Balanced Scorecard

The balanced scorecard is a strategic planning methodology used by corporate executives to balance financial concerns (stockholders), customer concerns, process concerns and innovation concerns during day-to-day operations. Since each of these four concerns feed the top level strategic vision of a corporation, this balance is required to ensure that daily operations are aligned with the long-term strategic vision of the corporation.

Balanced Scorecard Advantages

The first advantage of using the balanced scorecard method is that by looking at four aspects of a company's performance, you really do get a balanced view of company performance. Unlike traditional methods of tracking the financial health of a business, the balanced scorecard gives you a full picture as to whether your company is meeting its objectives. While it may seem that a company is doing well financially, it may be that customer satisfaction is down, employee training is inadequate, or that the processes are outdated.

Second, by using a balanced scorecard approach, the immediate future isn't the only thing being evaluated. Often, when an accountant sees the financial bottom line (perhaps the company isn't doing well), suggestions are given that are immediate, but do not look at the long-term. Using balanced scorecards allows for stakeholders to determine the health of short, medium, and long term objectives at a glance.

Finally, by using a balanced scorecard, a company can be sure that any strategic action implemented matches the desired outcomes. Will raising the price of a product help the bottom line of the company in the long run? It might, if the customer is satisfied with that product, or if the processes involved with creating that product make the product of a higher quality.

Balanced Scorecard Disadvantages

While there are many advantages to using balanced scorecards in your accounting toolbox, there are a few disadvantages to the method as well. First, the balanced scorecard...