Cost Control
Cost control is a project management practice where expenses are identified, reviewed and assessed in comparison to projected revenue to increase business profitability.
Updated: November 28, 2023
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Cost control is a project management practice where expenses are identified, reviewed and assessed in comparison to projected revenue to increase business profitability. Business expenses are cut or reduced in the budgeting stage of a project in many cases of cost control to align with anticipated outcomes.
Additional planning is incorporated into the budget after reviewing the risks for potential setbacks or unanticipated expenses. Project cost management software is used by project managers to monitor profitability and estimate the costs of different project elements.
Inventory management, Process optimization, Waste management, Pricing adjustments and Supplier management are different techniques for controlling the costs of a project, both ahead of work starting and during the completion of project.
Budgeting, cost analysis and expense tracking are basic elements of cost control. Improved profitability, greater resource optimization, more effective risk management and opportunities for long-term growth are several additional benefits to incorporating this practice into project management along with the financial savings that cost control can bring. Businesses can improve the ROI of projects and see increased revenue at launch by managing expenses and waste to minimize outgoings. Issues such as excess capacity or underutilization of materials or labor can be removed by more effectively managing and using the resources available.
Monitoring key performance indicators (KPIs), streamlining internal processes and implementing automation where possible are some best practices that make cost control more successful.
Types of cost control
- Budgetary Control
- Standard Cost Control
- Zero-Based Budgeting
- Activity-Based Costing (ABC)
- Cost-Volume-Profit (CVP) Analysis
- Variance Analysis
- Expense Monitoring
- Cost Cutting
- Procurement Optimization
- Resource Efficiency