Home / Non-Accredited / Artificial Intelligence & Copilot / AI for Finance and Accounting (1 day)
Quick Look Course Summary:AI for Finance and Accounting (1 day)
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Length: 1 day(s)
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Price (at your venue): 1 Person R 5,654 EX VAT 3 Person R 3,982 EX VAT 10 Person R 2,940 EX VAT
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Certification Type:Non-Accredited
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Locations & Venues: Off-site or in-house. We train in all major city centres throughout South Africa.
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AI for Finance and Accounting (1 day)
Finance teams produce commentary, summaries and analysis faster with AI – with every number still traced to the source and confidential data kept where it belongs.
Finance work is full of the structured, language-heavy tasks AI handles well: variance commentary, board-pack summaries, explanations for budget holders, policy drafts and first-pass data review. It is also the function where an invented number or a leaked spreadsheet does the most damage. This AI for finance training shows accountants and finance teams where AI genuinely speeds up the work – and the controls that keep the accuracy, audit trail and confidentiality finance demands.
Delegates work on finance tasks throughout. They turn variances into first-draft management commentary, summarise a long report or audit findings into a board-pack page, interrogate a dataset for outliers and reconciliation breaks, and have AI explain and pressure-test a spreadsheet formula. They use ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot in Excel or Gemini, depending on what your organisation approves.
Just as much time goes on control: why language models are not calculators, a verification routine that traces every figure back to the source, which data may go into which tool, anonymising data before analysis, and reviewer sign-off on AI-assisted work. Delegates leave with a tested set of finance prompts for the next reporting cycle.
Why this course
For your organisation
- Month-end commentary and board-pack narrative drafted faster
- The same clear explanation of results every reporting cycle
- Anomalies and formula errors caught before sign-off
- Clear rules on which financial data may go into which AI tool
- A reviewed, repeatable finance AI workflow rather than ad hoc use
For your delegates
- Finance-specific prompts tested on realistic management-pack data
- A verification routine for every AI-assisted figure
- Practice with Copilot in Excel, ChatGPT or Gemini
- A personal plan for applying AI on the next reporting cycle
What delegates will be able to do
- Identify finance tasks where AI adds value and those where it must not be relied on
- Draft month-end variance commentary in plain management language from a set of results
- Summarise a long financial report or audit findings into a one-page board-pack narrative
- Interrogate a finance dataset with AI to surface outliers, trends and reconciliation breaks
- Have AI explain and pressure-test spreadsheet formulas and assumptions before figures are signed off
- Trace every AI-assisted figure back to the source and record who reviewed it
- Anonymise or aggregate sensitive data, and decide which data may go into which tool under POPIA and company policy
Who should attend
Accountants, financial managers, management accountants, financial analysts, bookkeepers, payroll and finance teams who want practical, controlled productivity gains from AI. Some Excel experience helps; no AI experience is needed. Finance directors and CFOs who need to set the rules for AI use in their function will also find it useful.
Course outline
Day 1 – AI in finance, with the controls finance demands
Where AI fits in finance
- Finance tasks AI speeds up: commentary, summaries, analysis and correspondence
- Where caution is essential: calculations, judgement calls and anything that is signed off
- Why language models are not calculators and get numbers wrong
- Tools finance teams use: ChatGPT, Copilot in Excel and Gemini
- Your organisation's rules and approved tools
Reporting and commentary
- Turning variances into first-draft management commentary
- Summarising a long financial report or audit findings for the board pack
- Commentary templates that tell the same clear story every month
- Explaining results in plain language for non-finance managers
- Hands-on: commentary from a sample management pack
Analysing data and checking spreadsheets
- Asking questions of a dataset: trends, outliers and unusual movements
- Copilot in Excel for formulas, PivotTables and charts
- Having AI explain and pressure-test an existing formula or model
- Spotting reconciliation breaks and duplicate entries
- Cross-checking figures between schedules and prior periods
Finance communication and policies
- Customer and supplier correspondence in the right tone
- First drafts of finance policies, procedures and month-end checklists
- Consistent answers to budget-holder questions
- Summarising contracts and quotes for their key financial terms
Accuracy, confidentiality and POPIA
- A verification routine: every number traced back to the source
- An audit trail for AI-assisted work and reviewer sign-off
- Which financial data may go into a public, business or in-house tool
- Anonymising and aggregating data before analysis
- Personal information of employees, customers and suppliers under POPIA
Your finance AI workflow
- A tested prompt set for month-end, reporting and analysis
- Who reviews AI-assisted output, and when
- Measuring time saved on the next reporting cycle
- Personal action plan
How it is delivered
One day, 08:30-16:00. In person at your offices anywhere in South Africa, at a BOTI venue, or live online. One delegate or a group of up to 20. Delegates work on laptops with Excel and the AI tools your organisation approves; laptops can be supplied on request. Exercises use realistic sample finance data, so no confidential figures are needed. Workbook, finance prompt set and verification checklist included. We deliver it at your offices in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban, Cape Town and anywhere else in South Africa, at a BOTI venue in Johannesburg, or live online for teams in different places.
What our clients say
“The training courses were efficiently scheduled and planned around our timetable. We were impressed by the quality of training. I look forward to working with Business Optimization Training Institute in the future.”
“We were particularly impressed by the quality of facilitation and the practical relevance of the content presented. The programme was delivered with professionalism, clarity, and a strong emphasis on real-world application.”
“The facilitator effectively encouraged participation and used practical examples, discussions and interactive activities to ensure that the concepts were understood and could be applied in the workplace.”
Frequently asked questions
Do we have to use our real financial data?
No. The exercises use realistic sample data. If you want the day built around your own reporting formats, send anonymised templates and the facilitator adapts the exercises.
Can you run this course at our offices?
Yes. We train at your premises anywhere in South Africa, at a BOTI venue, or live online.
How many people can attend?
From one delegate to groups of 20. The price per delegate drops as the group grows – see the price table, or ask us for a quote.
Is it accredited?
No – it is a non-accredited short course, and delegates receive a BOTI certificate of attendance.
Do delegates need Microsoft 365 Copilot?
No. The Copilot in Excel exercises work best with a Copilot licence, but the same tasks can be done with ChatGPT or Gemini. Tell us which tools your organisation approves.
Can you run this course in Johannesburg, Cape Town or Durban?
Yes. We train on site at your offices in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban, Cape Town and across South Africa, at a BOTI venue in Johannesburg, or live online so a team spread over several offices can attend together.
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