Eight short tasks, each on its own sheet, the way an FP&A analyst's week really goes: a variance report, a forecast, a what-if, a question from the CEO about cash.
Most use a pattern from this unit or an earlier one. Two add a twist:
- A flexed budget asks what the actual volume should have cost at the budgeted rate. Comparing actual cost with it separates overspending from simply doing more work.
- A full-year outlook, the simplest rolling forecast, keeps the actual months and swaps the budget in only for the months still to come.
Watch for the edge cases this course keeps coming back to: a budget of 0, weights that don't add up to 100%, a cost line that should read favorable when it's under budget, and a switch that must stay locked when you fill.