Betriebswirt/Betriebswirtin (Hochschule) für Rechnungswesen und Controlling

Some media sources followed by professionals in this field include: BC - Journal for Accounting, Bookkeeping and Controlling; BFuP - Business Research and Practice; Controller Magazin; Controlling; Controlling & Management Review; Controlling-Portal.de; Der Betriebswirt; DerTreasurer; Finance - Portal for Finance and Accounting; KoR IFRS - International and Capital Market-Oriented Accounting; Rechnungswesen-Portal; SBUR Schmalenbach Journal of Business Research; wiwi-online - The Companion Guide for Study & Career.

Digital process automation (DPA) optimizes and completes digital workflows. Its focus is on end-to-end processes within the company and their connection to partner companies as well as customers. DPA digitizes cross-organizational processes, integrates involved systems, and automates information transfer. Business processes in sales, marketing, management, IT, and production are possible application areas for DPA. Hyperautomation extends Robotic Process Automation (RPA) with intelligent automation solutions and Artificial Intelligence (AI). Companies analyze, design, measure, automate, simplify, and control their workflows with the help of these technologies. Their goal is to increasingly automate decision-making processes.

The following interests are important and helpful for success in this field of study. The interests are listed in order of their importance. Activities are mentioned for each area of interest for illustration. Interest in commercial-organizational activities, e.g., preparing industry or competitor analyses to support economic decision-making; planning measures to increase growth or profitability; conducting success controls of implemented measures and developing suitable controlling instruments for this. Interest in administrative-organizational activities, e.g., managing operational accounting; setting up management information systems.

Business economists (Betriebswirt/Betriebswirtin (Hochschule)) for accounting and controlling primarily work in offices and meeting rooms. In addition, they may also work from home or remotely.

Core competencies acquired or deepened during Studium (university studies) include: Reporting, information; business administration; balance sheet preparation; bookkeeping, accounting; controlling; financial planning; debt collection, claiming outstanding debts; investment planning; annual financial statements; calculation; group reporting; cost and performance accounting; liquidity assurance, cash management; dunning and litigation; fund management; human resources; quarterly financial statements; auditing; tax law; management consulting; profitability calculation; payment transactions. Further competencies that may be important for practicing this profession include: Workflow organization; fixed asset accounting; organizational structure; corporate restructuring; accounts receivable accounting; purchasing, procurement; financial accounting; financial management; intercompany reconciliation; accounts payable accounting; customer consulting, -support; inventory accounting; marketing; personnel controlling; accounting according to HGB (German Commercial Code); risk management, risk controlling; general ledger accounting; statistics; preparing tax declarations; preparatory bookkeeping.

The progressive digitalization of the world of work and professions can change task areas and requirement profiles. For business economists (Betriebswirt/Betriebswirtin (Hochschule)) for accounting and controlling, the opportunity may arise to deal with the following technologies, procedures, or systems: Business Intelligence - BI (e.g., making operational and strategic decisions with the help of automatically analyzed data and the insights gained therefrom); Business Process Management Systems - BPM Systems (e.g., contributing to the further development of software for analyzing and controlling business processes to increase efficiency); Compliance Management Systems - CMS (e.g., monitoring compliance with regulations and laws with the help of compliance management systems); Consent Management Platforms (e.g., organizing the legally compliant processing of customer and user data via consent management platforms); Data Warehouse (e.g., defining requirements for data warehouse systems).

Business economists in accounting and controlling independently plan, organize, and control a company's financial and accounting systems, as well as its management and coordination concepts. They apply their analytical and organizational skills when, for example, conducting variance analyses between planning data and financial and operational accounting values, or developing growth and profitability targets. This activity typically requires independent and structured planning and action within specified goals, a high degree of conscientiousness, resilience, and adherence to deadlines. Strong communication skills, articulacy, assertiveness, and negotiation skills are important in dealing with superiors and colleagues. They treat company-specific information discreetly. They primarily work in an office at a desk, where they perform business administration and organizational tasks.

Business economists in accounting and controlling can become self-employed, for example, as management consultants.

Example collective bargaining gross basic remuneration (monthly): €5,261 to €6,378. Source: Collective agreement collection of the Bavarian State Ministry for Family, Labour and Social Affairs. Note: This information is for orientation purposes. No claims can be derived from it.

Construction, Architecture; Chemistry, Pharmacy, Plastics; Electrical Engineering, Electronics; Vehicle Manufacturing, Maintenance; Financial Services, Real Estate; Health, Social Services; Trade; IT, Software, Telecommunications; Media; Metal, Mechanical Engineering, Precision Mechanics, Optics; Food, Luxury Goods Production; Paper, Printing; Textiles, Clothing, Leather; Transport, Traffic; Associations, Organizations, Interest Groups; Public Administration, Social Security, Defense.

Those wishing to work in this profession typically need a completed grundständiges Studium (undergraduate degree) in finance and accounting, controlling. Leadership positions or specialized tasks usually require a Masterstudium (master's degree). Activities in science and research often require a Promotion (doctorate) or Habilitation (post-doctoral qualification).

