Betriebsbudgets

Betriebsbudgets, in English commonly referred to as operating budgets, are financial plans that translate a company’s strategic objectives into expected day-to-day revenues and costs for a defined period, typically a fiscal year or a rolling 12 months. They focus on the operating activities of the business rather than long‑term investments and cash flow alone. The primary purpose is to coordinate resources, set targets, and provide a basis for performance measurement and control.

Typical components include a revenue budget, a production or operating plan, and detailed expense budgets. Costs are usually broken down by nature (variable and fixed) and by function (personnel, materials, overhead). In many systems, the budget also includes a cash budget and an estimate of depreciation or impairment, recognizing that operating decisions affect liquidity and book values. In German practice, these processes are supported by cost accounting methods such as Kostenarten-, Kostenstellen- and Kostenträgerrechnung to allocate costs to centers and products.

Process: planning often starts with a sales forecast, followed by budgeting of production, staffing levels, and overheads. Budgets are coordinated across departments, reviewed by management, and approved. Over the year, actual results are compared with the budget in variance analyses; deviations lead to corrective actions or revised forecasts. Organisations may use static budgets, flexible budgets, zero-based budgeting, or rolling forecasts depending on volatility and information systems.

Applications: Betriebsbudgets provide a basis for performance targets, resource allocation, and capital prioritization, and they support planning for operating cash flow and profitability. They are typically reviewed alongside the capital budget (Investitionsbudget) and cash budget to form an integrated financial plan. Limitations include potential bias, forecast inaccuracy, and reduced relevance in highly dynamic environments.