Role-Based Programme
RB0459

Copilot for Microsoft 365 for Finance & Accounting

Advanced Financial Analysis, Planning, Reporting & AI-Assisted Finance Operations

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Duration
32 Hours
Level
Advanced
Delivery
Instructor-Led
Format
Capability Development

Programme Objectives

  • Develop advanced expertise in using Microsoft 365 Copilot across financial analysis, accounting operations, planning, forecasting, reporting, and management decision support.
  • Synthesize approved financial data, policies, reports, emails, documents, and meeting information into structured, decision-ready finance outputs.
  • Apply Copilot to reconciliations, AP/AR analysis, variance analysis, period-end close, budgeting, forecasting, scenario modeling, cash-flow analysis, and management reporting.
  • Build reusable AI-assisted workflows across Excel, Word, Outlook, Teams, PowerPoint, SharePoint, OneDrive, Loop, and Copilot Chat.
  • Establish governance for financial-data integrity, confidentiality, segregation of duties, source validation, approvals, auditability, and responsible AI.

Tools covered

Microsoft 365 CopilotCopilot ChatMicrosoft ExcelWordPowerPointOutlookTeamsOneDriveSharePointMicrosoft LoopMicrosoft FormsMicrosoft Graph-Grounded Organizational ContextAI-Assisted SearchMeeting IntelligenceData AnalysisFinancial Modeling Support & Management Reporting

Who should attend

  • Finance Directors
  • Finance Managers
  • Controllers
  • Accounting Managers
  • Financial Planning & Analysis Managers
  • Financial Analysts
  • Management Accountants
  • Financial Reporting Professionals
  • Accounts Payable Leaders
  • Accounts Receivable Leaders
  • Treasury Professionals
  • Commercial Finance Professionals
  • Finance Operations Leaders
  • Shared Services Finance Professionals
  • Finance Transformation Professionals

Prerequisites & Participant Readiness

  • Working knowledge of finance and accounting processes
  • Experience with financial statements, management reporting, budgeting, forecasting, reconciliations, or financial analysis
  • Regular working knowledge of Microsoft 365 applications
  • Strong familiarity with Excel-based financial data and reporting
  • Basic understanding of financial controls, approvals, and segregation of duties
  • No programming expertise required
  • No previous Copilot course required

TOC Modules

Concepts
  • Understanding Copilot across Excel, Word, Outlook, Teams, PowerPoint, SharePoint, OneDrive, Loop, and Copilot Chat
  • Mapping Copilot capabilities across accounting, finance operations, FP&A, controllership, and reporting
  • Understanding organizational grounding, permissions, context, and information boundaries
  • Differentiating AI assistance from accounting judgement, financial authorization, and accountable decision-making
Practical activities
  • Mapping current finance workflows to relevant Copilot capabilities
  • Designing prompts using Finance Objective → Context → Data → Assumptions → Constraints → Output
  • Building reusable finance prompt patterns for analysis and reporting

Scenarios

Month-End Close to Executive Financial Review

Validated Financial Records → Reconciliations → Close Exceptions → Finance Review → Variance & Profitability Analysis → Management Commentary → Executive Finance Pack → Leadership Review → Approved Actions

Participants use Microsoft 365 Copilot across the close and reporting lifecycle while ensuring reconciliations, accounting judgements, financial statements, and final management conclusions remain under qualified finance ownership.

Business Forecast Change to Financial Decision

Actual Performance → Updated Business Drivers → Copilot-Assisted Forecast → Base / Upside / Downside Scenarios → Cash & Profitability Impact → Finance Validation → Executive Decision → Action & Forecast Tracking

Participants build an advanced planning workflow that converts validated business changes into scenario-based financial decision support while retaining human ownership of assumptions, forecasts, commitments, and financial decisions.

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