Describe the purpose and function of financial management in an organization
Scenario
You’ve been an entry-level financial analyst for six months. Your supervisor plans to fill another entry-level financial analyst position on your team. Your supervisor has asked you to create a job aid for the financial analyst role. The purpose of the job aid is to help the new hire move smoothly into the role. The job aid must describe the responsibilities of a financial analyst. It must also describe the impact the role has on a business.
Directions
Using the Financial Analyst Job Aid (linked in the What to Submit section), create a job aid for a new hire to an entry-level financial analyst position. Your job aid should be thorough, but it should also be easy to understand for someone new to the field of finance.
In your job aid, you’ll give a general overview of financial management and its importance to a business. Specifically, you must address the following:
Financial Responsibilities: Describe the responsibilities of a financial analyst.
Write five to seven bullet points outlining the responsibilities of a financial analyst. Write in complete sentences.
Financial Management Decisions: Use an example to discuss the importance of analyzing and managing finances to help make business decisions.
Consider the bullet points you outlined in the previous section. Then write a brief paragraph that answers the following questions. Use examples to support your claims.
How do these responsibilities help inform management decisions?
What would happen if management didn’t have this information?
Accounting Principles: Explain how to use accounting principles to analyze a business’s financial health. Give examples to support your claims.
Write a brief paragraph that explains how financial analysts use accounting principles to analyze a business’s financial health. In your paragraph, also answer the following questions:
What accounting information do financial analysts use?
Welcome to the team! As an entry-level Financial Analyst, you play a crucial role in our organization’s success. This job aid will provide you with a foundational understanding of financial management and your key responsibilities, helping you transition smoothly into your new role.
Financial management is the strategic planning, organizing, directing, and controlling of financial undertakings in an organization. Its primary purpose is to ensure that the organization has the necessary funds to operate, that these funds are used efficiently, and that the organization’s financial health is robust for both short-term stability and long-term growth.
In essence, financial management is about making smart decisions regarding how an organization acquires, allocates, and manages its monetary resources. It involves balancing profitability with liquidity and solvency, aiming to maximize shareholder wealth while ensuring the business can meet its obligations and invest in its future. Without effective financial management, a business, much like a living organism without a healthy circulatory system, cannot thrive or even survive.
As a Financial Analyst, your daily tasks will directly contribute to the financial health and strategic direction of the company. Here are your primary responsibilities: