Chapter 1

Major Differences Between Financial & Managerial Accounting

Purpose Managerial Accounting

Decision making

Primary Users

Internal managers

Focus/Emphasis Rules Time Span Behavioral Issues

Future-oriented Do not have to follow GAAP; cost vs. benefit Ultra current to very long time horizons Designed to influence employee behavior

Financial Accounting

Communicate financial position to outsiders External users Past-oriented GAAP compliant; CPA audited Historical monthly, quarterly reports Indirect effects on employee behavior

Strategy and Management Accounting • Strategy – specifies how an organization matches its own capabilities with the opportunities in the marketplace to accomplish its objectives • Management Accounting provides information towards formulating, communicating and implementing strategy

Strategy & Management Accounting • Management accounting helps answer important questions such as: – Who are our most important customers, and how do we deliver value to them?

– What substitute products exist in the marketplace, and how do they differ from our own?

– What is our critical capability?

– Will we have enough cash to support our strategy or will we need to seek additional sources?

Management Accounting and Value • Creating value is an important part of formulating and implementing strategy • Value is the usefulness a customer gains from a company’s product or service • Value Chain is the sequence of business functions in which customer usefulness is added to products or services

Management Accounting and Value • The Value Chain: – Research and Development – Design – Production – Marketing – Distribution – Customer Service • Management accounting can provide information in each of these areas • Analysis can also include the supply chain

Key Success Factors

• The dimensions of performance that customers expect, and that are key to the success of a company include: – Cost and efficiency – Quality – Time – Innovation

Formulating and Implementing Strategy

Planning Controlling

Planning & Control Systems • Planning selects goals, predicts results, decides how to attain goals, and communicates this to the organization – Budget – the most important planning tool • Control takes actions that implement the planning decision, decides how to evaluate performance, and provides feedback to the organizatio n

Management Accounting Guidelines • Cost – benefit approach is commonly used: benefits generally must exceed costs as a basic decision rule • Behavioral Considerations – people should be involved in decisions • Different definitions of cost may be used for different applications

Line and Staff Relationships

Line management

is directly responsible for attaining the objectives of the organization.

Staff management

exists to provide advice and assistance to line management.

Line and Staff Relationships

Controller Audit Board of Directors Chairman Chief Executive Officer (CEO) President Chief Operating Officer (COO) Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Tax Treasury Risk Management Investor Relations

Ethical Guidelines

The Institute of Management Accountants (IMA) is the largest association of management accountants in the United States.

The IMA has issued a Standards of Ethical Conduct for Management Accountant.

IMA Code of Ethics for Management Accountants

Four broad areas of responsibility: • Maintain a high level of professional competence • treat sensitive matters with confidentiality • Maintain personal integrity • Be objective in all disclosures