Which activity best describes the purpose of budget variance analysis?

• A. To plan future investments in automation.
• B. To monitor marketing campaigns.
• C. To compare actual results to the planned budget to identify deviations.
• D. To evaluate staff satisfaction.

Answer: (C)

Budget variance analysis is about comparing actual results to the planned budget to identify deviations. By spotting where spending or revenue diverged from the plan, you can understand why those differences occurred and decide on corrective actions or adjustments for future forecasts. This makes it a control and monitoring tool that helps keep performance aligned with the budget. The other activities serve different purposes: planning future investments looks ahead at capital decisions, monitoring marketing campaigns focuses on campaign effectiveness, and evaluating staff satisfaction assesses morale and human resources factors.