The sixth and final period of the trainee program before the period abroad is now complete. During this period, Clara and I have been in the Finance Department, both at the group level and at Thomas Betong. The three-week period in the Finance Department was very well organized, with an extensive schedule that provided us with valuable knowledge of their different tasks. We had the opportunity to learn about everything from handling incoming vendor invoices to the annual financial closing.
During the three-week period, we gained insight into the following areas and tasks within the Finance Department:
- Credit Management
- Incoming Invoices
- Payments
- Accounting
- Controlling
- Driver Settlements
- Monthly Closing and Follow-up
- Group Consolidation
- Business Intelligence
- Forecasting and Budgeting
- Annual Financial Closing
I truly appreciate how everyone took the time to explain their respective areas. Thanks to the comprehensive program, I feel that I have gained a very good understanding of the work within an accounting department. As both Sherry Khanzadeh (CFO Thomas Concrete Group) and Karin Seevers (CFO Thomas Betong) said, even though it’s all about concrete, in the end, it all comes down to numbers in the finance department.
In the Finance Department, it’s possible to ‘take the pulse’ of the business and, based on that, make strategic decisions aligned with the current situation. Through monthly follow-ups against forecasts, previous years, and KPIs, it’s possible to see whether the trend is moving in the right direction. If not, the data provides a solid foundation for identifying focus areas and making strategic decisions. I’m impressed by how the new systems enhance business follow-up, offering a platform to make decisions based on accurate data. This creates good conditions for us to become even better at what we do!
Next rotation will be at Thomas Beton in Germany, and the first month will be in their finance department. Auf Wiedersehen!
// Anton N
