Financial modelling trends that have carved a niche this year

What is financial modeling and, what are its applications in the industry? This question is now much more important for finance individuals than ever. Corporate organizations and banks have realized the importance of financial models. Usually, financial analysts are responsible for creating financial models.

Business organizations can take better decisions when they have access to detailed financial reports. Read on to know what is financial modeling and how to learn more about it.

Understanding financial modeling

Any real-life financial situation can be represented in numbers via a financial model. Any company, investment idea, or project can be represented in numbers with the help of a financial model. It is a type of mathematical model that represents the performance of a project or any company. Before indulging in a new project, company executives predict the benefits and costs of the project via financial models.

Company executives use financial models to predict the impact of a business decision on the company’s financial performance. If there is a change in business strategies, financial models help in predicting the performance of company shares/stocks. Financial models can explain the financial impact of change in external factors like economic regulations or tax regulations. Financial models include cash flow analysis, expenses, profits, etc. Usually, financial models are created on excel sheets by financial analysts.

Top financial modeling trends

Before starting a new business or venture, financial models are made to predict its performance. Many financial models turn out to be successful businesses or projects. Some of the top financial modeling trends that have carved a niche are as follows:

  • Billing models

Many businesses offer digital services to customers and charge them based on various billing models. Among all the billing models, subscription-based billing has gained popularity in recent times. Consider OTT platforms that are offering a subscription to people for viewing unlimited video content. Similarly, many social media platforms ask users to get a premium subscription for accessing the content without any advertisement. Subscription-based billing models are gaining popularity as businesses can see profit in them.

  • Fintech models

Many corporate firms are investing in fintech start-ups nowadays. It is because people love to gain access to financial services just by a few taps on their smartphones. Many fintech models have become reality and converted into successful businesses. Financial institutions that are looking for digital transformation are relying on fintech models. Analyzing the impact of digital transformation on your company is one of the financial modeling best practices.

  • M&A models

Gone are the days when business organizations could not predict the impact of an M&A (Mergers and Acquisition) deal. Financial modeling can help you predict the performance of a company after it acquires or merges with some other company. Using the financial modeling best practices, financial analysts can help in finding beneficial M&A deals that could boost the overall revenue. Seeing the benefits of financial models for making business decisions, many M&A advisory firms have started hiring financial analysts. You can also become a successful financial analyst with a financial modeling certification.

How to learn financial modeling?

financial modeling certification course can help you know more about industry practices. The best option is to go for the Imarticus Learning’s Financial Analysis Prodegree program. We focus on a hands-on learning approach to make finance enthusiasts job-ready. The best about the financial analysis program is that it is recognized by KPMG, one of the accounting giants.

The financial analysis course also allows you to work on industry projects and case studies. By working on financial modeling projects, you will get to know which financial models can convert into successful businesses. Start your financial analysis course now!

Should we reconcile forecasts to align supply chain management and analytics?

One of the biggest perks of analytics in supply chain management is its utilisation of the demand forecast. Managers at different levels of the supply chain may be using it for different purposes. The common factor is that they all use the data for making some sort of decision.

One could say that the supply chain management career will require you to make a lot of decisions based on the various data available at any given time. Decisions of different levels may be based on the same set of data or entirely different ones as well. 

One must think about whether or not to align multiple levels using the forecasts. So the question here is, will it be wise to use a unified forecast across all levels?

Unified forecast in Supply Chain Management (SCM)

The technological advancements have made it easier to unify the various sections or levels in the SCM and send a common forecast for all. But, it is the only easy path here as there are more challenges ahead for such a decision to be successful. The main challenges here are, 

  • Efficiency: It is going to be a tedious process to repeat the same process every month for the specified period.  
  • Optimality: The optimal model that is successful for one product or material may not be at the same level for another product, even for the same company. 
  • Alignment: Aligning the forecast and aligning the performance may not be the same. Even with a unified forecast, the outcome of different departments may be different so it is not advisable to take such a move. 

So, the answer to the question is, it is not advisable to align the forecast in a supply chain system. But what you can do is to provide the data in a single platform where it is accessible for all levels. This way a lot of fragmentation could be prevented. This is where a skilled supply chain manager comes into play. 

Importance of Supply Chain Management & Analytics

These days businesses rely on data to come with better plans for their future. The supply chain uses the massive data generated through its operations on a daily basis. The SCM system and analytics can use this data to predict future trends so that the companies can optimize their production or increase their sales. 

