Decentralised Accounting
Decentralised accounting is the practice of decentralising the decision-making processes, financial systems, and other responsibilities of the accounting department within an organization. It involves giving financial decision-making authority to managers, individual offices or departments, with the overall approval and guidance of senior management or the board of directors. Decentralised accounting is about liberating power and opening up decision-making and control processes to be more fluid and distributed. Its primary goal is to break apart the traditional hierarchal structure and give the distributed components of an organisation more autonomy.
Decentralisation has been an aim of many business initiatives in recent years, as it removes the need for management to be hands-on in any particular area, while increasing accountability and improving the decision-making process. It is particularly prevalent in large organisations as it allows different divisions of large organisations to operate independently while still receiving guidance from corporate headquarters.
The primary benefit of decentralised accounting is to speed up the decision-making process. With decentralised accounting, managers and executives of departments can make decisions without having to consult with other departments or with senior management. This allows for quicker decision-making, as the approval process is shorter and discussions may take place on the spot. It also reduces the risk that decisions will be made without input from all affected parties.
Decentralised accounting also enables the organisation to become more agile and better able to react swiftly to changes in the market or demand. It removes the rigid hierarchal structure, which often restricts the speed at which decisions can be made and implemented. This allows for greater flexibility in the organisation and for decisions to be made quickly and accurately.
Decentralised accounting also helps to create a ‘culture of ownership’. It empowers departments and managers to be more accountable, and to take responsibility for their own financial decisions. This can be advantageous because it encourages creativity and drives innovation and efficiency. By having greater oversight and ownership of their own financial processes, departments are encouraged to use the most efficient methods of working and to drive value and quality.
In conclusion, decentralised accounting is a method of accounting which can be hugely beneficial to organisations. By decentralising the financial control processes and decision-making authority, organisations can become more agile and responsive to changes in the market. It also encourages a culture of ownership and responsibility among departments and managers, which drives efficiency and creative thinking.