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Meaning and Definition of Budgetary Control
Meaning and Definition of Budgetary Control
Budgetary control is the process of preparation of budgets for various activities and
comparing the budgeted figures for arriving at deviations if any, which are to be
eliminated in future. Thus budget is a means and budgetary control is the end result.
Budgetary control is a continuous process which helps in planning and coordination.
It also provides a method of control.
Following are the features of budgetary control as per the above definitions:
1. The pre-requisite for budgetary control is to set different kinds of budgets and
fix the responsibility of personnel for the successful implementation of the
policy.
2. Actual performance is compared with budgets to reveal deviations for the purpose
of cost control.
3. Corrective action is initiated to set right the unfavourable deviations.
2. Coordination:
Budgets are helpful in coordination of business activities.
6. Control:
Controlling function is made to be effective as the control is centralised while budgets are
prepared and implemented.
7. Deviations:
Ascertainment of deviations is essential to fix responsibility and correct the deviations as far as
possible.
5. Motivation: Staff is to be appraised of the budgets and benefits they are going to
derive directly and indirectly.
6. Realistic Targets: The targets set should be realistic so that they are achievable
and budgets should not frustrate the workers by fixing unrealistic targets.
7. Participation of All Departments Concerned: Budgets are to be set for all the
departments so that their participation in implementation will be effective.
2. Effective Coordination:
Performance and working of various activities is effectively coordinated through budgetary
control. Budgets of the various functions are interlinked and dependent. Effective
implementation of budgets depends on cooperation of concerned personnel of various
departments. Emphasis on co-ordination and cooperation helps in achieving the
predetermined targets and goals.
5. Economy in Operations:
Expenses are properly planned and financial resources are put to optimum use. The benefits
are extended to the industry and then to national economy. Budgetary control is helpful in
conservation, effective utilization and elimination of wastage in scarce resources.
6. Revelation of Ineffectiveness:
Comparison of actual performance with budgeted performance reveals week spots so that
attention is focused on them to improve the performance.
2. Changes of Conditions:
Budgets are prepared on the basis of certain prevailing conditions. If the conditions change
budgets are also to be revised. Constant changes in budgets may frustrate the employees and
the charm in budgeting and implementation may be lost.
3. Complacence:
General tendency of employees is to achieve the targets as budgeting fixes the targets. Some
of the employees who are highly skilful may also be satisfied in performing up to the goals
set without showing full potential, which will be a loss to the enterprise as well as the
employee in terms of productivity.
4. Difficulty in Coordination:
Effective implementation of budgetary control depends upon proper coordination among
various departments as the performance of a department depends on the work of other
departments and vice versa. It requires budgetary officer to oversee the integration of
various activities to successfully implement the budgets. Ineffective coordination leads to
inefficient performance.
Classification of Budgets
1] Based on time
3] Based on Scope
Master Budget: Once all the functional budgets are created, then the
financial officer will prepare a master budget. It is an integrated
budget that reflects the estimated profit and loss and financial position
using Budgeted Profit & Loss Account and Budgeted Balance Sheet
of the concern.
Capital Budget: The budget takes into account the estimated capital
receipts and expenditure of the business for a specified period.
Revenue Budget: The budget that covers all the revenue receipts and
expenses ofa particular financial year is a revenue budget.
A budget acts as a map for the future economic activities of the business, which are
prepared as per the policies of the different organizational functions. It aims at making
optimum utilisation of the capital and other resources of the organization.
Estimates are not accurate as it is very hard to correctly predict the demand and industry
trend.
It doesn’t help when there is a need to allocate additional resources to keep up with the
rise in demand.
This budget is based on past budgets. So, it gets very hard for a new firm to prepare such
a budget.
Since estimates are not accurate, it gets extremely difficult to evaluate the performance
of the departments.
Flexible Budget:
A flexible budget is a very good alternative to a fixed budget. It addresses all the drawbacks of a
fixed budget so as to make budgeting more accurate. In a flexible budget, we can adjust the
budget numbers to reflect the changes in the business activity. Moreover, management can easily
alter a flexible budget as per the needs of a business.Along with the past data, the flexible budget
also includes the estimates of future realistic situations
Flexible budgets are helpful when the volume of activity varies throughout the year,
either because of the seasonal nature of an industry or because of fluctuations in demand.
For example, the volume of sales in festive seasons is usually more for businesses
engaged in assorted cookies. In such cases, a flexible budget might be essential to see how
budgeted costs vary from one season to another.
Flexible budgets prove to be helpful when the business is new and it is difficult to predict
the demand of a product accurately.
Also, where a company is suffering from the shortage of some factors of production like
materials, labor, or plant capacity, a flexible budget can furnish the details of targeted
costs at different points in time.
Flexible budgeting may also be resorted to in the case of labor-intensive industries where
the quantum of production is dependent upon the availability of labor.
Disadvantages of Flexible Budget
Flexible budgets assume continuing operations and do not take into account erratic
behaviour of costs.
Flexible budgets divide costs into fixed and variable elements in an arbitrary
fashion. Therefore, budgeted numbers do not bear close resemblance to actual costs.
Flexible budgets keep fixed costs at the same level for all activity levels. while in
reality, even fixed costs change after crossing relevant output range.
Zero based budgeting in management accounting involves preparing the budget from the
scratch with a zero-base. It involves re-evaluating every line item of cash flow statement
and justifying all the expenditure that is to be incurred by the department.
Thus, zero-based budgeting definition goes as a method of budgeting whereby all the
expenses for the new period are calculated on the basis of actual expenses that are to be
incurred and not on the differential basis which involves just changing the expenses
incurred taking into account change in operational activity. Under this method, every
activity needs to be justified, explaining the revenue that every cost will generate for the
company.