Financial Management
Budget Monitoring & Variance Analysis in Foodservice Operations
In this assignment, you will develop the ability to interpret financial data, identify root causes of budget variances, and propose evidence-based, sustainable solutions.
The final version of the assignment will include a variance report with analysis and a memo about your findings to hospital leadership (see format below) about your findings. Follow along with the questions below to work through the assessment of finances and use the information to write your variance report and memo. Please keep in mind that you are the Director of Foodservice speaking to the Chief Financial Officer of the hospital. Be professional, detailed, and solution-driven in your writing.
Defining the Scenario
You are the Foodservice Manager at Sacred Heart Medical Center, a 250-bed nonprofit hospital in a mid-sized city. You are now six months into the fiscal year, and your department’s actual expenses have exceeded projections by 7%—a significant overage.
The projected mid-year operating budget was $880,000, but your current actual spending is $941,600, creating a $61,600 unfavorable variance. The CFO has asked for a detailed variance analysis report and a proposed corrective action plan by the end of the week.
You must analyze the causes, consider budget-neutral factors, and present an action plan and communication strategy.
Background Information
Below is a listing of the projected and actual costs of foodservice at Sacred Heart over the last 6 months.
Add the following to the table:
● Category Variance – difference between projected and actual cost
● Percent Variance – the variance divided by the projected cost x 100%
Budget Breakdown (Mid-Year, Projected vs. Actual):
|
Expense Category |
Projected (6 months) |
Actual (6 months) |
Variance |
% Variance |
|
Food Costs |
$270,000 |
$315,000 |
|
|
|
Labor (Wages + OT) |
$430,000 |
$442,000 |
|
|
|
Supplies & |
$75,000 |
$72,500 |
|
|
|
Equipment Repairs |
$20,000 |
$30,500 |
|
|
|
Utilities |
$35,000 |
$35,100 |
|
|
|
Training & |
$10,000 |
$8,500 |
|
|
|
TOTAL |
$880,000 |
$941,600 |
|
|
Additional Considerations
As you gather information to explain these variances, you determine the following:
● The hospital implemented new dietary guidelines requiring higher-quality protein options and low-sodium items, leading to increased ingredient costs.
● There was a temporary food supply shortage in Q2 that led to emergency purchases from non-contracted vendors.
● Two major pieces of kitchen equipment broke down, requiring immediate repairs.
● There has been a 10% increase in patient census, leading to increased tray production—but your revenue from foodservices is capped.
● Overtime increased slightly due to unanticipated short-staffing from seasonal illnesses.
● Staff training was under budget because a scheduled team development workshop was postponed.
● Your contract with vendors remained the same and didn’t include a clause for inflation adjustments.
Hints for Success
● Don’t just “cut costs”—think about improving efficiency, negotiating better contracts, or restructuring work flows.
● Remember: this is not just a math exercise—it’s a leadership scenario.
Writing a Variance Report Analysis
This section describes your findings. It can be a bulleted list but be detailed enough for the reader to understand your ideas. The information will be used to create your final memo.
A. Identify at least three major causes contributing to the budget variance.
● Use the data and context to pinpoint where and why overages occurred.
● Integrate both quantitative and qualitative reasoning.
● Identify at least one budget-neutral item to show you can isolate actual cost drivers.
B. Propose targeted corrective actions for each cause.
● Your actions should address the root issue (not just the symptom).
● Use real-world best practices (e.g., menu engineering, FTE management, contract renegotiation).
● Prioritize sustainable and ethical strategies (e.g., not compromising patient nutrition).
Writing a Memo
In a business hierarchy, you will be asked to clearly explain your decisions and actions to multiple audiences. This includes both your staff as well as your supervisors. For this assignment, you will write a memo explaining your findings about the variances to your Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Make sure to demonstrate your leadership, fiscal responsibility, and alignment with patient care goals while using a professional and solutions-oriented tone.
Memo Structure
For your memo, use the following sections:
● Explanation of the budget issue found
○ Include a short overview of what you found in the variance report budget table
● Key Variance Areas
○ Discuss the three major causes from your variance report analysis section
● Proposed Corrective Actions
○ Describe the three targeted corrective actions from your variance report analysis section. Make sure to explain them and how they would improve future expenses
● Monitoring & Communication Plan
○ Discuss how you will monitor if your corrective actions are successful over time. Consider what we have learned about continuous quality improvement and objectives. Add information about when and how you will communicate about the issues with the CFO going forward.
What Is Required on the Assignment:
1. The variance report budget table completed
2. A short statement about the variance report analysis
3. The memo including the 4 sections above
Suggested Length: At least 2 pages, not including titles and borders, double-spaced with 11 or 12 pt font
Total Value: 32 points
KRDN 4.2: Must receive at least 70% on the assignment