Opting for a supply chain management course with analytics will give you a clear idea about the various processes involved in these operations. The designing of the distribution network, planning, and coordination, etc are some of the topics that are included in such courses. 

The Professional certification in Supply Chain Management & Analytics course here at Imarticus is in collaboration with IIT Roorkee. The course offers live sessions, discussions, assignments, assessments, and a capstone project that will award a certificate after successful completion. You will receive career support with the guidance of experts. The career options ahead include the Supply Planning Analyst, Procurement Specialist, Supply And Operations Planner, Quality Assurance Manager, Logistics Manager, etc. 

Conclusion

Completing a course in SCM will enable you to see and make appropriate decisions based on the analytics. A smart manager will be able to run the show for any given period and will be able to adjust the decisions at crucial points, without compromising the competitive advantage. It is all about balancing the supply and demand so that neither of these is above or below the other. 

4 predictions to improve your cybersecurity posture in 2021

According to Forrester’s predictions for 2021, the funding for non-U.S. headquartered cybersecurity companies will increase by 20%. Additionally, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Breach Portal noted that in 2020, cyberattacks on healthcare facilities affected 17.3 million people.

Thus, it is clear that cyberattacks and companies dealing with cybersecurity are increasing, and hackers are coming up with new tactics every day to breach security systems. So, to tackle this problem, software developers and other individuals can opt for a cybersecurity course to step into this career.  

Four predictions to improve cybersecurity posture are – 

 

  • Business Email Compromise/Phishing is Going to Increase 

 

The breaching of security and phishing attacks in all forms is extensive globally. Attacks like BEC, company-wide emails, and voice phishing are here to stay. One of the essential factors to consider in security is to keep the latest technology in place, including Artificial Intelligence. So, it doesn’t matter how powerful filters a company is using; some of the phishing emails can still make their way into an employee’s inbox if the technology is not updated. 

One of the most important things to consider is that employers can stop these attacks before they start through SETA. It stands for Security Education, Training, and Awareness. SETA is one of the best ways to tackle a threat within a workforce. Thus, companies can go for a certification course for cyber security to tackle threats within a workforce. 

 

  • Virtual Security will be in Demand 

 

The speed of cyber threats can outpace smaller companies, and hiring a Chief Information Security Officer to scrutinize security issues is not possible for most small and medium businesses. Thus, to get consultation about security VCISO (Virtual Chief Information Security Officer) might be the way to go. The skills of an expert with relevant suggestions will help analyze SMB’s potential security threats without spending a huge amount on CISO. 

 

  • Working With Right Partners Will Pace up Success in New Hybrid Environment    

 

We have already entered into a hybrid corporate environment where legacy, cloud, on-premises are all within the same domain. A single workforce is distributed into remote full-time, office full-time or even office part-time in the present scenario. Many corporate companies also think that the changes they made during the pandemic are not sustainable and are planning to change the workforce plan. 

However, due to the change in the workforce, the need for security is more now, and the demand for cybersecurity will not end soon. So, individuals looking to become cybersecurity experts can opt for a cybersecurity course, as jobs in this sector will inflate considerably. 

 

  • The Internet of Behaviour Will Continue to Grow in Importance 

 

Internet of Behaviour of IoB is a term coined by Gartner and is “about using data to change behaviors”. When major businesses use IoT to change customer behavior, it is termed IoB. It is not new that subsets of data we provide to our devices through facial recognition, watches, and others provide more customized results. 

So technically, breaching personal data isn’t that hard as we provide the data throughout our devices that use IoT. Thus, it is quite evident that the use of these IoT devices will increase and have a considerable impact on our lives. Hence, individuals looking to excel in the field of cybersecurity must consider a certification course for cybersecurity

Cybersecurity Ventures expects global cybercrime costs to shoot up to 15% in the coming five years and will hit $10.5 trillion by 2025. This shows how big the cybersecurity industry is going to be. Thus, the above-mentioned predictions will significantly improve cybersecurity postures in 2021.

Content Mareketing Trends – How an SEO course improve your resume

Just like SEO is essential in developing a robust website, it can also help build a resume to catch the recruiter’s attention. There are a considerable number of factors that are common between building a website using SEO and developing a resume. Therefore, individuals can consider opting for an SEO course, such as HubSpot content marketing certification, as it provides considerable ideas about how to employ SEO to optimize a resume. 

