# Budget Cost Center

### **Report Module Guide: Budget VS Actual**

#### **Module Location**

#### General Ledger > Report > Budget Cost Center

#### **Module Objective**

#### The **Budget VS Actual** report module is used to generate a comparative report between the established **Budget** values and the actual **Realized** values. This report is a crucial management control tool for evaluating performance, measuring efficiency, and controlling costs at both the account and department (Cost Center) levels.

### **1. Report Parameters (Filter)**

#### The main page of this module is a form containing various filters to define the scope of the data to be compared.

![image.png](https://manual.kokola.co/uploads/images/gallery/2025-07/scaled-1680-/q2Cimage.png)

#### Here is an explanation for each parameter:

- #### **Date**:
    
    
    - #### Specify the **From** and **To** date range to define the comparison period (e.g., July 1, 2025, to July 31, 2025).
- #### **Chart Of Account**:
    
    
    - #### Use this list box to select one or more specific accounts you wish to analyze. You can select multiple accounts by holding down the **Ctrl** key while clicking.
- #### **Cost Center**:
    
    
    - #### Use this list box to select one or more departments (Cost Centers) whose performance you want to compare against the budget.

### **2. Steps to Generate the Report**

#### **Step 1: Set Report Parameters**

#### Select all the parameters you need in the **Filter** section. For example, to view your own department's performance, select your department's **Cost Center** and specify the relevant month's period. 

![image.png](https://manual.kokola.co/uploads/images/gallery/2025-07/scaled-1680-/3IQimage.png)


#### **Step 2: Generate the Report**

#### After all parameters are set, click one of the two buttons in the bottom-left section of the page:

- #### **Display Report**: To preview the comparative report directly on your screen. ![image.png](https://manual.kokola.co/uploads/images/gallery/2025-07/scaled-1680-/XM5image.png)
- #### **Export To MS Excel**: To download the report data in an Excel file format for further analysis. ![image.png](https://manual.kokola.co/uploads/images/gallery/2025-07/scaled-1680-/lctimage.png)

### **Tips & Important Notes**

- #### This report is a very important **control tool**. Use it to see if your department's spending is in line with the established budget.
- #### To obtain an accurate report, ensure that the data in the **Master Budget** module (for the Budget side) and all actual transactions (for the Actual side) have been entered correctly.
- #### A department manager will typically select their own **Cost Center** to evaluate their monthly performance.
- #### Use **Export to MS Excel** to perform more in-depth **variance analysis** or to add comments to the report before sharing it.