Modelling | Planning | Analysis | Insight
The structured discipline of financial modelling underpins everything we do at blueboxthinking alongside a consistent aim to give you greater insight into your business. We apply a rigorous development methodology to all of our assignments which we broadly categorise into planning and analysis.
Modelling
We specialise in developing robust financial models and tools that give you unprecedented insight into your business. Using a structured development methodology we can quickly and accurately build carefully tailored models of the relationship between macro-economic and organisation-specific variables. We then use these to run scenarios, test sensitivities and predict and monitor performance.
Planning
Strategic and corporate planning
Our mid- and long-term models underpin the strategic planning process, helping you evaluate your options and compile a robust financial plan, no matter how complex your organisation.
Our clients often use our models to plan and track restructuring initiatives prompted by changes in their operating environment. This typically includes identifying, forecasting and tracking cost savings.
We can work with you to design and manage the planning process to ensure the right stakeholders from the business are engaged and consulted throughout.
Corporate finance
Clients use our financial models to help determine their funding and working capital requirements. They support many different transactions, including fund-raising, refinancing, acquisitions, investment appraisal and divestments. They can also help determine business valuations.
Because the results of our work are often closely scrutinised by investors and banks, we apply strict development methodologies to deliver models that are both robust and easily audited. Interestingly, they often evolve into planning models to be used once a transaction has completed.
From a spreadsheet model of your business we can also create a powerful presentation on its future direction to help you secure finance or clinch a deal.
If a project involves an acquisition or divestment, we can help identify potential cost savings, synergies and increased revenue opportunities, and can develop tools to estimate and track these benefits.
Case study: US acquisition opportunity
Case study: UK technology venture fund-raising
Bid modelling for long-term contracts
Our bidding models are used to cost and price long-term contracts such as IT outsourcing deals and model the financial implications of the deal to the wider organisation at both the pre- and post-bid stages. They can help a business make the ‘bid or no bid’ decision and help it structure a deal in the optimum way to deliver customer satisfaction and a healthy financial return for the risks undertaken.
Case study: UK government IT outsourcing bid
Budgeting and forecasting
Our forecasting models are generally operational tools, used to forecast sales, profit and cash over the short-term, and to show clearly where your business is going.
When times are tough and businesses have to refocus and restructure, we can help you recalibrate plans and reforecast for the future, as well as provide direction on refinancing requirements.
Case study: Budgeting, reporting and forecasting tool for international technology business
Analysis
Management reporting
We apply the same principles of model development to tailored management reporting tools that track monthly and quarterly financial performance. This often involves automating the monthly reporting cycle and consolidating results from many sources, sometimes linking to your corporate systems and data warehouses.
We help you establish the best ways to measure your business performance, defining the outputs and metrics that deliver maximum insight and help you manage more effectively.
We can also help with performance targets and measurement for specific departments and individuals.
Case study: Management and investor reporting for technology venture capital fund
Business analysis and decision support tools
We often work on stand-alone projects for individual departments within an organisation. This can involve the development of specific tools to interrogate complex corporate data, draw meaningful conclusions and help manage a particular aspect of its operations.
Case study: Product pricing scenario modelling for UK PLC professional training company
Case study: Executive communications for property advisory business
Case study: Data analytics and interactive decision support tool for UK PLC London property portfolio
Case study: Stock management tool for electronic components distribution company
Insight
Everything we do aims to give you greater insight into the dynamics of your organisation, so you can make better decisions, improve your business performance and lay the foundations for future success.
Our models generally include a set of integrated financial statements somewhere along the way. However, because not everyone is a finance professional and because the human brain stores visual information far better than linear or tabular information, we specialise in creating striking outputs - such as one-page dashboards and innovative reports - to get the message across with total clarity.
A picture paints a thousand words.
Training
Naturally, a model’s true value emerges when it becomes an accepted part of business life. Therefore, most of our projects involve a training module as part of our handover to the client. However, for those clients who want to take their modelling to the next level, we also run public and in-house training courses in financial modelling. These courses help delegates to:
- Build models faster according to best practice
- Build intuitive, user-friendly models & reports
- Build flexible models that can be quickly updated
- Minimise the risk of error in models
“…overall this was a master class in financial modelling. I have adopted many of the modelling techniques to improve my own reports and spreadsheets.”