Controlling

Lesson

Part 1 — what controlling is, its features, why it matters, its limits and its link with planning.

In this lesson you will

Part 1 at a glance

Concept

What is controlling?

Controlling makes sure that activities happen according to plan, and corrects them where they do not.

Controlling compares what happened with what was planned, then acts.
Question	At an imagined school canteen in Bhopal
What did we plan?	Serve 400 lunches by 1:15 p.m.
What actually happened?	360 lunches served by 1:15 p.m.
What is the gap?	40 lunches late
What will we do?	Start cooking rice 20 minutes earlier

Diagram

Table of five features of controlling: goal-oriented, pervasive, continuous, a primary function of every manager, and both backward- and forward-looking
Feature	In one line
Goal-oriented	Keeps the organisation moving towards its planned goals
Pervasive	Done at every level and in every kind of organisation
Continuous	Goes on all the time, not only at the year end
Primary function	Every manager must control the work under them
Backward- and forward-looking	Checks past work and improves future work