Budgetary Control and Variance Analysis

Compares five to seven expense results with budget expectations and describes possible reason for variances and strategies to keep results aligned with expectations

3. Explain two methods that can be used in order to identify realistic estimations when developing a budget. [2.2]

CitedBrigham, Eugene F. , and Phillip R. Daves. Intermediate Financial Management. 8th ed. Mason: Thomson South-Western, 2004.

|2.2 Explain the purpose of using estimations when developing a budget and ways of doing so |Question 2 Page 3 |

With the increasing ramification of economic changes and complex business functioning, each and every company has to implement budget variance analysis to identify the fluctuation in projected amount. In this report, Peyton Approved Company has been taken into consideration to evaluate the effectiveness of business functioning and plant’s operation in determined approach. It reviews the efficiencies and effectiveness of their plant’s operations. With the help of budget variance, it could be easily determined whether Peyton Approved Company has been performing its business throughout the time. Budget variance is the technique which is used by Peyton Approved Company to identify the fluctuation and variability in the set budget and implemented project. Budget variance is defined as differences between the actual amounts of expense incurred by Peyton Approved Company. It is evaluated that when Peyton Approved Company has positive cash flow in its planned budget. For instance, if amount of expenses incurred by company is less than its planned or estimated budget expenses then company has positive budget variance and vice-versa. This could be defined with the estimation of cost budget variance. The formula for the same has been given as below (Steffan, 2008).

3. Explain two methods that can be used in order to identify realistic estimations when developing a budget. [2.2]

Planning is a function that is employed by every organization in projecting the future outcome of the firm. Successful firms achieve their goals through the use of different types of budgets. These budgets include, production budget, sales budget, labor budget and expenses budget. These budgets also show the targets that should be achieved by the firm within the budgeted time plan.

This solutions manual provides the answers to all the review questions and end-of-chapter problems in Financial Management: Principles and Practice, by Timothy Gallagher. The answers and the steps taken to obtain the answers are shown. Readers are reminded that in finance there is often more than one answer to a question or to a problem, depending on one‘s viewpoint and assumptions. One answer is

* The report to be written such that it can be understood by a person with limited understanding of financial analytical tools. Furthermore, the report is to be no more than 600 words and it should include sections: Summary, Methodology, Recommendations and Limitations.

INCLUDES SOLUTIONS INCLUDES MARKERS’ REPORTS This is a three (3) hour paper. You have ten (10) minutes reading time. There are seven (7) questions. There are eight (8) pages, including this one. You must answer all parts of all questions. The questions are not of equal value. All answers must be written in blue or black ink. Show all relevant working.

This research paper is a brief discussion of budget management analysis. Budgeting is the key to financial management, and is the key to translates an organization goals or plan into money. Budgeting is a rough estimate of how much a company will need to get their work done, and provides the basis for evaluating performance, a source of motivation, coordinating business activities, a tool for management communication and instructions to employees. Without a budget an organization would be like a driver, driving blinded without instructions or any sense of direction, that’s how important a budget is to every organization and individual likewise (Clark, 2005).

A company's budget serves as a guideline in planning and committing costs in order to meet tactical and strategic goals. Tactical goals such as providing budgetary costs for daily operations, and strategic objectives that include R&D, production, marketing, and distribution are all part of the budgeting process. Serving as a guideline rather than being set in stone, the budget is a snapshot of manager's "best thinking at the time it is prepared." (Marshall, 2003, p.496) The budget is a method in which to reign-in discretionary spending, and will likely show variances between what costs have been anticipated and what costs are actually incurred.

1. Brigham, Eugene F. and Michael C. Ehrhardt. Financial Management Theory and Practice, 13th Edition, Thompson South-Western, ISBN-13# 978-14390-7809-9, ISBN-10#1-4390-7809-2

This makes the company look good and they can afford to do this from good financial skills. Decisions like this make a good profit in the long run and all in all this is why it is so important to have a good management team.

Budget and budgetary control practices are undeniably indispensable as organizations routinely go about their business activities and operations. These organizations are constantly on the alert on how actual levels of performance agree with planned or budgeted performance. A budget expresses a plan in monetary terms. It is prepared and approved prior to a particular budgeted period and explicitly may show the income, expenditure and the capital to be employed by organizations in achieving their goals and objectives.