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DAY 1 — Understand & explore
Module 1 — The AI opportunity in finance (09:00–10:00)
Why AI, why now, why me?
We start with the business case — not the technology. Financial professionals who adopt AI early have a measurable advantage. This module shows why, and helps you determine where you have the most to gain.
- The productivity opportunity: where finance teams spend their time and where AI makes the difference
- The six value drivers of AI in finance: speed, accuracy, insight, scalability, consistency and focus
- Self-assessment: where do you start and what do you want to achieve?
- Course philosophy: practical first, honest about limitations, grounded in financial expertise
Result: you understand the real business case for AI in finance and have identified the specific task on which you will base your Day 2 workflow.
Module 2 — What is AI? Strengths, weaknesses & providers (10:00–11:00)
Which tool do I use when?
Before you can use a tool effectively, you need to understand how it works — at a practical level, not a technical one. The mental frameworks from this module will make every subsequent module more valuable.
- What AI really is — beyond the hype, focused on what is relevant for finance
- How Large Language Models work — explained through a financial analogy
- The problem of knowledge cutoffs — and why this is dangerous in finance
- Hallucinations: what they are, why they happen and how to protect yourself
- Where AI excels — and where it does not
- Comparison of the key providers: Claude, ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, Gemini and Grok — specifically evaluated for financial applications
Result: you select the right tool for every task and understand the professional risks that require active management.
Break (11:00–11:15)
Module 3 — Vertical analysis: what AI does with financial data (11:15–12:30)
What can AI do with my numbers?
We apply the insights from Module 1 to all major types of financial data. For each type, we explore what AI can do with it — including concrete example prompts you can use immediately.
- Spreadsheet analysis and forecasting: variance analysis, ratios, scenarios
- PDF and document analysis: extracting key data and risks
- Balance sheet analysis: liquidity, debt, working capital
- Income statement: margins, revenue quality, writing commentary
- Cash flow analysis: free cash flow, risks, liquidity tests
- Financial calculations: DCF, NPV, IRR, covenants, FX
- Research and reporting: market intelligence, competitive analysis
Prompt techniques in use: Chain-of-Thought and CoVe
Result: you have immediately usable prompts for all major financial data types.
Lunch break (12:30–13:30)
Module 4 — Horizontal analysis: AI across all FP&A functions (13:30–15:00)
Where does the value lie in my role?
We zoom out to the full finance function. For each FP&A discipline, we examine how AI provides concrete support — so that after this module you know where your greatest opportunities lie.
- Planning & Forecasting: building budgets, forecasts and scenario analyses, validating assumptions more quickly
- Investment Analysis & Capital Allocation: building and analysing business cases (DCF, NPV, IRR)
- Financial Analysis & Benchmarking: automating ratio analyses, comparing with peers, detecting trends
- Performance Analysis & Management Reporting: generating KPI analyses, explaining variances, writing reports
- Cost Analysis & Optimisation: analysing cost structures, detecting inefficiencies, identifying savings
- Working Capital & Cash Flow Management: monitoring cash flows, analysing working capital (DSO, DIO, DPO), flagging liquidity risks
- Treasury & Financial Risks: FX analysis, interest rate risks, hedging strategies, cash management
- Credit Analysis & Counterparty Risk: assessing creditworthiness, supporting scoring models, preparing credit reports
- Compliance, Audit & Risk Management: monitoring regulations, performing controls, preparing audits
- Valuation, M&A & Due Diligence: company valuations, acquisition analyses, summarising due diligence
Result: you identify your top 3 AI opportunities in your own role — the foundation for your workflow tomorrow.
Break (15:00–15:15)
Module 5 — Advanced techniques: reality vs. marketing (15:15–16:30)
When do I believe an AI provider — and when do I not?
Every vendor today claims to offer AI. This module gives you the critical framework to evaluate those claims — so you invest wisely in the right tools.
- Machine learning: what it truly delivers vs. what is overstated
- NLP (natural language processing): document analysis and reporting
- Computer vision: invoice processing and scanned documents
- Optimisation algorithms: capital and cash management
Result: you ask the right questions before you invest and are not misled by marketing claims.
Day 1 closing & evening assignment (16:30–17:00)
Which task will I redesign tomorrow?
