It focuses on the financial decisions made in every organization, which include investment, decisions in purchasing and selling real and financial assets, raising cash to fund these investments, and managing the risk of its assets and investments. Other operational decisions include implementing routine day-to-day procedures to manage all financial aspects of the organization and decisions regarding changes in the mix of its services and products. Although a financial manager specializes in these decisions, managers from across the organization also contribute.

Four sets of skills are essential to financial decision-making: First, an understanding of the environment within which decisions are made, including both the internal structure of the organization and the nature of external capital and financial markets; second, familiarity with the organization’s information system, including accounting, financial, and human resources; third, analysis of available financial data to understand the likely impact of alternative decisions and their level of uncertainty; finally, understanding the interrelationships between financial decisions and decisions made in other parts of the organization, such as marketing, production, and IT.