Stage I Seminar: Controlling & the Controller

• presents an integrated system of modules of the controller's job;
• demonstrates the structure and the connection between the most important controlling tools;
• provides case studies, exercises and role-plays for training in the organization of the controlling process;
• gives instructions for the function and the techniques of the controller's job which can be introduced and practised in every existing organization structure according to the "oasis principle".

Corporate Philosophy and Objectives
Manager's and controller's function - The process of setting objectives, planning and controlling - The WEG-model: W = Wachstum = growth; E = Entwicklung = development; G = Gewinn = profit - Return on Investment and Working Capital as standards of performance - Formulation of corporate philosophy and elaboration of the reasoning behind the profit target - Tasks and objectives.

The Structure of Management Accounting
The system of the management account with contribution margins presented in stages - Calculation of product costs - Interpretation of the contribution margins for sales planning - The "selling" of the profit target by means of the Break-even-diagram - The management account and its sub-systems - Controller's cost-cube - The "accounting panorama".

Organization According to Profit Centres
Profit Centres and divisions - The principle of organizing divisions - The system of the profit centre account - Points to consider when introducing a divisional organization - Transfer-prices between profit centres - The profit centre concept applied to service centres - Controlling sales with contribution margins.

Strategic & Operational Planning
Planning and prognosis - Strategic planning - The operational budget and the measure-taking plans - The structure of the planning concept - The budget process and schedule - Budget and expected actuals - Controller's planning-cube.

The Modules of the System of Operational Planning
The system of the management account as a frame for the planning of sales, costs and profit - The connections between the components of the corporate plan - The ROI-structure as pacemaker for budget-improvements - Case study for corporate planning - Planning and management principles.

Controlling by Means of Budgets and Variance Analysis
Breaking-down the corporate objective into single goals - Budget types for the definition of objectives - Variance analysis with sales, contribution margins and costs of the sales organization in the profit centre - The flexible performance and cost budget in the production function - Product/variable and structure/fixed costs in the budget - Variance analysis for the production cost budget - structure/fixed cost budgets and standards of performance - Activity based costs - Variance analysis and the evaluation of performance - How to discuss a variance analysis.

Controller Reports
The system of the management account as nucleus for controller reports - Instructions for designing the management account - Psychological aspects in controller's reporting - Variance analysis and forecast - The controller as economic "companion".

Controller Organization
Controller and treasurer in the organizational chart - Organization of the accounting department: What functions belong to the Controller? - Job description for the controller - Can you install a controller as "staff" without sub-structure? - Central and divisional controller.