Management accounting techniques are applied in the preparation and presentation of financial and other decision oriented information "in such a way as to assist management in the formulation of policies and in the planning and control of the operation undertaking". The analytics here are thus concerned with forward-looking decisions, as opposed to the historical and compliance perspective of
financial accounting. Undertaking these tasks, financial managers use various
management accounting and
financial analysis techniques to accurately assess the results and performance of the business lines and units, and to monitor resource allocation within the organization; this includes
profitability analysis and
cost analytics – employing techniques such as
activity based costing,
whole-life cost analysis,
cost–volume–profit analysis, and
variance analysis – as well
budget analytics more generally. (See also
cash flow forecast and
financial forecast.) ==Corporate finance techniques==