Finance and Accounting, Controlling (grundständig - undergraduate); Finance and Accounting, Controlling (weiterführend - postgraduate)

Business economists (Hochschule) for accounting and controlling can find employment in companies in almost all economic sectors and in public administration.

German job title: Business Economist (Hochschule) - Accounting and Controlling. English job titles: Business accountant (m/f), Financial controller (m/f). French job titles: Contrôleur/Contrôleuse de gestion, Responsable (m/f) - comptabilité.

Some characteristics of work and social behavior are equally relevant for all professions and are therefore not mentioned separately. These include reliability, punctuality, honesty, ability to criticize, and appropriate manners. In addition, the following job-specific characteristics are required to practice this academic profession: Willingness to perform and commitment (e.g., recognizing bottlenecks in the preparation of annual financial statements and willingly taking on additional work in accounting to overcome the bottleneck), diligence (e.g., accurately carrying out status, process, and weakness analyses), sense of responsibility and willingness (e.g., ensuring the liquidity and profitability of the company), independent working style (e.g., independently carrying out variance analyses or target-actual comparisons between planning data and values from financial and cost accounting), discretion (e.g., maintaining confidentiality).

Business economists (Hochschule) for accounting and controlling plan, coordinate, and organize a company's financial and accounting systems, as well as its management and coordination concepts.

Job and applicant portals: bankjob.de, BVBC, Controlling-Portale, FinancialCareers, GAAPweb, Kanzlei-Job.de, NWB, Personal-Stellen.de, Rechnungswesen-Portal.de, steuerjobs.de, ZRFC Risk, Fraud & Compliance.

Relevant associations and organizations: Bundesverband der Bilanzbuchhalter und Controller e.V. (BVBC), Bundesverband Deutscher Volks- und Betriebswirte e.V. (bdvb), DVFA Deutsche Vereinigung für Finanzanalyse und Asset Management, ACt e.V., EMAA European Management Accountants Association e.V., Internationaler Controller Verein e.V., ver.di - Vereinte Dienstleistungsgewerkschaft.

This profession involves responsibility for people (e.g., guiding and leading employees) and responsibility for assets (e.g., conducting status, process, and weakness analyses, developing improvement suggestions, and implementing corrective measures). It requires working on a screen (performing analysis, conceptual, and planning tasks), adhering to various regulations and legal requirements (current legal situation and tax-relevant provisions), and working in office environments.

Professional deployment opportunities are categorized by fields of activity. These include Controlling (Controller, Assistant for Controlling, Head of Controlling), Finance and Accounting (Calculator, Cost Accountant, Head of Finance and Accounting, Head of Cost Accounting, Investment Manager, Auditor), Teaching at Universities (Lecturer at Universities and Academies, Study Program Coordinator), Management, Corporate Leadership (Commercial Operations Manager), Auditing (Head of Auditing, Auditor), Management Consulting (Management Consultant, Startup Consultant), Auditing (Mergers-and-Acquisitions Specialist, Assistant for Auditing), Scientific Research (Research Assistant, Head of a Research Group), and Science.

Documents used include profitability analyses, control and coordination concepts, business plans, operational key figures, annual financial reports, balance sheets, process and organizational plans, statistics, presentation materials, and legal regulations (e.g., tax law provisions). Data management systems and software (e.g., planning and control systems, accounting and financial software) are utilized. Office equipment such as PCs, internet access, and telephones are also used.

Business economists in accounting and controlling support economic decision-making processes in companies, organizations, and public administration institutions. For example, they provide decision-making aids for corporate management and planning, reflect the current operational status, and provide information on corporate development using key figures. They also use target-actual comparisons, liquidity, cost, and revenue calculations, as well as key figure systems, to illustrate the economic efficiency and development of a company. They define goals, inform management about the earnings situation, for instance, and deal with strategic controlling.

Continuing vocational training helps to keep professional knowledge up-to-date and adapt it to new developments (e.g., in the areas of finance and accounting, controlling, cost and performance accounting). Furthermore, the trend of using Artificial Intelligence, for example, for postings and bookings, can develop into an important further training topic for business economists in accounting and controlling.

Career advancement training, specifically designed for university graduates, builds on existing qualifications. It offers the opportunity to expand one's competence profile and enhance career prospects (e.g., through further training as an auditor). Bachelor's graduates can expand their professional and career opportunities through further Studium (postgraduate studies), for example, in finance and accounting, controlling, financial and business mathematics, or taxes and auditing. A doctorate is generally required for an academic career at a university; to be appointed as a university professor, a habilitation (postdoctoral lecturing qualification) is usually needed. A doctorate may also facilitate access to senior professional positions in the private sector, in research, and in public administration.

