BCS Commercial Awareness Training | BCS Training

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Introduction
Course Details
Course Content
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A Quick Glance

Accredited by BCS
Learn the Budgeting Process and its intricacies
Evaluate financial cases using the Three Techniques
Access to the Commercial Awareness course-ware and certified tutors
Low Cost of Certification
Certification Recognized by Global Leading Brands

The era of monopolistic organizations is coming to an end while competition is growing. In order to be successful, an organisation needs to collaborate with suppliers, competitors and outsourcing partners. For the businesses to operate successfully new approaches are required to operate through using methods such as restructuring, changing the organisational behaviour, modifying the internal and external boundaries, and deploying performance measuring techniques.

To deal with such problems, business analysts must master their commercial skills to deal with their partners and customers successfully. This course deals with the commercial and organisational knowledge which is expected from professionals undergoing business analysis. Commercial Awareness can be classified into Business Finance and Organisational Behaviour. We at Pentagon Training provide the delegates with a unique opportunity to learn and better their communication skills. This BCS training is covered in a time frame of just 3 days.

Who should take this course

At Pentagon Training, we impart this course to delegates who wish to understand the structure, operation and behaviour of organizations. It is also targeted at those professionals who want to acquire skills to bring about a business change and are involved with the organization as one of the following:

Business Analysts
Program Manager
Project Manager
Solution Architects
Service managers

Prerequisites

The course comes with no prerequisites.

Evaluating A Financial Case Through Three Techniques
Understand what is Costing and Pricing
Cash Flow Forecasting and Budgeting
Financial Accounting Documents and Their Contents
Understand Financial Accounts
Discuss Required Business Performance Ratios
Define Porters Five Forces Framework and Value Chain
Describe Boston Consulting Group’s Matrix

Key Learning Points

Tutor Support

Certificate

Courseware

Course Overview

The course (as shown in the figure) is made up of two parts - Business Finance and Organisational Behaviour. During the schedule of the course – the first part covers Finance for IT Decision Makers and the second covers Business Analysis Techniques and Organisational Behaviour. The Trainers hold a certificate in this course , a two-year training experience or 1 year recognised qualification. The trainer also has to possess a three-year practical experience in the same stream.

Examination:

The candidates are required to sit for the exam after the course. The exam lasts for one hour and is a closed book exam with multiple choice questions. The exam recommends an accredited training from BCS but it is not a requirement. To get certified the candidate must score 65% marks. BCS allows the use of calculators during the exam. No mobile technology will be allowed.

Candidates sitting for an exam must carry identification of some means such as Passport, Driving License, or Student Card. Following the exam, the candidate will be sent an email from BCS asking you to register for your exam. Once registered the candidate can log in and view the exam result from their accounts.

Additional time of 15 minutes is allowed for differently abled candidates or those who have a different native language than the language of the examination.

Course Content

Part 1 – Business Finance

1.Evaluating a Financial Case

Purpose of Building a Financial Case
Techniques used for evaluating a Financial Case
- Payback
  - Calculation
  - Payback and Risk
  - Limitations of Payback
- Discounted Cash Flow /Net Present Value
  - Purpose
  - Calculation
  - The NPV Decision Rule
- Internal Rate of Return
  - How to derive IRR
  - How IRR is used
  - The IRR Decision Rule

2.Budgeting, Costing and Pricing

Budgets and Departmentalised Businesses
- The purpose of budgets
- Reasons for departmentalization
- Cost centres and profit centres
Cash Flow and Cash Management
- Cash flow forecasting
- Use of cash flow in decision making
- Cash flow and profit
Costing and Pricing
- Fixed and Variable costs
- Direct and indirect costs
- Break even and Contribution Analysis

3.Financial Reporting and Analysis

Statement of Financial Position (Balance Sheet)
- Purpose and Structure
- The nature, purpose and types of Capital
- Current and non-current liabilities
- Current and non-current assets
Income and Expenditure (Income Statement, Profit and Loss Account)
- The importance of Operating Profit
- Revenue (turnover)
- Cost of Sales
- Administrative Expenses
- Profit after Tax
Statement of Cash Flows (Cash Flow Statement)
Ratios (formulae and interpretation)
- Profitability Ratios: Operating Margin and Return on Capital Employed ratios
- Liquidity (Cash Management) Ratios: Current and “Acid Test” ratios
- Gearing (Leverage) Ratio: Debt/Equity Ratio

Part 2 – Organisational Behaviour

1.Market analysis and competitive advantage

Analysing the business domain - Porter’s Five Forces Analysis
Analysing the portfolio - Boston Box
Delivering value - Porter’s Value Chain

