Financial Analysis for Business Decision Making

Managerial accounting provides essential data about the functions within the business. The reports that are provided by the managerial accountants focus on the performance of the business and the business environment. Managerial accounting is manager oriented and managerial accounting focus on the accounting duties of a manager. Managerial accounting is used on a day to day operation providing an analysis of cost and the cost benefits. Managerial accounting function as a source for the business developments and the capital budgeting. The primary concern with managerial accounting is to provide positive outcomes in the business production and the profit.

Management accounting is for commercial finance, analyzing past performance and projecting future results aiding in the commercial decision-making. This department defines and measures key targets needed to achieve for McDonald’s business strategy to be successful (McDonald’s Corporation, 2008).

 Managerial accounting is defined as the activities carried out in a firm to provide its managers and other employees with financial and related information to help them make strategic, organizational, and operational decisions.

Financial statements are used to determine the business activities of a firm and the role of accounting analysis is to determine the accuracy and quality of the information provided. This analysis would look into the degree of its accounting figures captures its business reality through the policies used and its resulting noise, potential forecast errors and its impact on Myer’s profit.

Managerial accounting involves planning, controlling and decision making processes that are very helpful in business major such as marketing, operations management and human resource management. For example, marketing managers make planning decisions related to allocating advertising dollars across various communication mediums and to staffing new sales territories. From a control standpoint, they may closely track sales data to see if a budgeted price cut is generating an anticipated increase in unit sales. Operations managers have to plan how many units to produce to satisfy anticipated customer demand. They also need to budget for operating expenses such as utilities, supplies, and labor costs. In terms of control, they monitor actual spending relative to the budget, and closely watch operational measures such as the number of defects produced relative to the plan. Human resource

The success of a business depends on its ability to remain profitable over the long term, while being able to pay all its financial obligations and earning above average returns for its shareholders. This is made possible if the business is able to maximize on available opportunities and very efficiently and effectively use the resources it has to create maximum value for all involved stakeholders. One way the performance of a company can be measured on critical areas such as profitability, its ability to stay solvent, the amount of debt exposure and the effectiveness in resource utilization, is performing financial analysis where a set of ratios provides a snapshot of company performance

Management accounting is about adding real value to the organization by combining accounting, finance and management with the business skills and techniques. It involves in management decision making, devising planning and performance management systems. Management accounting provides expertise in financial reporting and administer to assist management in the formulation and implementation organization's strategy.

Financial systems are very important in generating current financial position of the company. This is through the use accounting procedures and principles which are used in the preparation of accounting records. The current status of accounts shows changes which had been made foe every disbursement (Watson and Head, 2012). The accounting systems such as automated management system ensure that the company receives instantaneous feedback. This reduces the errors which could have been reflected in the financial statements by correcting accounts which fails to balance or in case of over distribution of resources (Jones and Atwal, 2009). The availability of financial resource management systems also is important in producing accurate financial reports which reflects true states of affairs and therefore the users of the financial statements can rely on them for decision making.

a. Did Atlantic increase unit sales by cutting prices or by using some other strategy?

Management accounting is often used by the management of a business to keep track of performance and identify areas of improvement. Management accounting reports can be prepared for the business as a whole, a division or a cost center, and usually include variances from budget and forecast, as well as financial metrics that are specific to the individual business.

What is managerial accounting? How is it different from other areas of accounting? Explain the usefulness of managerial accounting for the profession.

Financial information is playing a crucial role in a business to help the owner make correct decision, this is because as the financial statement, it is ‘a collection of reports about an organization 's financial results, financial condition, and cash flows’ (AccountingTools, ND). Decision making is one of the most vital factors that will affect business to move forward, if the financial information inaccurate, the decision will be inappropriate, such as price setting, and then the business will loss the chance to maximize their profit what is the main objective in a business. Therefore, having accurate financial information is the heart of the business management it can help with decision making process in many ways.

Management or managerial accounting is by managers to make decisions concerning the day-to-day operations of a business. It is based not on past performance, but on current and future trends, which does not allow for exact numbers. Because managers often have to make operation decisions in a short period of time in a fluctuating environment, management accounting relies heavily on forecasting of markets and trends.

According to Will S, Ray H, & Eric E.N. (2009), management accounting is a branch of accounting that is concerned with providing information to managers who direct and control the firm’s operations. Management directing function seeks to effectively use both the human and raw material wealth of a firm to achieve organizational set objectives on routine basis. Controlling function is the art of tele-guarding the activities of the organization to consistently fall in line with set objectives. Management accounting achieves this function through effective budgeting.

According to the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA), Management Accounting is "the process of identification, measurement, accumulation, analysis, preparation, interpretation and communication of information used by management to plan, evaluate and control within an entity and to assure appropriate use of and accountability for its resources. Management accounting also comprises the preparation of financial reports for non management groups such as shareholders, cr->ors, regulatory agencies and tax authorities" (CIMA Official Terminology)