Capital budgeting consists of two terms ‘capital’ and ‘budgeting.’ In this sense, capital spending is the expenditure of money for major expenses such as the acquisition of fixed assets and equipment, the maintenance of fixed assets or equipment, research and development, growth and expansion. Budgeting sets goals for programs to maximize overall profitability.
Capital budgeting is a method of assessing investment and huge spending in an attempt to achieve the highest return on investment.
A company also faces the dilemma of choosing between two projects/investments or purchasing vs. replacing decisions. Presumably, a company would also like to participate in all lucrative markets, but due to the finite supply of resources, it needs to choose between various projects/investments.
Objectives of Capital budgeting
Capital spending is immense and has a long-term impact. Therefore, when doing a capital budgeting review, the company must hold the preceding goals in mind.
- Choosing ventures that are viable.
An organization often comes across a number of beneficial investments. However, due to financial constraints, a company needs to pick the right combination of beneficial investments that will boost the shareholder’s wealth. - Regulation of capital expenditure.
The primary goal of capital budgeting is to pick the most viable enterprise. Controlling capital expenditures, however, is often a significant goal. The essence of budgeting is the predictions and proper planning of capital expenditure needs and making sure that no investment opportunities are wasted. - Identifying the perfect sources of funding.
Another essential goal of capital budgeting is to assess the number of funds and the means for receiving them. Seeking a balance between interest rates and returns on investment is an essential objective in capital budgeting.
Process of Capital Budgeting
- Identification of investment prospects
A company has to recognize an investment opportunity first. An investment potential could be anything from a new line of operation to product expansion to the purchase of a new asset. A corporation, for instance, discovers two new items which they can introduce to the existing product range. - Evaluation of investment plans
When an investment incentive has been identified, the company needs to assess its investment choices. In other words, after it has been determined that new products/products should be introduced to the retail list, the next process will be to determine how to buy these products. There may be some avenues to procure them. Any of these goods may have been:
- In-house Manufactured
- Manufactured by the outsourcing of the process, or
- Purchased on the market
- Selecting an investment that is profitable
If the investment possibilities are defined and all plans are reviewed, a company must determine and pick the most profitable investment. A company may have to use the capital rationing strategy during the evaluation of a specific project to rate the projects according to returns and choose the best possible alternative.
In our situation, the corporation here needs to determine what would be more competitive for them. Manufacturing or buying one or more of the items or scrapping the possibility of both being purchased.
- Capital Budgeting and Allocation
A company has to finance this project just after project is picked. In order to fund the venture, the sources of financing have to be identified and allocated accordingly.
Reserves, deposits, leasing, or some other viable medium may be the origins of these assets.
- Analysis of Results
Evaluating the expenditure is the final step in the capital budgeting phase. Originally, a specific investment was chosen by the company for an expected return. So now they will equate the estimated output of the investments to the real performance.
In our case, an estimated return will have been working out when the screening for the most profitable investment occurred. When the investment has been made, the goods are placed on the market, the income from their sales can be compared to the anticipated returns package. In the analysis of the results, this will help.
Capital Budgeting Strategy
Various methods are available to support the company in choosing the right investment based on an analysis of capital inflows and outflows.
These methods are as follows:
- Payback time method
In this method, the company measures the time span needed to allow the actual contribution of the project or investment. The shortest length of the project or expenditure is selected. - Net Current Worth
The net present value is determined by taking into account the difference between both the present value of cash inflows and the present value of cash outflows for a span of time. Investments with a positive NPV would be accepted. In the event of several proposals, the higher NPV project is far more likely to be chosen. - Accounting Rate of Return
In this method, the overall net profits of the investment are measured by the original or average investment arising from the most productive investments.
- Internal Return Rate (IRR)
A discount rate can be used for NPV computing. IRR is the rate at which the NPV is negative. The higher IRR project is typically chosen. - Profitability Index
Profitability Index is the sum of the current value of the project’s potential cash flows to the original cost needed for the project.
Each methodology has inherent benefits and disadvantage. The company wants to use the best-adapted methodology to support it in the budgeting process. It may also pick various strategies and compare the effectiveness of the most profitable ventures.
Conclusion
Capital budgeting is the dominant function of administration. Right decisions made may lead the company to high depths. But a single incorrect move will make the company more likely to close considering the amount of funding required and the length of these ventures.
