Stage III - KPIs, Analysis & Communication

The controlling training Stage III is designed for controllers who want to actively advance their role in controlling and have a greater impact within the company as business partners. The program focuses on key performance indicators, analysis, processes, and communication as the central building blocks of a modern management framework. You will learn to systematically translate strategies into management-relevant metrics and KPIs, derive concrete actions from them, and translate these into effective projects. At the same time, you will develop a deep understanding of processes, identify opportunities for improvement, and make operational workflows measurable and manageable.

Particular emphasis is placed on preparing data-driven analyses—supported by AI—in such a way that they provide clear, well-founded decision-making bases for functional departments and management. You will learn to structure complex content in an understandable way, communicate it persuasively, and respond specifically to different ways of thinking and decision-making logic. Through practical exercises and a continuous case study, you will integrate controlling, implementation, and communication into a coherent overall picture.

This continuing education program is particularly suitable for controllers in medium-sized businesses, as well as for companies that want to strengthen their controlling function and specifically develop the controller’s role as a business partner. The goal is to sustainably improve the quality of decisions and their implementation within the company and to significantly increase the influence of controlling.

After the seminar you will be able to:

• develop a clear management framework consisting of goals, key metrics, and actions, rather than isolated collections of KPIs
• set up controlling projects in a structured manner, manage them effectively, and improve processes in a targeted and measurable way
• create analyses ready for decision-making and provide a sound basis for decisions rather than merely presenting numbers
• be perceived as a competent and reliable sparring partner
• increase acceptance of your analyses and achieve greater impact with management and business units

Seminar Content

Develop Strategic Key Performance Indicators

• Analyze and prioritize corporate goals and translate them into sub-strategies
• Develop appropriate KPIs, e.g., strategic, value-oriented, or sustainable
• Derive actions and bundle them into actionable projects
• End-to-end practical case study with AI support

Successfully Implement Projects in Controlling

• Clearly define projects and establish clear boundaries
• Project structuring: approach, planning & management, roles, milestones
• Practical exercise on goal formulation and project structuring with AI support

Understanding, Improving, and Measuring Processes

• Visualizing and systematically analyzing processes
• Identifying opportunities for improvement
• Developing process metrics for operational controlling

Turning Metrics into Clear Messages

• Visualization, dashboards, and storytelling for clear messages
• Classifying BI and data architectures
• AI-powered analysis and visualization to identify patterns relevant to decision-making
• Derive insights and recommendations for action, and prepare and present them in a management-friendly format

The Controller as a Business Partner and Internal Consultant

• Collaboration and relationship-building on an equal footing
• Communication models for challenging conversations and brainstorming sessions
• Facilitation and constructive feedback in meetings and projects

Enhancing the Controller’s Impact Effectively

• Recognizing different thinking, decision-making, and communication styles
• Reflecting on and purposefully adapting your own preferences
• Presenting content and recommendations in a recipient-oriented manner
• Using a personal AI sparring partner to prepare for discussions

Arguments for Decision-Makers Regarding this Stage

After Stage III, your controllers will have a unified understanding of how strategies are translated into key performance indicators relevant to management, actionable measures, and effectively projects. They create transparency in processes and identify opportunities for improvement. With AI support, they deliver analysis ready for decision-making analyses, communicate on an equal footing with business units, and tangibly improve the quality of decisions and their implementation within the company. Controllers trained in this way play a key role in enhancing the standing of the entire controlling function.

Target groups

Stage III – KPIs, Analysis & Communication is adressed to managers and employees in controlling, financial accounting as well as in cost accounting, corporate planning, management information systems, business administration and development.