Cost management is the process of planning and controlling the budget of a business. Having a good cost management system in place makes it easier for an organization to estimate and allocate its budget.
Cost management is a form of management accounting that helps a business reduce the chance of going over budget with more accurate forecasts of impending expenditures. Many businesses use cost management tactics for specific projects and for the overall business.
When applied to a project, expected costs are calculated while the project is being planned and are approved beforehand. All project expenses are recorded and monitored to ensure they align to the cost management plan. After the project is finished, the actual total costs are compared to the predicted costs. This analysis enhances future cost management predictions and cost budgeting.
While cost management is a general term relating to project cost management in any industry, it also often refers to estimating and managing cloud services costs to reduce cloud waste.