Commenting on reports

How can AI help you comment on financial reporting?

1250 € per session, excl. VAT

In short

This course is for finance and management control professionals. They learn to analyze a fictitious report and draft a management note connecting variances, hypotheses, and controls. Using the chosen AI assistant, participants produce a clear and relevant deliverable, facilitating informed decision-making and better data understanding.

Why this training?

The problem

Finance and controlling professionals struggle to produce relevant commentary on financial reporting.

What it costs today

This leads to fragile decisions based on an incomplete understanding of data and frequent revisions of analyses.

Why this skill

This skill is necessary to transform raw data into actionable insights and facilitate clear communication of variances and assumptions.

What you gain

The participant and the company gain in analysis reliability, autonomy in drafting management notes, and quality of information shared for decision-making.

Objectives of this training

• Interpret the units, periods, and scope of a given financial report.
• Calculate relevant absolute and relative variances.
• Distinguish between factual findings and hypothetical explanations.
• Formulate precise questions for in-depth analysis.
• Link each statement in a management note to its calculation or source.
• Draft a concise and relevant management note for leadership.

Who is it for and what are the prerequisites?

Roles and tasks concerned

• Controllers who analyze financial variances
• Financial analysts who draft management notes
• Finance managers who interpret performance
• Accountants who prepare activity summaries
• Decision-makers who evaluate risks and opportunities

Prior skills

• AI Fundamentals and AI Prompting completed, or equivalent experience (a learning prerequisite, not a registration condition).
• Knowledge of basic accounting and finance principles
• Ability to read and understand a standard financial report
• Understanding of the role and objectives of management control
• Proficiency in Excel for data manipulation
• A paid subscription to an AI solution offering the features used, the organisation’s authorisation for third-party tools, and the actual accounts and access rights.

To prepare before the session

• One computer per participant.
• Functional access to the selected tools for the session.
• A business case to work on (fictional or anonymized data).

What you will work on

1. Prepare the reporting

   The participant can read and verify the data of a fictional report.

2. Analyze variances

   The participant is able to calculate variations and identify their potential causes.

3. Comment on performance

   The participant can formulate informed comments, separating facts from hypotheses.

4. Validate the note

   The participant produces an argumentative and factual management note for decision-making.

What you take away

• A comprehensive management note, linking variances, assumptions, and controls.
• A personalized financial analysis template.

Method and assessment

• Demonstrations with explanations using a concrete case
• Guided exercises followed by application to your role
• Peer review of results and source verification
• An individual or team action plan

Assessment is formative: participants complete and review a practical case linked to the intended deliverable (A management memo linking variances, hypotheses and required checks). Criteria include meeting the brief, accuracy, checks performed and the ability to explain decisions. Each participant identifies an application to test in their own work.

Frequently asked questions

What will be the concrete benefit for my team after this training?

Your team will be able to produce clear and factual financial commentaries, facilitating informed discussions. They will gain efficiency in interpreting reports and communicating key issues.

Who should participate in this training, and what knowledge is useful before attending?

This training is for professionals who analyze or comment on financial data. It is helpful to have knowledge of accounting and financial principles and familiarity with company reports.

What types of data or documents will be used, and how is confidentiality ensured?

We will work with fictional financial reports or anonymized data. This allows for exploration of analysis and writing techniques without compromising your organization's sensitive information.

What kind of practical exercise will be performed during the session?

Participants will analyze a fictional financial report. They will need to identify variances, formulate hypotheses, and draft a relevant management note, using the writing support tools.

What are the limitations of the tools used, and who validates the final result of the analysis?

The writing support tools are assistants that require human oversight. The participant is responsible for the final relevance of the analysis and the management note, which must be validated by the organization's internal processes.

How does the training adapt to my industry or my company's specificities?

The training uses universal analysis principles. Practical cases can be adapted to reflect specific business contexts if data is provided and anonymized beforehand.