ISEB Certificate in Organisational Context (2 day)

Course Overview

This course explores the key areas of background knowledge needed by business and systems analysts. It is designed to encourage participation through combining lectures with discussion sessions. Practical exercises are also used to allow participants to apply their knowledge to business situations.

Audience

Business analysts wishing to gain a good grounding in the basics of business.

Skills Gained

At the end of this course, participants will be able to:

• Understand the legal system, and the various legal authorities, within the UK
• Describe the different types of business organisation and understand their business drivers
• Describe the range of management structures applied within organisations and the rationale for each structure
• Define a number of functional areas that are commonly encountered within organisations and describe the interactions between these functions
• Appreciate the difference between management and financial accounting
• Describe three investment appraisal techniques
• Define the role of budgeting in an organisation
• Complete a cash flow forecast
• Apply absorption and marginal costing approaches
• Interpret a balance sheet and profit and loss account
• Appreciate how financial ratio analysis assists in the assessment of business performance
• Understand UK legislation of particular significance to the information systems profession

Examinations

The course prepares participants to sit the one-hour, open book, examination leading to the certificate in Organisational Context offered by the Information Systems Examinations Board (ISEB). This certificate is a core module for the ISEB diploma in Business Analysis.

Course Outline

Law and Government

• Criminal and civil law
• The legislative process in the UK

Business organisations

• Public sector organisations
• Private sector organisations
• Not-for-profit organisations
• Start-up organisations
• Business drivers

Organisational structures

• Departmental
• Project
• Matrix

Functional areas

• Functional divisions within organisations
• Sales and marketing
• Production/service delivery
• HR
• IT
• The finance function - the role of finance and the use and interpretation of the balance sheet and profit and loss account

Management accounting

• Investment appraisal
• Budgeting
• Cash flow forecasts
• Costing approaches

Costing

• Fixed and variable costs
• Absorption and marginal costing
• Standard costing

Financial reporting and analysis

• Profit and loss account
• Balance sheet
• Financial ratios

Legislation

• Anti-discrimination
• Software contracts and liability
• Intellectual property rights
• Data protection, privacy and freedom of information
• Internet issues
• Computer misuse