CFO Reporting Re-Imagined: Unlocking Operational Insights with Excel and Excel and Gen AI (Module 4)

Overview

In Module 4 of CFO Reporting Re-Imagined -- Unlocking Operational Insights with Excel & Gen AI, you'll explore how to uncover powerful operational insights by combining Excel's reporting tools with Gen AI support. This session focuses on AR aging, AP vendor analysis, sales trends, and employee analysis -- the operational metrics CFOs rely on daily. You'll see how to use Excel's power tools, and modern Excel functions to build flexible reports and how Gen AI can help streamline and simplify the process.

Prerequisites

Familiarity with basic financial statements, Excel formulas and functions and awareness of Excel’s Power Tools (Power Query, Power Pivot). Completion of Modules 1-3 is recommended.

Objectives

• Identify core operational reporting areas that support CFO-level decision-making
• Apply Excel-based techniques to build dynamic operational dashboards for areas like AR, AP, headcount and sales trends
• Determine how Gen AI can be used to suggest key metrics, explain trends, and improve reporting in operational packages

Highlights

• Operational reporting categories
• AR aging, AP Vendor analysis, sales, and employee headcount analysis
• Excel tools for operational reports -- using PivotTables, and Excel’s power tools for drill-down and refreshable insights
• Gen AI prompt-driven support -- brainstorming key metrics, generating commentary, identifying red flags, and producing scenario narratives
• Controls and risk lens -- embedding visibility into anomalies, compliance gaps, or potential fraud in operational reporting.