Operational accounting is a process in which, for the purpose of constant management, monitoring and registration of each individual phenomenon of financial and economic activity is carried out . With its help, organizations provide control over the implementation of certain production tasks or operations. The information that operational accounting provides is necessary for the development and adoption of many effective management decisions.
This type of accounting is characterized by the speed of data acquisition. Sources of information can be documents (invoices, contracts, etc.) or information received by e-mail, fax, and also orally.
Keeping operational records, you can use labor, in-kind and cash meters. At the same time, its main goal is to control the correct spending and formation of cash funds, and the implementation of plans. Operational accounting monitors the profitability and profitability of the organization, prevents waste and mismanagement, checks the timeliness of making payments to the budget for working capital and fixed assets.
The data obtained during operational accounting is very important, because they contribute to better enterprise management. After all, in fact, only with the availability of reporting data, it is possible to use the organization’s funds wisely and competently, constantly study ways to reduce unproductive expenses, conduct various activities, the main focus of which is to increase labor productivity and reduce the cost of products.
Operational accounting is somewhat similar to accounting. The only difference is that the latter reflects only the operations that have already taken place, and the former also includes the expected events. The portion of the accounting that reflects upcoming events is called operational planning. Accountants do not concern him, and at the same time, this is a very significant area of accounting activity of the enterprise. The basis for operational planning are current forecasts, as well as documents that portend business events. For example, for the sales department of an enterprise, such documents may be supply contracts or invoices issued by a client. At the same time, the head of the department should coordinate the activities of the organization so that at the time of the planned vacation of the order all the necessary goods were available. For the financial department, the basis for operational planning may be, for example, invoices, orders for the payment of benefits, advances, bonuses, etc. At the same time, the work of the remaining divisions of the organization should be planned so that a lack of cash at the cash desk of the enterprise or in bank accounts is eliminated.
Thus, it turns out that operational accounting covers the most versatile phenomena and at the same time provides various indicators. For example, it is with the help of this type of accounting that data are obtained on the implementation of the production plan, on the use of equipment and labor, on compliance with supply contracts with buyers, customers and suppliers, etc.
However, the main business of operational accounting is still ensuring the most rapid control. That is why accounting data in most cases are recorded as simple as possible, in some cases they are not recorded at all, sometimes information is obtained during direct personal observation. Such an organization of operational accounting allows management to intervene in the process of business operations at the time of their implementation.
Keeping operational records in the organization is simply necessary, because it is it that allows you to evaluate the results of its activities by comparing the actual and planned indicators.