Sunday, 9 March 2014

Budgets and Management


Student’s name
Course name and number
Title of paper Budgets and Management
Instructor’s name
Date submitted

Introduction

An operating budget is an annual budget of activity in the company. The budget is explained in relation to budget classification code, cost accounts as well as functions or sub functional types. An operational budget demonstrates the full value of resources required to have different functions in the company. Additionally, an operation budget has got workloads explained as per work units identified by the cost accounts. Companies split their budgets into 2. That is operating budget as well as capital budget. The primary purpose of any company is to remain in business by making profit as well as reducing the sum of money it spends in production of services and goods. An operating budget is a plan which companies prepare to make sure they accomplish their objectives. The operating budget demonstrates the income as well as expenditures an organization will incur so as to earn money in a given interval.

Main issue

The significance of operating budget in control over companies is an issue because folks have different viewpoints regarding operating budgets as well as administration. Some people think that budgets including operating budgets are ineffective ways of controlling companies. It is because budgets impact the administration of the company. Administrators simply depend on budget to make decisions about the organization rather than various other ways for example predictions. Other folks think that budgets are necessary in controlling companies because they assist administrators perform their managerial functions. The budgets assist in scheduling, control and so on. As a consequence, various ways have been developed to assist administrators in controlling organization for example scorecards as well as forecasts.

Forecasts and budgets are variable and let organizations to survive in a competitive atmosphere because administrators make decision as well as develop methods depending on the existing market situations (Drury, 1992).
Operating Budget and Management

I have picked up different things regarding operating budgets as well as management. I have found out about the significance of operating budgets in correcting administrators in the company, components of a financial budget as well as development of budgets. I have also found out about the present as well as future use of budgets in the office. An operating budget performs an important role in controlling a company. Budgets including operating budgets assist in scheduling in the company when they are geared up properly. The budgets find out the organizational objectives as well as performance goals. The objectives as well as goals are mentioned in fiscal terminology. Operating budgets control administrators in different ways. First, operating budgets determine problems in the company as well as force the administrators to coordinate efforts to organize in advance in order to attain the organizational objectives (Drury, 1992).

The best way, to stay effective as well as successful in the market a company must set objectives. For example, the company specifies the product it must manufacture in order to make profit. After establishing the objectives, the administrators must execute the plan formulated. The operating budget functions as the plan which companies are expected to execute.

The operating budget compels the administrators to think seriously regarding the organization's operations as well as pin point hurdles which the company might face down the road. Businesses which do not have an operating budget are unable to set objectives, organize as well as accomplish their objectives. It is because they are not capable to operationalize their plans. Second, an operating budget lets administrators to arrive at their desired destination in the most effective way (Bozat, Korubuk, Onar, & Abbasoglu, 2014).

The operating budget contains a lot of sub budgets which administrators follow to achieve the organizational objectives set. Third, the operating budget as well as the sub budgets let administrators to make moral decisions because they offer enough info about the company. The operating budgets offer detailed information regarding sales, production, labor, material as well as expenditures. The administrators use the info to make decisions about the organization operations, profitability as well as expenditures. Additionally, the info is used in strategic planning and creation of different ways to increase the efficiency of the company as well as profitability (Drury, 1992).

Budgets may be used to determine if the administration is accountable or otherwise. In this situation, a person assesses the capability of the administrator to manage the organizational resources in order to achieve the objectives set. The budget outcomes are compared to the program prepared by the administrators to decide whether the company is performing well or not. Administrators are capable to take notice of the difference observed after comparing the difference between his real value as well as allocated value. The variable may be positive or negative. An unfavorable value demonstrates that the company is not doing nicely and the other way around. A big difference can demonstrate bad budgeting skills or doubtful economic situations rather than the administrators being accountable.

An operating budget contains various elements. The elements contain sales budget, production budget, material, as well as labor and expense budget. The sub budgets offer important info about sales as well as expenses in the company. The sales budget demonstrates the units sold as well as the cost of each unit. The administrators must agree on the sales budget because it impacts decision making as well as preparing of other sub budgets. The sub budgets are prepared using sales budget data. Administrators find it hard to decide on the units sold as well as price tag although the elements of the sales budget are easy. Making a sales budget is difficult as well as time consuming because different people in the company may not decide on sales units and expense. The company can make sale budgets by the end of the year, month or quarterly.

Administrators are expected to prepare the production budget prior to preparing the direct material, labor and production budget. The manufacturing budget demonstrates the total items which must be manufactured. The administrators must be conscious of different things so as to make the production budget. They must be aware of units they must sell and the volume of stock required each year. Additionally, they must be aware of items in the opening stock. The administrators must have the same information when they are making quarterly budget. The production budget increases production in the company and thus sales. Companies that make production budgets can meet customer requirements. The companies are capable to know what clients require and after that manufacture it. Moreover, the companies reduce manufacturing expenses to enhance profit.

Additionally, the direct material budget assists in the control over the company since it decides the total units of raw materials which are expected to be purchased. The direct material budget is made after making the production budget because it uses the items produced from the production budget. Additionally, the direct material budget uses info about the quantity in the opening inventory. As soon as the quantity of items to be purchased is decided, it is multiplied by the cost of each unit to find the raw material to be purchased. Labor is essential in manufacturing of services and goods. Companies require human resource in order to remain productive and successful. The direct labor budget relates to the quantity of direct labor hours and the cost or the cost of direct labor. The labor required to produce items is different from one product to another. Some items may take too much time and labor to manufacture and thus very high cost of labor and the other way around.
Additionally, administrators make the production overhead budget as part of the operating budget. The production overhead budget says the predicted variable head expenses and fixed overhead costs for each interval which the organization is budgeting. Companies are expected to split fixed expenses and variable expenses while preparing the production overhead budget. Additionally, organizations determine typical expenditures as well as administrative expenditures and make a budget. A common and administrative expenditures budget demonstrates the variable operating expenditures and fixed operating expenditures for the administrative and general departments in the company. The fixed expenditures consist of wages, rent, and office supplies among others.

