One common mistake in the budget process is to assume it has come to an end once management approves the final document.
Two extremes should be avoided:
1. Management should not insist that the approved document is inflexible and force the staff to it stick to it without modification throughout the fiscal year.
2. On the other hand, management should not be willing to say the budget document is only a rough approximation and give the staff instructions to “ come as close as possible.”
Management should have final say on any significant changes in the budget figures.
If management or a staff person presents an idea midway through the budget year that is worthy of funding, the idea should be explored.
However, the manager must remember this puts him/her back to the first step and he/she will then need to go through the process again.
Granted, the process may be abbreviated, but good budgetary techniques require that the eight steps be completed in order to approve funding the new idea.
Each budget activity must be monitored throughout the year.
Questions should be asked when budgets are being over/under-spent.
Over-spending can suggest ineffective fiscal oversight and under-spending can suggest that the activity is not being performed sufficiently.
It is the responsibility of management to ensure that thing are going as planned.
Cost accounting allows management the opportunity to monitor the activities of the organization.