How can an SEO Course Improve Your Resume?

Once you know the correct keywords and get knowledge on how to use them in proper places, it is pretty easy to frame a resume that can grab a recruiter’s attention. Here’s how you can go about it.

 

  • Create an Eye-catching Headline 

 

Similar to a website, an attractive resume will get maximum attention. As in the case of a website, framing an eye-catching headline gets the most clicks and thus increases traffic; formatting a proper headline in a resume can help managers skim through it fast, focusing on pointers relevant to the job role. 

Thus, rather than highlighting employers’ names, highlight job roles to seek attention about previous experiences. On the other hand, if the job roles aren’t impressive, making short paragraphs about job responsibilities is advisable. Additionally, make sure to use correct language while framing a headline to portray the right information. 

 

  • Use Relevant Keywords 

 

A website might contain informative content, but there are chances it hasn’t reached its targeted audience due to poor use of keywords. Similar to this, if a candidate hasn’t used proper keywords in the right places, then the resume might not reach the correct person. 

Nowadays, most recruiters use an applicant tracking system (ATS), and proper use of keywords can help you to pass the machines to reach a human hand. Apart from this, ATS also focuses on relevant context rather than keywords. So, just like a website, it is important to use the keywords in the right context. 

 

  • Add Social Media Profiles

 

A hyperlink to social media in a website helps to boost traffic, reach customers and interact with the audience. It also allows sharing, pinning or liking content. Similarly, a hyperlink to professional profiles from resumes can portray a candidate’s personality, personal brand and industry knowledge.

Most recruiters prefer to look at LinkedIn profiles as it provides relevant information about the candidate concerning certifications, courses, connections, education, and other factors. If you use social media professionally, then it is advisable to link those as well. 

 

  • Include Relevant Hyperlinks 

 

Much like a website, using hyperlinks can be beneficial in a resume. In websites, hyperlinking to a higher authority website can pass link juice to the concerned website to develop its authority. Additionally, a relevant hyperlink will give a reader all-around information about a particular topic, product or service. 

Similarly, hyperlinking to professional websites like GitHub and LinkedIn will portray all-around information about a candidate and help recruiters understand the applicant better. 

 

  • Streamlining the Content Flow Properly

 

It is important to frame a website properly to provide information in a particular order. Similarly, providing information in a correct manner is important in a resume. To know how to frame content properly, candidates can opt for a digital marketing certification course. Except this, any SEO course can provide relevant framing content, including HubSpot content marketing certification

best digital marketing courses in IndiaImproper framing of a website provides unarranged information, thus confusing the reader. Also, due to this improper framing, the user experience gets hampered, and the bounce rate increases resulting in a decline in SERP ranking. Similarly, improper resume framing might lead to the rejection of a candidate. On the other hand, recruiters and hiring managers usually first skim the resumes, and if framed correctly, it can attract them, resulting in acceptance.

Benefits of HubSpot Content Marketing Certification

 

  • It teaches the importance of storytelling.
  • Provides details about content marketing.
  • This course helps generate content ideas.
  • Teaches long-term content planning.
  • Provides content creation framework.
  • Teaches how to promote content effectively.
  • Gives information on measuring and analyzing content. 
  • Promotes growth mentality. 

 

Thus, SEO knowledge is handy to produce a good resume, and candidates can opt for a digital marketing certification course to know more about SEO. 

What 60% of data analytics learners do wrong

Data science is a field that is as demanding as it is difficult. It has become a necessary part of our lives. Whether managing education, retail or corporate, data analytics has come in really handy in recent years. Corporate especially is a field where data analytics helps a lot as there are always big amounts of data to be processed. It is in no way an easy job. The job market is also very demanding, but thankfully numerous positions are being offered across the globe. 

This is why if you are thinking of switching to a data analytics career, then you should learn data analytics properly. Fortunately, a lot of institutions in India offer compact courses on it. Such an institution is Imarticus Learnings who offer a solid data analytics certification course with placements. This will not only cover the basics of ‘what does a data analyst do’ but also hone your skills to a different level. Now, here, we are going to elaborate on some primary mistakes that a majority of data analytics learners do wrong to help you avoid them altogether. Please read on to learn more.

What does a data analyst do?

