Managerial Accounting

Managers use managerials accounting as a measuring gauge on how the company is performing. In other words, they use it to determine whether the company is making loss or profit, and also to know the level at which the business is approaching its goals. So, they use managerials accounting to understand how the department is performing or how a project is performing as compared to the expectation set. Goals, in this case, could be cutting down on cost, increasing the production level, the closing of operations, etc.

What is Managerial Accounting?

Managerial accounting is a form of procedure that entails coming up with reports and any documents that would help the management of a company in making decisions on how the company is running. It is the information required for management to make a decision that would aid the company’s growth.

Features of Managerial Accounting:

The following are the features of managerial accounting:

• The financial accounting system provides limited information. Therefore managerial accounting aids the management for decision making
• Managerial accounting is based on futuristic analysis
• Managerial accounting only provides information. It is left for management to decide based on the information provided.
• It does not follow financial accounting rule
• It takes into account the variables that are not money-related like employee efficiency, operational capacity factors etc.
• No rules or guidelines for managerial accounting unlike financial accounting
• It entails analyses, interpretation, and modification of data

Techniques in Managerial Accounting:

For optimum effectiveness of managerial accounting, there are some techniques involve. These techniques include:

1. Margin analysis: This technique is one of the critical methods and not just essential, it’s one of the most fundamental techniques of managerial accounting. It has to do with increasing production as an incremental benefit. This technique entails calculating the point of “no loss no gain,” which determines the optimum sale mix of the company. This analysis also divides the costs in fixed and variable expenses for better decision making
2. Constraint analysis: This involves analyzing the process attached with production to identify any bottleneck, the level of impact of the bottleneck on the company’s revenue, and also the inefficiency generated due to this bottleneck.
3. Capital budgeting: this has to do with getting information that would help in decisions related to capital expenditure. Managerial accountants using this technique employs the use of NPV (Net Present Value) and IRR (Internal Rate of Return) to decide on investment on various projects of the company
4. Inventory valuation and Product costing: from the name itself, it identifies and analyzes every cost linked with products and inventories of the company. This technique calculates and allocates overhead charges and it asses direct costs associated with COGS.
5. Trend analysis and forecasting: trend analysis and forecasting are about identifying the trends and the movement of product costs, revenues, and other variables, identification of variances in values forecasted, and also the reason behind such variations.

Conclusion:

Managerial accounting is a useful tool in the decision making of a company. The techniques available under it are also essential tools that good analysts have to employ in making the best choice for the growth of a company.