2.Organisational behaviour and culture

What is organisational behaviour?
Organisational effectiveness and the Balanced Scorecard
Understanding and analysing culture
- Organisational Cultural Types (Deal and Kennedy; Handy)
- International Cultures (Hofstede)
- The Cultural Web

3.Group formation

Groups and group dynamics
Formal and informal groups
- Groups and group tasks
- Characteristics of formal groups
- Homan’s theory of group formation
- Tuckman and Jensen’s theory of group development
- Characteristics of informal groups
- Social networks

4.Principles of organisational structure

Organisation structuring
- Elements of organisation structure
- The six Structure Levels
- The Leavitt Diamond
Types of jobs
- Work specialisation
- Flat and tall hierarchies
- Span of control
Line, staff and functional relationships
Formalisation of rules and procedures
Centralisation v decentralisation
- Advantages
- Disadvantages

5.Operating models

Organisation structures and their characteristics
- Functional
- Divisional – product or service/ geography/ customer
- Matrix
- Team-based – cross functional/ project
Organisational boundaries
- Boundaryless organisations
- Outsourcing
- Offshoring
- Hollow organisation structures
- Modular organisation structures
- Virtual organisations
- Collaborations and strategic alliances

BCS Certificate in Commercial Awareness Enquiry

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Reach us at +44 1344 961530 or info@pentagonit.co.uk for more information.

About Wakefield

Wakefield

In West Yorkshire, England, Wakefield is located. Wakefield is on the River Calder and Pennines eastern edge. In 2001 Wakefield had a population of around 77,512. It increased for five Wakefield wards called East, North, South, West and Rural to 77,512 according to 2011 census. Wakefield is also dubbed as ‘ Merrie City’ in Middle Ages. John Leland in 1538 described it as ‘ A quick market town and large and meately large. It is also a well-served market of fish and flesh from sea and rivers so that vital is good and cheap there. Wakefield Battle took place in Wars of the Roses. Wakefield became a famous centre for wool and a market town. In the 18th century, Wakefield made a trade in corn and textiles. In 1888 parish church of Wakefield acquired Cathedral status. It also became a county town of West Riding of Yorkshire. It was the seat of West Riding County Council from 1889 till 1974.

History

Along with railroad, many streams and lakes also played a significant role in economic growth of Wakefield. There were many damn and around twenty mill sites that include fulling mills, gristmills and carding mills along these waterways. Due to this development growing population expanded in seven separate villages, East Wakefield, South Wakefield, North Wakefield, Burleyville Wakefield corner, Sanbornville and Union. Sanbornville villages are now the primary business centre in Wakefield. The new town hall was constructed in Sanbornville in 1895. From Lovell lake , ice was shipped and harvested by two companies with the help of 16 to 20 train carloads to Boston and beyond it every day. At the beginning of 1900’s railroading was to the extreme with 25 trains in and out of Sanbornville every day.

In 1911, due to fire various rail yard buildings burned and operations centre shifted to Dover. After the emergence of electrification, need for ice reduced. The Later popularity of automobiles further reduced the need for rail travel. Finally, in 1969, Snow train which was a passenger train, made its final run.

During Second half of 20th century, a major industry in Wakefield was the development of 11 lakes. Development of summer homes and services needed to be provided. This helped later to provide incomes to many Wakefield residents. It helped to retain the rural character of Wakefield for which Wakefield is known.

Education

Oldest school Surviving in Wakefield is Queen Elizabeth Grammar School, a boys school established in 1591 by Queen Elizabeth by Royal Charter. The original building is in Brook Street that is now the Elizabethan Gallery. In 1854, QEGS school was moved to Northgate. The school was administered by Governors of Wakefield Charities who also opened Wakefield Girls High School ( WGHS) located at Wentworth-street in 1878. Church of England opened National Schools that include St Mary’s in the 1840s and St Johns in 1861. Original St Austin’s Catholic School was opened in 1838. In 1846 Methodist School was opened on Thornhill Street. Eastmoor School previously Pinders Primary School is only opened by Education Act 1870 which is still open.

Wakefield College has origins in School of Art and Craft of 1868. It is today the primary provider of 6th form and further education in the area with around 10,00 part-time and 3000 full-time students. It has campuses in the surrounding towns as well as in the city. In 2007 Wakefield College and Wakefield City Council announced plans to create a University Centre of Wakefield but bid for funding failed in 2009. Other schools with sixth forms include QEGS, Cathedral High School which is now an Arts College for age 11 to 18 and Wakefield High Girls School.