Three Characteristics Of Managerial Accounting Vs. Financial Accounting

Managerial accounting focuses on the needs of internal users (managers) and on data relevant for decision making.

Managerial accounting is essential for decision making. Making the best choice depends on the manager's goals, the anticipated results from each alternative, and the information available when the decision is made (Schneider, 2012). The different techniques associated with managerial accounting are very helpful in the decisions that need to be made. In order to truly understand decision making with managerial accounting one must first discern exactly what managerial accounting means and some of the techniques associated with it. The definition of managerial accounting will be discussed along with the techniques of cost management techniques, budgeting, and quality control.

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).

Dynamic companies use their internal budgets to make course adjustments throughout the year. For instance, if a product or service is not doing well in the first half of the year in comparison to the forecast or budget, the management team can use that information to make necessary changes or to scale back operations until market trends or the economy changes. Managerial accounts are the value creator for the organization (Collier, 2003). Their forward-looking capacity will help the organization to plan and make decisions for future profitability. The management accountants have a dual role to perform in an organization. The management accountant works as a strategic partner to provide strategic based financial and operational information (Collier, 2003). They are also responsible for business team management in organizations. The management accountant plays a prominent role in preparing financial reports, risk, and regulatory reporting, aggregating financial information, forecasting and planning important organizational information. Managerial accountants often perform cost analysis of products and divisions, which include variable and fixed costs. The production decisions made by managers are a direct result of information received from managerial accountants.

 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 and managerial accounting are integral functions that allow organizations to manage its operational activities. In addition to budgets and variance analyses, both financial as well as managerial accounting are vital elements of healthcare finance. It is therefore important

Financial management is important to the organization because it provides pertinent finance and accounting information to help managers accomplish the purpose of the organization. Financial accounting provides accounting information to external users. On the other hand, managerial accounting is more for managers (internal users) to use for things like planning, budgeting, etc. The definition of finance has changed over the years, but it’s used to ultimately evaluate previous decisions and make assessments for future decisions of the organization.

Managerial Accounting reports are primarily used by supervisors, line managers, process owners, as well as executives, to gain a better understanding of the current financial and operational health of the organization. (Internal)

19 One of the specific purposes of management accounting system is to provide information useful to help the enterprise achieve its goals, objectives, and mission.

3. Managerial Accounting deals with procuring of data for the organisation's management i.e. to serve the internal users with necessary accounting information to carry out the management tasks of planning, organising, actualising and controlling. " Management Accounting is the presentation of accounting Information in such a way as to assist management in creation of policy and in the day to day operations of an undertaking". 4. Financial Management deals with the process adopted by an organisation for taking financial decisions through analysing and interpretation of financial data for meeting the organisations objectives.

The first impression of the course managerial accounting for managers was that it would involve learning how to manage operations of a firm, especially in relation to its financial records and activities to ensure efficient and successful operation of a firm. I expected to learn how to deal with the final financial records and using them to perform an analysis of the records which will help to make informed decisions. It would also involve learning how to deal with the accounting records to make effective budget plans in considerations of resources available. My expectations of the course

The primary difference between financial and managerial accounting is that financial accounting is used for external members of the company; they do not control or run the businesses’ operations. An example of external members would be customers and shareholders of the business. On the other hand, managerial accounting is used for internal members in the company such as managers and officers. The internal members use managerial accounting to increase efficiency and effectiveness within their company. According to accounting4management.com, financial accounting and managerial accounting have several differences, but they both depend on the same data.

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)

Management accounting is used to provide managers with information, so they can make informed business decisions. The next category is open-book accounting; this is defined as an accounting principle that aims to improve accounting in organizations. Tax-accounting is defined as the accounting needed to comply with jurisdictional tax regulations. In other words, tax-accounting is used to put tax on goods and services. Accounting has revolved into what every company uses today which is the equation of; Assets=Liabilties+Owners Equity. The meaning of this equation is to show companies what they own and what they owe to there creditors and everybody else.