Master Activity-Based Budgeting
Transform Your Financial Planning Through Strategic Cost Management
Join our comprehensive learning program starting September 2025. Develop practical skills in activity-based budgeting that drive real business results through hands-on workshops, expert mentorship, and real-world applications.
Immersive Learning Experience
Our program goes beyond traditional budgeting courses. You'll work with real Australian business scenarios, analyzing cost drivers and building budgets that actually reflect how businesses operate day-to-day.
What makes this different? We focus on practical application. Instead of abstract theory, you'll handle case studies from Melbourne startups, Brisbane manufacturers, and Sydney service companies.
- Weekly interactive workshops with live budget modeling
- One-on-one mentorship from practicing financial analysts
- Access to professional budgeting software and templates
- Real business case studies from Australian companies
- Peer collaboration on complex budgeting challenges
- Industry guest speakers sharing current trends
Learn From Industry Practitioners
Our instructors bring decades of real-world experience from Australia's leading financial institutions and consulting firms.
Lachlan Blackwood
Senior Financial Analyst
Former budget manager at Westpac, Lachlan has implemented activity-based budgeting systems across multiple divisions. He brings 12 years of hands-on experience with complex organizational budgets.
Thea Kensington
Management Consultant
Thea has guided over 40 Australian businesses through budget transformations. Her expertise spans manufacturing, retail, and professional services, with particular strength in cost driver analysis.
Isla Pemberton
Corporate Finance Director
Currently CFO at a mid-sized tech company in Sydney, Isla teaches the practical realities of budget implementation. She focuses on making budgets work within existing business constraints and cultures.
Comprehensive Curriculum
Foundation & Framework
Weeks 1-3
Start with the fundamentals of activity-based costing and how it differs from traditional budgeting. You'll analyze real company financial statements to identify cost drivers and understand resource consumption patterns.
Key topics: Cost behavior analysis, activity identification, resource drivers, capacity planning
Data Collection & Analysis
Weeks 4-6
Learn systematic approaches to gathering activity data within organizations. Practice with actual business operations data, including time studies, resource allocation tracking, and cost center analysis.
Key topics: Data gathering methods, activity measurement, variance analysis, system integration
Budget Construction
Weeks 7-10
Build comprehensive budgets using activity-based principles. Work through multiple business scenarios, from simple service companies to complex manufacturing operations with detailed cost hierarchies.
Key topics: Budget modeling, scenario planning, sensitivity analysis, presentation techniques
Implementation & Control
Weeks 11-12
Focus on making budgets work in real organizations. Address common implementation challenges, change management, and ongoing monitoring systems that keep budgets relevant and actionable.
Key topics: Change management, monitoring systems, performance metrics, continuous improvement
What You'll Achieve
By completing this program, you'll have practical skills that translate directly into better financial planning and more accurate business forecasting.
Build Accurate Budgets
Create budgets that reflect actual business operations rather than historical spending patterns. Your budgets will become valuable planning tools instead of mere compliance exercises.
Identify Cost Drivers
Understand what really drives costs in different types of businesses. This insight helps with pricing decisions, process improvement, and strategic planning.
Implement Systems
Know how to introduce activity-based budgeting in existing organizations, including data collection processes, stakeholder buy-in, and change management strategies.
Professional Recognition
Earn a certificate that demonstrates specialized knowledge in modern budgeting techniques, valuable for finance roles across various industries.
Program Details
Start Date
September 15, 2025
Early registration opens July 2025
Format
Hybrid learning with weekly in-person workshops in Sydney and Melbourne, plus online components
Duration
12 weeks intensive program
6-8 hours per week commitment
Prerequisites
Basic accounting knowledge and spreadsheet skills. Business experience helpful but not required
