Effective Ways to Improve Your Budgeting and Forecasting Process

Budgeting and forecasting have always been among the most crucial exercises across industries. They drive growth and development as they are essential to efficient operations. Unfortunately, many organizations fail to perform them accurately and that’s where accounting firms come in.

If you are concerned with the budgeting and forecasting process of your company, you should think of calling Masone and Company. We have been providing financial services for over 25 years while specializing in taxes and accounting. We assist our clients with issues arising from factoring and venture capital.

Here are ways to create effective budgets and more accurate forecasts to meet your financial goals:

1. Be Clear About Your Objectives

The motive behind budgeting and forecasting is to anticipate your company’s financial future. It helps in better business decisions before implementation. It is necessary to be clear about your organizational objectives, or else your predictions can fail.

2. Take Time and Do It Right

Devoting more time on budgeting and forecasting may be exhausting but helps avoid extra work in the future. Once an effective budget is formulated, you just have to tweak it as per the company’s current market situation. 

3. Keep It Flexible

All the plans and processes that are done regularly need to be adaptable, as businesses are always evolving. Making decisions based on data gathered months prior can be expensive. Blaming employees for metrics based on outdated details is also counterproductive.

You can build in flexibility by including a budget and forecast review at the end of each quarter or each month. This will enable you to make adjustments to improve your overall accuracy for better decision-making.

4. Communicate Often

It’s better to keep an open line of communication with all departments because forecasting and budgeting influence all aspects of a business. Time can also be saved if each division leader creates their budget and forecast for the financial year.

Collate all the data and check if they match with your organizational goals. This process is far easier than a single team mapping out every minute detail.

5. Simplify as Much as Possible

Assess the entire process before budgeting and find out opportunities to simplify the process for end-users. This can include the use of automation, reduction of budgeted line items and use of global drivers.

6. Incorporate Profit and Cash Flow Goals

Considering the metrics for these factors will assure accuracy for your budget and forecasts. Understanding profit and cash flow is critical to achieve financial goals and will need a very different set of actions. Try your best to set practical targets for both factors. 

7. Monitor, Measure and Report

It is crucial to compare the budget and forecast to the actual situation during review meetings. Understand where you have to rectify if there are a lot of differences. With regular monitoring, you will be able to identify the problems before it is too late. If everything seems compatible, you are on the right track to meet your annual goals. 

8. Use the Right Tools

The right software, used by accounting firms such as ourselves, can completely change your budgeting and forecasting processes; you can expect error-free and reliable reports.

9. Plan for Various Scenarios

It’s not easy to plan for everything but you can have an idea of the kind of obstacles that could influence the forecast and budget. Try to analyze the economic trends that can unfavourably affect your company. The rolling forecast method can be applied to stay ahead of any changes that could impact a business. It also lets you act based on new data presented. 

10. Provide Historical Data for Deeper Analysis

Past information, including performance based budgeting, can drive greater precision for future budgets. 

Let us help

At Masone and Company, we view each of our clients as a partner. We were formed to provide exceptional financial services while specializing in accounting and taxation. We offer a proactive approach rather than just reacting to what comes our way. Please read what our clients say about us.

Also, for information on how an accountant can aid your business, read our blog - 5 Ways Having an Accountant Will Benefit Your Business.

Call us if you are looking for all-inclusive budgeting and forecasting services from a dependable accounting firm in accounting firms in Calgary.