Working through uncertain times – 6 for 5 pack

From SiRi to self-driving cars, AI (Artificial Intelligence) is progressing rapidly. More will change in the next two decades than in the past 200 years. A captivating conversation is taking place about the future of AI and what it could mean for humanity.

Fascinating controversies where the world’s leading experts disagree, e.g.: AI’s impact on the job market; whether it will lead to an intelligence explosion; and whether it’s something we should welcome or fear. But there are also many cases of pseudo-controversies caused by people misunderstanding and talking past each other.

To help focus on the interesting controversies and open questions, not on the misunderstandings, we attempt to clear up some of the most common myths.

This informative course will benefit anyone who is interested in an overview of the evolution and progression of AI in today’s world, and how it is poised to disrupt the way we work.

From the Internet of Things (IoT), Machine Learning & Artificial Intelligence, influencing our decisions and storing growing amounts of data on demand, Big Data is helping fuel it all.

This course will look at the impact of Big Data in the modern world and how understanding the opportunities available can assist in business.

A new world of cryptocurrency is seeing exponential growth causing a turn in the economy as well as presenting new challenges in the way we do business. While there are around 1600 types of cryptocurrencies available over the internet, it is Bitcoin that has experienced the most fierce value fluctuation of all.

Meanwhile, an accidental discovery has led to much hype around the formations of a decentralised digital ledger, a new and exciting technology that we now call Blockchain.

This has sparked a global debate as to whether this new way of recording transactions could be the solution we have been searching for, in bridging the gap with data protection, digital security and authentication. Many organisations and research facilities already have a taste for the types of answers to digital problems that this new technology could bring.

Risk management has been talked about for many years but it has a history of inconsistent and misunderstood definitions. This has led to the development of new frameworks to allow all types of organisation to understand and better manage their risk environments.

This course on IAS 7 - statements of cash flows, deals with the fourth primary financial statement an entity is required to present under IFRS. This is the only statement that is not covered in IAS 1. Unlike many national accounting rules IAS 7 requires all entities to present a cash flow statement as an integral part of the financial statements. This course will take you through the contents of IAS 7 to help enable you to present cash flow statements.

Empirical evidence suggests that for many organisations strategies often fail to achieve the desired outcomes that an organisation seeks. Much of this can be attributed to the implementation of strategic initiatives.

There is a growing trend in firms to adopt the use of lean tools to streamline and enhance productivity and effectiveness of organisations.

Whilst their initial application was focused on manufacturing and production operations there is increasing use and application of the tools in other functional areas such as finance.

Most organisations accept without question the principle that costs should be kept as low as possible provided they don’t put key corporate objectives at risk. In practice, organisations often face strong pressure to increase resources to meet objectives such as better customer service and product quality. Reducing costs is often problematic because it not clear exactly what is being done, and the value of this work to the organisation, in the areas you seek savings. This course examines six ways of overcoming these problems: improving the ability of spending areas to contribute to key corporate objectives and customer needs, while reducing their costs significantly.

In a world that has been described as VUCA (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous)…a world where it’s impossible to tell news from fake…where countries are becoming insular and globalisation seems to be a thing of the past. The only thing that is certain is that nothing is certain. It means that understanding the risks that a business is exposed to is crucial and having a formal way of identifying and managing risk essential.

This course looks at the tools and techniques for identifying and managing risks; the impact of risk appetite on the organisation and its staff and the importance of considering opportunities in conjunction with risks.

Finance is one of the key backbones of any Business and is absolutely critical to its success, often determining its survival and stability. This course provides participants with a firm grounding in the wide array of financing options for a business and the key considerations in choosing the most optimal financing structure for a firm. From analysing market factors and costs to the industry structure and business model, participants are actively engaged in decision making to select the right financing mix for their businesses.

A new world of cryptocurrency is seeing exponential growth causing a turn in the economy as well as presenting new challenges in the way we do business. While there are around 1600 types of cryptocurrencies available over the internet, it is Bitcoin that has experienced the most fierce value fluctuation of all.

Meanwhile, an accidental discovery has led to much hype around the formations of a decentralised digital ledger, a new and exciting technology that we now call Blockchain.

This has sparked a global debate as to whether this new way of recording transactions could be the solution we have been searching for, in bridging the gap with data protection, digital security and authentication. Many organisations and research facilities already have a taste for the types of answers to digital problems that this new technology could bring.

Finance functions face many pressures and challenges to enable continued improvement in business performance. We are continually hunting for more sources of profitability, cash and intangible financial value.

In the march for growth and profitability we can sometimes overlook working capital management despite the risk of failure when a business no longer has the cash or financing to pay its bills.

Cash is king and working capital management can unlock cash from day to day operations. Good working capital management can yield a range of great benefits and help minimize risks and lost opportunities.

This course will clarify the role of working capital and signpost you to techniques to help you and your business colleagues optimize it for the benefit of your organisation’s performance.