles
Mitigating barriers to an effective NextGen finance function

Prerequisites and advanced preparation

There are no prerequisites or advanced preparation for this course. All finance professionals are welcome to attend.

We know that to truly achieve NextGen status, finance transformation will be needed. A finance transformation project can seem like a daunting task, but we'll cover this in detail and break it down into a digestible format so that you can confidently make the change. Improvement and automation of processes and potentially systems will play a key role, so your team will need to be adaptable to enable them to move towards driving more value for your team and wider organisation.

Field of study

Accounting

CPE/CPD credits

24 hours

Contact us for more information or to see how we can create a bespoke experience for you

We're constantly reviewing courses and our schedule changes based on demand from our clients. If there's a topic not on our schedule that you'd like to see, please do get in touch and let us know. You can also sign up to our newsletter to stay informed of all our latest course listings and locations.

All courses can be delivered as bespoke in-house training for your team. If this is something you're interested in or you have a question about any of our courses, please get in touch using this button - we'd love to discuss your requirements. for courses in the USA, please visit our USA course catalogue.

CPE/CPD accreditation

VantagePoint is registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) as a sponsor of continuing professional education on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. State boards of accountancy have final authority on the acceptance of individual courses for CPE credit. Complaints regarding registered sponsors may be submitted to the National Registry of CPE Sponsors through its website: www.nasbaregistry.org. For information regarding administrative policies such as our complaint policy and refund policy, please contact us at training@vantagepoint.consulting.

NextGen finance function workshop: planning for success