Getting to grips with great financial modelling practices
If you search online you'll find various valiant attempts that set out the features that are more likely to make Excel financial forecasts good (or, better still, great).
I'm a great fan of what, for instance, the UK's professional accountants' body ICAEW had done in this area. They've developed a set of 20 principles that, if you're interested in Excel, is a worthwhile and nicely-plain-English read.
If you're looking at a piece of Excel work, or testing your own, I'd recommend holding those efforts up to the light of the ICAEW's financial modelling code. The principles there are designed to make Excel models more transparent and less error prone.
You can download a copy of the ICAEW's modelling code if you search for "ICAEW modelling code".
Highlights from the 20 principles
In recent articles I've focussed on just a few specifics, where gains can often be made in improving Excel financial models:
The benefits of ensuring work is compliant with good modelling practices
As outlined in the ICAEW code, there's more to building good Excel financial models than you first might think. 20 principles, and 20+ pages of code, makes for a chunky list of features to pay attention to.
Paying close attention to the detail of industry-established modelling practices is a route to greater clarity and fewer errors. Diligently following those practices will end up giving people assurance that the model they are making use of is more robust, moving your process along, getting you closer to the outcome you're hoping for (for example an internal forecast agreed or a transaction complete).
Congrats to those who have invested so much time in this area for us, in the interests of better financial modelling (it's very-much not a complete list here!):
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Daniel Emkes
Co-Founder Assemble You, Host of the L&D Challenges Podcast, and Audio Learning Enthusiast
2 个月These principles are timeless - great to see this getting some airtime again!
User-centric financial models | Better outcomes in corporate deals | Reduce risk in M&A | confidence in financial forecasts | 1/4 century in financial modelling
2 个月Thanks for the mention Mark Robson The financial modelling code took almost 4 years from when I first contacted a dozen modelling firms with the idea, to publication by the ICAEW. Its strength is that it isn't a single company view about what constitutes best practice, but is the result of long, detailed debate amongst leading industry practitioners over each individual element. The code recognises that there is often more than one good way to model something, depending on the specific context. It also identifies several practices to be avoided. Essential reading for anyone serious about financial modelling!
Executive Director of Finance and Business Services
2 个月With Excel its always important to remember, 'Slow is smooth, Smooth is fast'
Partner, Financial Modelling at RSM, and EMCC Coach
2 个月Thanks Mark, yes it was a privilege to work on this, with particular thanks to the excellent David Lyford-Tilley for marshalling our diverse thoughts with his concise drafting. ICAEW have just refreshed the document as well (building blocks rather than floating head branding) so you could refresh your image :) Bani L.
Financial modelling: training courses in the classroom and live online, lead instructor, self-paced learning, financial model build, risk management and review
2 个月Mark Robson yes, the best publicly available documentation of Generally Accepted Spreadsheet Practice ("GASP") that I've come across: https://www.icaew.com/-/media/corporate/files/technical/technology/excel/financial-modelling-code.ashx