Excel and AI Training

Prerequisites

You must have a good command of Excel (functions, pivot tables, basic formulas)

Objectives

◗ Use Excel's forecasting tools: Target Value, Scenario Manager, Solver, and regression line.

◗ Use a free AI tool (ChatGPT, Claude, or similar) to speed up the development of predictive models.

◗ Cross-reference Excel results with AI analyses to improve the reliability of forecasts.

◗ Build a one-year sales or expense forecast model.

◗ Adopt a structured and well-documented approach to present a defensible forecast to the Executive Committee.

Training program

A program that keeps pace with the latest developments in AI, featuring numerous practical applications that demonstrate how to combine Excel and AI tools to develop and test financial projections.

◗ Excel Tools for Forecasting Models

– Target Value: Find the input parameter needed to achieve a financial goal
– Configure Solver: objective cell, decision variables, constraints
– Finance use cases: resource optimization, delivery scheduling, margin maximization
✔ APPLY | Practical Example: Use the Target Value to Determine the Revenue Needed to Break Even
✔ APPLY | Practical Example: Optimize a Delivery Schedule and Sales Forecast Under Capacity Constraints Using Solver
✔ EVALUATE | Quiz: When Should You Use the Target Value Instead of a Traditional Formula?

◗ AI in Finance

– Artificial Intelligence: Overview and Challenges
– AI Use Cases for Finance: Report Generation, Natural Language Analysis, Anomaly Detection
– Risks and Limitations to Be Aware Of: Hallucinations, Sensitive Data, Auditability
✔ UNDERSTAND | Illustration: Presentation of an AI agent that generates an analytical report based on a financial report from a publicly traded company
✔ EVALUATE | Quiz: What are the differences between conversational AI and agent-based AI?

◗ Incorporate AI into the development of the forecasting model

– Set the framework for the AI tool: scope, nature of data flows, levers
– Use AI to define the appropriate method: assumptions, scenarios, formulas, documentation, summary, etc.
– Critically review the proposals and structure the file
✔ APPLY | Practical exercise: Ask an AI tool to structure a 12-month revenue forecast model, then implement it in Excel
✔ EXPERIMENT | Workshop: Use AI to generate an automated analysis of budget-vs.-actual variances
✔ EVALUATE | Quiz: What precautions should you take before using an AI-generated Excel formula in production?

◗ Develop and present a sound forecast

– Structuring a forecast file: assumptions, calculations, summary, charts
– Documenting the model’s assumptions and boundaries to make it auditable
– Presenting the forecast to the Executive Committee: selecting and creating metrics and charts
✔ APPLY | Final practical exercise: Build a 12-month sales forecast model incorporating 3 scenarios, Excel formulas, and assumptions generated and annotated using AI
✔ EVALUATE | Quiz: How can you make a forecast model understandable to a non-finance professional?

Why choose this course?

Finance departments are expected to demonstrate their ability to look ahead, not just to consolidate the past. Excel remains the go-to tool for financial modeling, but generative AI opens up new possibilities: building models more quickly, generating scenarios, and explaining results in natural language.

This workshop offers a practical approach to combining the two for forecasting purposes.

Teaching and assessment methods

Before the training: Submit your expectations via your online portal 15 days before the training begins and complete a self-assessment of your skills.

Teaching Methods: A variety of teaching methods to cater to different learning styles, encourage active participation, and reinforce learning through experimentation and practice.

Educational materials: presentation materials, reference materials (summary sheets, tables, etc.), and other resources available in your account.

During the training: theoretical concepts are alternated with examples drawn from real-life cases. Participants are given the opportunity to engage in role-playing exercises. Numerous practical exercises allow participants to demonstrate their mastery of the skills as the training progresses.

Training monitoring and evaluation: attendance sheet and certificate of completion. Immediate and post-training evaluations conducted using the LearnEval platform.

Price

1 295 € EXCL. TAX

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Excel and AI Training