Virtual Debate: Fractional, Virtual or Outsourced CFOs
What’s the difference between a fractional, virtual or outsourced CFO? How much strategic planning, forecasting and financial modelling do they actually do, or are they just glorified bookkeepers over-charging at CFO rates? A good CFO will build forward-looking financial models to help businesses make better decisions but an external consultant marketing themselves as a fractional, virtual or outsourced CFO can simply manage day to day cashflow, month end and process payroll, receivables and payables, so misrepresenting and devaluing the role of the CFO. (more…)
Excel is a versatile piece of software and the techniques used to build financial models can also be applied to solve other problems using Excel. Many modellers compete in various competitions which explore the use of Excel for recreational problem solving where we can often develop or pick up new techniques and methods that prove useful in traditional modelling situations. 
When people think about financial modelling or forecasting in Excel, what comes to mind is worksheets loaded with formulae, built in a report-focussed layout. Watch as Ken Puls showcases examples of using Excel’s Power Technologies to build Financial Models and Forecasts for clients. From data shaping with Power Query to DAX in Power Pivot, these tools play an essential role in modern financial modelling solutions.
The Full Stack financial modelling community have been working collectively to “solve” the problem of creating flexible rolling monthly forecasts that can cater for new periods of actuals. This is an area of modelling that thousands of businesses and modellers can relate to, and that many find extremely time-consuming and frustrating. 
Major improvements are being made with Microsoft Excel Online. It is completely free, works on any browser and is particularly useful if you need to share files and collaborate with others. It’s basically a slimmed-down version of Excel and although Microsoft is constantly working to improve the functionality, what we want to know is *can we use Excel Online yet for financial modelling?* 
Have you ever built a fantastic Excel model only to have the user “break” it almost straight away? Building a model widely available for anyone to use is very different process to building one for other modellers. If your model is going to be operated by non-Excel users, the challenge is to build a robust model that will stand the test of time but is simple for others to follow as well as bullet-proof so that they can’t mess it up. 
Following on from “I didn’t know Excel could do THAT”, join us once again to hear from Excel legend Bob Umlas who will take us through some of his best Excel tips and tricks. Prepare to be amazed! Bob received the first ever Microsoft Excel MVP award back in 1993, continued to receive it for 25 years after that and is still the longest-running MVP. 
