Budgeting & Forecasting › Zero-Based Budgeting

How does ZBB support cost management and strategic reallocation?

Advanced

Answer

By forcing justification of all spend and ranking activities by value, ZBB reallocates resources from low-value legacy activities to strategic priorities, rather than protecting historical budgets. Used well, it aligns spending with strategy, exposes cross-subsidies and inefficiency, and can fund growth initiatives by cutting waste elsewhere.
Real-world example A ZBB exercise funds a new digital initiative by cutting several low-value legacy activities identified in the review.

Common follow-ups: How does ZBB reallocate to strategy? | What does it expose?