Business Economists for Accounting and Controlling (University graduates) ensure the documentation and calculation of external accounting and financial bookkeeping. They establish and develop internal or operational accounting, for example, through cost and performance accounting and investment accounting. They calculate, interpret, and explain business key figures such as return on sales, return on capital, and liquidity. They inform management about the status of the company's finances, turnover, costs, liquidity, and earnings situation. They create guidelines and procedural instructions, especially in operational accounting. They establish, maintain, and optimize planning, control, and information supply systems as management information systems. They conduct variance analyses or target-actual comparisons between planning data and values from financial and operational accounting. They secure the company's liquidity through operational controlling, for example, through cost, revenue, contribution margin, investment, and quality management. Long-term planning and the establishment of the company are also among their tasks.

The following additional employment alternatives are available for the profession of Business Economist for Accounting and Controlling (University graduate): Activities in the field of Management, Corporate Management; Business Economist (University graduate) for Corporate Management, Management; Master of Business Administration; Economist; National Economist. Commonalities: monitoring and auditing financial business processes; supporting economic decision-making processes. Note: The mentioned job alternatives may require a longer training period or additional qualification, depending on the circumstances.

Business Economists for Accounting and Controlling (University graduates) plan, coordinate, and organize the financial and accounting department as well as the steering and coordination concepts of a company. To ensure the company's solvency, they map the income and expenses within the company. They meticulously document operational facts, from office supply consumption to productivity per employee, and analyze these surveys and their business-economic summaries in balance sheets and annual financial statements. They standardize these into key figures that make economic actions measurable and different business processes comparable. Furthermore, they manage payment transactions, cash management, and the processing of matters from the dunning and collection area. For example, they prepare short-term financial reports.

The following abilities, knowledge, and skills are required for performing possible activities in this university profession. Abilities: Numerical (calculating) thinking (e.g., performing target-actual comparisons; securing the company's liquidity through operational controlling); Memory (e.g., memory for numbers); Commercial aptitude (e.g., developing target ideas and systems for operational and strategic corporate planning based on market and results analyses); Ability to plan and organize (e.g., planning and establishing management information systems). Knowledge and Skills: Calculation skills (e.g., calculating investment expenses).

The exercise of this profession may involve the following physical requirements. This information does not necessarily apply to every activity profile or every professional application. Unimpaired speech ability (e.g., leading project teams and employees; advising business or private clients); Near vision - even corrected (e.g., performing analysis, conception, and planning work on the computer); Hearing ability and speech comprehension (e.g., coordinating concepts within the framework of management consulting). Note: This information does not form a basis for legal action and is not to be understood in the sense of a medical suitability assessment. Actual physical suitability or unsuitability must always be determined on a case-by-case basis and taking into account possible reasonable accommodations.

The following lists professions or activities that show similarities to the initial profession. These professions represent a possible alternative for applicants who cannot find a vacant position in their learned profession. Furthermore, employers can consider specialists from these professions as alternatives for filling a job in the initial profession. Some alternative professions only comprise partial activities of the initial profession, while others require an induction period, which can vary in length depending on the individual case. The following immediate employment and staffing alternatives are available for the profession of Business Economist for Accounting and Controlling (University graduate): Job and staffing alternatives for professional specializations (usually short induction): Business Economist (University graduate) for Taxes and Auditing; for partial activities and professional applications (with/without induction): Assistant for Controlling; Assistant for Auditing.

Working as a business economist (Hochschule) for accounting and controlling is not a regulated profession. Therefore, no professional recognition is necessary to work in this profession with a foreign degree. However, it is possible to apply for an individual certificate evaluation for foreign university degrees through the Zentralstelle für ausländisches Bildungswesen (ZAB). This can be helpful for applications in the German labor market. Further information on living and working in Germany can be found at: Hotline Working and Living in Germany - central information hotline of the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) and the Federal Employment Agency (BA); For people from abroad - an information service of the Federal Employment Agency; Central Foreign and Specialist Placement of the Federal Employment Agency; Make it in Germany - The welcome portal of the skilled labor initiative for international skilled workers.

The following health limitations could lead to problems when performing this profession, though these may not necessarily apply to every job profile or professional deployment. Increasingly, there are also ways to compensate for limitations, for example, through technical aids. Examples include speech disorders or defects (e.g., leading project teams and employees; advising business or private clients), uncorrectable near vision impairment (e.g., performing analysis, conception, and planning work on the computer), and hearing impairment, deafness, or chronic ear conditions (e.g., coordinating concepts within the framework of management consulting). Please note: This information does not form the basis for legal action and should not be understood as a medical suitability assessment. The actual physical suitability or unsuitability must always be determined on a case-by-case basis and taking into account possible reasonable accommodations.

The following alternative staffing options are available for the profession of business economist (Hochschule) for accounting and controlling from an employer's perspective: Management, Corporate Management; Master of Business Administration; Economist; Business Economist (Hochschule) for Corporate Management, Management. Common aspects include monitoring and auditing financial business processes and supporting economic decision-making processes. Please note: The mentioned staffing alternatives may require an induction period, which can vary in length in individual cases.