Good control helps make sure that:
- goals are achieved
- standards (of, say, customer service or financial reporting) are maintained
- staff adjust to changes smoothly
- opportunities for improvement are identified, because control includes comparing what is actually done with what is wanted.
Controls in planning
Control is often used to support planning. Unless you measure achievement against a plan, you can’t know whether, or how well, the plan is being achieved. If it is not being achieved, action has to be taken by middle and first-line managers to make sure it is. Managers must also decide whether the plan itself is still suitable and they should be ready to change it if it is not. Similarly, standards should be regularly reviewed. They can be too high (unrealistic), too low, or simply no longer relevant to the plan.
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