2.1 Traditional Budgeting process definition
The budget has been defined by several authors as a forecast and plan used by companies to control and monitor performance. Typically for the following year, but it can easily include the following two or three years (Wallander, 1999). Horngren (2006), cited in Player (2009), defines the budget process as:
“A financial blueprint of management’s expected plan of action. As such, they serve at least six key functions:
1. Setting targets;
2. Aligning incentives;
3. Developing action plans;
4. Allocating resources;
5. Coordinating across all functions;
6. Monitoring and controlling finance.”