Controlling is a relatively wide term used for many different business administration job roles. Controlling is a rudimentary exercise in all companies that seek to ensure and develop financial transparency and reliability in all business areas. All business areas in modern companies could benefit from rigorous controlling of finances and financial processes. Therefore, there is a multitude of different job areas within the field of controlling, and there will be countless job descriptions referring to controlling.

Job descriptions relating to controlling could be:

Financial Controlling:
Financial controllers are oftentimes given the responsibility to control the postings on specific General Ledger Accounts (G/L) Accounts in both the P/L and Balance Sheet. The aim for financial controllers is to ensure correct bookings, correct balances and potentially also the forecasting and budgeting of their respective areas of responsibility. Financial controllers prime objective is therefore to reconcile the P/L and the Balance Sheet, and ensure the auditability of the bookkeeping of the company.

Business Controlling:
Business Controllers are oftentimes heavily engaged in operational business finance. Job areas could include:

Production order controlling
Sales order controlling
Cost controlling
Headcount controlling
Stock count controlling
Business case controlling
Etc.

Business controllers are more heavily involved in the day-to-day business improvement, and very often act as financial counterparts in various projects of a company.

Sales Controlling:
Sales Controllers are primarily working with ensuring correct pricing of sold products and services. Another area of sales controlling is also to ensure timely delivery according to customer agreements and to ensure timely payments from customers. Forecasting and budgeting of expected sales would also very likely be a part of the Sales controller’s job description.

Project Controlling:
Project controllers are primarily engaged in the financial controlling of specific company projects. Project controllers control all financial aspects of project spending, project budgeting and analyze actual costs of projects. An example of project controlling could be a R&D project, where the project controller could be responsible for the project budget, project spending, target cost calculations and much more.

The listed areas above are, of course, only examples of potential areas of work within the field of controlling. There will be many other business areas that need financial controlling, and almost all business areas of modern companies would benefit from financial controlling and transparency.