The fixed expenditures depend on the company because some companies might not have variable administrative expenditures. For that reason, administrators must be cautious while identifying the fixed and variable expenditures to make sure they contain all of the related expenditure while preparing the budget. Finally, an operating budget has got budget demonstrating the selling expenditures. The budget has info about variable selling expenditures and fixed selling expenditures. The variable expenditures depend on the sale dollars.
Construction of Operating Budgets

Budgets which are properly made provide correct information which can be used to make managerial decisions. Administrators must have in mind the different parts of the budget while making financial budgets. They must be experienced with the parts of the operating budget when making operating budgets which include sales, operating income as well as cost of items sold. They must also be familiar with the present market rates. They must also establish the link between the operating, fiscal and capital expenditure budget while making a budget (Atkinson, & Mourato, 2006).

Budgets are expected to be customized to the requirements of the company in order to get the greatest results. A master budget contains various budgets which are linked and sum up the activities in the company. The preparation of a budget starts with the sales budget (Drury, 1992).

Administrators are expected to make the sales budget in advance of preparing other budgets and convey the units they are ready to sell. The administrators use the info provided in the sales budget to decide the units they must manufacture. The administrators make a sales prediction prior to making the sales budget. All administrators in the company must join hands to make the sales prediction because their feedback is essential. The sales administrators provide information and facts regarding the product. The next measure after making the sales budget is computing the expected income from the units mentioned and the price for each unit. After that the administrators make the closing stock budget by informing the dollar value of the end product stock and closing material. The end stock budget is used to make a budgeted fiscal report because stocks contain present assets (Layard, 1994).

The administrators make the production budget as well as direct material budget following the inventory budget. The production budget is made using info provided in the sales budget and the material budget if made using info in the production budget. The direct labor budget as well as production overhead budget is made soon after the production and material budget. Other budgets which are made are cost of goods, income report and administrative expenditure budgets. The administrators must know the link between the various budgets so as to incorporate accurate info and carry out the required computations (Atkinson, & Mourato, 2006).

Activities that facilitated understanding of the topic

There are many activities which helped knowledge of budgets and operating budgets. The use of case studies as well as simulations assisted to understand budgets and the part of operating budgets in correcting administrators in the company. The teacher used case studies on budgeting as well as administration to assist the students know the subject. Additionally, the teacher used simulations to allow students to know the subject. The students were needed to make budgets and use info provided in the budget to prepare managerial decisions. Additionally, using demonstrative examples while teaching helped comprehension of the subject. The teacher used instances to demonstrate the principles being taught. For example, he used instances to teach making of the budget and use of the budget in administration (Atkinson, & Mourato, 2006).

Current and future application of budgets in the organization

Although folks have got different points of views regarding budgets and administration, budgets particularly operating budgets are essential in controlling companies these days as well as in the long run. Budgets assist administrators in performing their managerial works which include managing, planning, guiding among others (Layard, 1994). The supervisors develop programs to increase the efficiency of the company and output. The programs made are carried out by staffing, guiding as well as controlling workers. The administrators manage operations and develop proper ways to compare the real values and projected values. Budgets will make sure administrators are accountable because they will be needed to meet the goal and objectives defined in the program developed. Budgets are used to assess the accountability as well as efficiency of administrators in the company by deciding that they are using the organization resources. Budgets will be used in long term to control companies although they are not flexible since they provide info on sales and cost (Emmanuel, Otley, & Merchant,1990).

Conclusion
To conclude, administrators use various methods to control companies. Administrators use budgets as well as predictions to regulate companies. Some people declare that budgets are ineffective in running companies like predictions and balanced score cards because they are not flexible. Budgets are not flexible since they provide fixed info. Administrators use the info provided in the different kinds of budgets to make decisions and run it. The info provided is not subject to modification because the administrators are not able to modify the info according to market situations. This impacts decision making because the administrators make immoral decisions. Predictions are effective in controlling because administrators make decisions based on market situations. But, budgets are essential in correcting administrators as they direct them in their day to day jobs. Administrators make sure they meet the objectives and goals mentioned in the budget. They make sure administrators are accountable and use the means available to achieve the organizational objectives. For that reason, administrators will continue to use budgets to run the company in spite of the criticism.

References:
Atkinson, G., & Mourato, S. (2006). Cost-benefit analysis and the environment: recent developments.
Bozat, E., Korubuk, G., Onar, P., & Abbasoglu, O. (2014). Cost Analysis of Premixed Multichamber Bags Versus Compounded Parenteral Nutrition: Breakeven Point. Hospital Pharmacy, 49(2), 170-176.
Drury, C. (1992). Cost-volume-profit analysis. In Management and Cost Accounting (pp. 205-235). Springer US.
Emmanuel, C., Otley, D., & Merchant, K. (1990). Accounting for management control (pp. 357-384). Springer US.

Layard, P. R. G. (1994). Cost-benefit analysis. R. Layard, & S. Glaister (Eds.). Cambridge University Press.

No comments:

Post a Comment