- Open Q&A on the content of Day 1
- Preview of Day 2: from understanding to applying
- Evening exercise: choose one repetitive task from your own role to redesign tomorrow as an AI workflow
Result: you start Day 2 with a concrete task in mind — ready to turn into a working workflow.
DAY 2 — Apply & implement
Module 6 — Practical implementation: data, quality & integration (09:00–10:15)
Is my organisation AI-ready?
Day 2 begins with the prerequisites: before AI can deliver value, the right foundations must be in place. This module prevents you from investing in AI without having the basics in order.
- Data quality: the 5 dimensions — completeness, consistency, accuracy, timeliness, accessibility
- AI readiness: how prepared is your organisation?
- Integrations: Microsoft 365, ERP systems, BI tools, FP&A software
- AI limitations and expectation management: what works and what does not
Result: you have a clear picture of what is needed to successfully implement AI in your organisation.
Break (10:15–10:30)
Module 7 — Workshop: writing effective prompts for finance (10:30–12:30)
How do I write prompts that work?
The most practical module of the training. You build your own prompt library based on your own role and tasks — no generic examples, but prompts you will use tomorrow.
- Anatomy of a good prompt: context, goal, style, task, audience, constraints and format
- The 5 frameworks applied to financial tasks:
- COSTAR(-F) → best for clear structure & communication
- Chain-of-Thought → best for reasoning
- ReAct → best for AI agents & tools
- CoVe → best for accuracy
- Prompt Chaining → best for complex workflows
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Group work by role: CFO, analyst, controller, treasurer — each group builds prompts for their own context
Result: you finish with a set of directly usable, tested prompts for your financial tasks.
Lunch break (12:30–13:15)
Module 8 — Building AI workflows (13:15–14:45)
How do I redesign my work process?
A good prompt is only a building block. Real productivity gains lie in workflows — repeatable processes where AI and human each do what they do best. We redesign the task you chose yesterday evening.
- Workflow principles: what does AI do, what do you do, where is the boundary?
- Analysing the current process: where is time being lost?
- Designing the new workflow: step by step
- Practical example: monthly report redesigned → 54 hours saved per year
- Building your own workflow based on your evening assignment
Prompt techniques in use: COSTAR(-F), ReAct and Prompt Chaining
Result: you have a concrete, tested AI workflow ready for use in your own role.
Break (14:45–15:00)
Module 9 — Governance, ethics & risk management (15:00–16:00)
How do I use AI responsibly?
Using AI responsibly is not optional — it is a professional requirement. This module gives you the framework to deploy AI safely and audit-ready in a financial environment.
- Data privacy and confidentiality: what can and cannot be entered into AI tools?
- Human oversight remains essential: when do you trust AI — and when do you not?
- Error management and verification: the 3-check method
- Drafting an AI policy for your organisation
- Audit and regulation: how do you document AI usage?
Result: you have a governance framework to use AI safely, responsibly and audit-ready.
Module 10 — Action plan & closing (16:00–17:00)
What do I do over the next 90 days?
The training closes with a concrete implementation plan. No vague intentions, but specific steps — linked to your own role, your own tasks and the opportunities you identified over these two days.
- Drawing up your personal 90-day plan
- Concrete commitments: which task, which tool, which week?
- Further learning pathways: how do you keep up in a rapidly evolving landscape?
- Summary of the key insights from both days
- Q&A
Result: you leave with a concrete implementation plan and know exactly what you will do over the next 90 days.
What you take away
Concrete deliverables: tested prompt library tailored to your role, your own AI workflow ready for use, personal 90-day plan, governance framework for responsible use, framework for tool selection, access to network and resources.
Skills: choosing the right AI tool for every task, designing AI-driven workflows with quality controls, writing prompts that deliver finance-quality output, applying AI across all FP&A functions, analysing financial data faster and more thoroughly, using AI responsibly with attention to privacy, human oversight and audit requirements.
Your AI journey
Level 1 — AI Essentials: the foundation for every manager or professional
Level 2 — AI for Financially Confident Managers: AI applied to financial decision-making
Level 3 — AI in Finance & FP&A: this programme — advanced applications for finance professionals
This is not a theory-based training. It is a fully practical AI framework based on real financial workflows, real prompts and real tools. No technical background required. No leaving without concrete workflows.
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