Flex budgeting definition
/What is Flex Budgeting?
A flexible budget, or “flex” budget varies with changes in the amount of actual revenue earned. In its simplest form, the flex budget will use percentages of revenue for certain expenses, rather than the usual fixed numbers. This approach results in better comparability of budgeted and actual results.
You can create a flexible budget that ranges in level of sophistication. Here are several variations on the concept:
Basic flexible budget. At its simplest, the flexible budget alters those expenses that vary directly with revenues. There is typically a percentage built into the model that is multiplied by actual revenues to arrive at what expenses should be at a stated revenue level. In the case of the cost of goods sold, a cost per unit may be used, rather than a percentage of sales.
Intermediate flexible budget. Some expenditures vary with other activity measures than revenue. For example, telephone expenses may vary with changes in headcount. If so, you can integrate these other activity measures into the flexible budget model.
Advanced flexible budget. Expenditures may only vary within certain ranges of revenue or other activities; outside of those ranges, a different proportion of expenditures may apply. A sophisticated flexible budget will change the proportions for these expenditures if the measurements they are based on exceed their target ranges.
Advantages of Flex Budgeting
This allows for an infinite series of changes in budgeted expenses that are directly tied to revenue volume. This approach is more useful than a static budget, since a flexible budget responds to changes in actual revenue levels.
However, this approach ignores changes to other costs that do not change in accordance with small revenue variations. Consequently, a more sophisticated format will also incorporate changes to many additional expenses when certain larger revenue changes occur, thereby accounting for step costs. By making these changes to the budget, a company will have a tool for comparing actual to budgeted performance at many levels of activity.
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Problems with Flex Budgeting
Though the flex budget is a good tool, it can be difficult to formulate and administer. One problem with its formulation is that many costs are not fully variable, instead having a fixed cost component that must be included in the flex budget formula. Another issue is that a great deal of time can be spent developing step costs, which is more time than the typical accounting staff has available, especially when in the midst of creating the standard budget. Consequently, the flex budget tends to include only a small number of step costs, as well as variable costs whose fixed cost components are not fully recognized.