A data analyst needs to process big data, including the current trends of a market, the inefficiencies present in the current system of a company, changing market trends, changes in customer demands, and so on very quickly. This is the only way to analyze certain problems and address them accordingly. Data analysts need to make suggestions for a more profitable approach for the company that they are in. They also need to collaborate with other departments to make a plan that works for all and even supervise it regularly. So, mistakes are not appreciated.

The mistakes to avoid

There are some primary mistakes that beginners end up making that can become harmful to their careers. They are, as follows:

  • Jumping into things headfirst: You need to analyze the problem first properly before jumping into conclusive solutions. The best way to deal with this is to scope the entire value of delivery from the get-go. This comes in really handy later as it gives a clear value of what data science can bring with each step.
  • Exploratory Data Analysis (EDA) is a must: Although EDA might seem like a tedious aspect, it is a must. It gives you the edge in both competitions and real-life projects. Skipping it entirely and jumping straight into modeling can turn out to be a real problem later on.
  • Spend time on feature engineering: This is directly linked to your building models. You need to spend enough time building predictive parameters after the initial processing and cleaning of a data set. Although directly jumping to grid searches and model building without this might work in some cases, that does not work well when you are trying to build a proper score.
  • Global models are part of the process: It is necessary to have the entire picture in mind before getting into projects seriously. This will help you make a plan with minimum efficiency and easier structures if the client has limited resources.

 

  • You also need to talk to domain experts regularly as they can provide insights you might overlook sometimes.
  • Know the basics properly.
  • Improve your connections.

Conclusion

The job can seem intimidating at first, but there are also some seriously interesting aspects to it. For a better understanding, learn data analytics with Imarticus Learnings’ data analytics certification course to give your career the boost it needs.

Financial Modelling Certification: Revealing the key drivers for your career

Financial modeling has become one of the most coveted skills in finance. There is a huge demand for financial modeling professionals. You can take up a financial modeling certification course if you want to make a career in finance. The course also helps several CFA applicants who wish to get into finance. 

financial analyst certification courseImarticus also provides the best CFA course in India. You can also take up a CFA course as it will give you dual benefits. You will get to learn about CFA as well as financial modeling. 

Areas of use of Financial Modelling

Financial modeling is being used in all kinds of industries. Some of the popular sectors in which they are used are:

  • Investment banking institutes
  • Equity Research companies
  • Credit Rating Agencies

Several career opportunities will open up for you if you take a financial modeling course. With a financial modeling course, you will learn several skills like mergers and acquisitions, DCF modeling, ratio analysis, etc. 

Financial Modelling Jobs:

You might get several jobs if you take up a financial modeling course. These jobs are only for people who have the technical know-how of things that work in the fintech space. With the growth of fintech and other financial institutions, there is a massive demand for people who know financial modeling and handle such cases. Some of the career opportunities that will open up for you are as follows:

  • Financial Analyst
  • Cryptocurrency trader
  • Market Research Analyst
  • Equity Analyst

The list above is not exhaustive. There are several other opportunities too. The job title for these opportunities might differ from company to company. 

Importance of Financial Modelling

Financial modeling has become one of the most important aspects of businesses when it comes to the corporate sector. These models are essential tools brought to use to make critical business decisions. A financial model also finds a considerable place in analyzing any risk involved in business decisions.

Financial modeling can also be made to prepare different types of financial statements. Various online businesses are now dependent on financial modeling for their process optimization.

Uses of Financial Modelling

There are several uses of financial modeling. Some of the uses are:

  • Several financial models are used to make business decisions in the finance industry. These models are incorporated to analyze the business based on which the decisions can be taken. 
  • It also acts as an essential tool that can help in incorporating various business ideas. Along with the ideas, you can also analyze the risks associated with a particular business. 
  • The financial modeling techniques can also be used to represent a valid financial scenario for the company. Based on this particular dashboard, different decisions can be taken to understand the company’s financial position. 
  • Using financial models, you can also analyze a company’s economic performance. Understanding these models and tools is very important for the financial perspective of things.

A certification in financial modeling will teach you about every technique that goes into building models, which helps make business decisions.

Conclusion

We at Imarticus provide several financial modeling courses for people who aspire to make a career in finance. With our financial modeling course, students become equipped with skills that help them make business decisions. Financial models are used to make business decisions, and our courses give students an in-depth insight into how these models work.

We have a certified investment banking operations professional certificate course that deals with financial modeling and everything else that the topic encompasses. There are several other courses too that cover the basics of financial modeling. You can get enrolled in any of these courses if you are interested in making a career in financial modeling.