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Description

Business Management for Managers: Costing, Budgeting and Steering Your Scope

Giving operational managers the financial reference points they lack when trade-off decisions are made

  • 5 days — 35 h
  • In-person or virtual
  • All levels
  • Up to 6 participants

An operational manager approves a hire, an investment or a commercial discount without always measuring the effect on margin and on cash. When the conversation moves to the management controller, it stalls for want of a shared vocabulary and common reference points.

Five days to acquire the management mechanisms a non-financial leader actually needs. The programme starts with reading financial statements prepared under IFRS, moves through budget construction and cost control, then puts the steering tools in place: dashboard, variance analysis and profitability assessment of a decision.

Learning objectives

  • Read an income statement and a balance sheet and draw management conclusions from them
  • Analyse how margin is built within a business scope
  • Build and defend the budget of your unit
  • Analyse variances between budget and actuals
  • Assess the profitability of an investment or recruitment decision
  • Steer activity using a focused dashboard

What makes this programme different

Financial concepts are approached through the manager's decisions rather than through accounting technique
Each participant builds the dashboard of their own scope
A management dialogue is role-played with the management controller at the end of the programme

Programme

1Reading financial statements without being an accountant

What the balance sheet and the income statement tell you

  • Identify the structure of the balance sheet and the income statement
  • Spot the main aggregates that reflect the health of the company
  • Connect an operational decision to the way it is recorded in the accounts
  • Interpret the key ratios used internally

2Costs, margins and break-even point

Understanding where the result comes from

  • Distinguish fixed costs from variable costs within your scope
  • Calculate a contribution margin by product or by client
  • Determine the activity level that covers structural costs
  • Measure the effect of a commercial discount on margin

3Building and defending your budget

From intention to figures

  • Translate an activity plan into budget assumptions
  • Cost payroll and recurring expenditure
  • Argue a request for resources before senior management
  • Plan room for manoeuvre in the event of a revision

4Tracking activity and analysing variances

Reacting before the year-end

  • Select indicators that trigger a decision
  • Build a dashboard maintained every month
  • Analyse the causes of a variance between plan and actuals
  • Formulate quantified corrective actions

5Deciding with cash and investment in mind

The time value of money

  • Distinguish profit from cash in a decision
  • Measure the effect of payment terms on working capital requirements
  • Assess an investment project through its expected return
  • Prepare the management dialogue with the finance function

Who is it for

Operational managers · department heads · project managers and executives taking on budget responsibility.

Prerequisites

No prior knowledge required

Dates & locations

36 scheduled dates between November 2026 and December 2027. Seats are confirmed in the order enquiries are received.

November 2026

December 2026

January 2027

March 2027

April 2027

May 2027

June 2027

September 2027

October 2027

November 2027

December 2027

None of these dates suit you? We open additional sessions on request, and any programme can be run privately for your team.

Practical details

Before the programme
Online positioning questionnaire. Your development objectives are shared with the trainer, who tailors the practical case studies to your context.
Teaching methods
Theoretical input, workshops and practical case studies. Digital course materials and method sheets provided.
Assessment
Multiple-choice tests and role-play exercises. Assessment of learning at the start and end of the programme, with immediate and 60-day follow-up evaluations.
After the programme
One year of access to the e-learning platform. Self-assessment of the skills acquired and a 30-day follow-up session with your trainer.
How to register
Registration online or on the basis of a quotation.
Lead time
11 working days after confirmation of registration.
Accessibility
Accessible to people of determination. Contact our accessibility coordinator to design a suitable solution: contact@mpf-academy.ae
Start dates
Rolling intake: in addition to the scheduled sessions, this programme can start on request.