Title: What does having full P&L responsibility mean for an executive running a department such as sales or engineering? - Quora
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What does having full P&L responsibility mean for an executive running a department such as sales or engineering?
Daniel Chisholm
Malcolm Lewis
Jonathan Newsom
Craig Cherlet
Robert Heiblim

Content: While she is also responsible for the Loss side too by managing costs - production, overhead, headcount of the teams involved, product testing, supply chain mgmt, etc. It's often similar to a general management role since it is a 360* view on making the product or business unit successful. As example if you do not have control of how many people are in your department or budgets for their salaries, or flipside, if you do not influence distribution partnerships, you do not have full P&L responsibility, and your manager is likely closer to being that person. Quora User
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Answered 5 years ago · Author has 87 answers and 225.9K answer views
At one point I oversaw the P&L's for 16 different branches that were essentially independent operating entities. It means your performance plan is rolled up from all these and thus you focus a good part of your performance planning with these entities the same way. I always enjoyed assuming the responsibility of mature budgets because you could usually identify several opportunities where changes could be made to cut costs and increase the bottom line quickly (bad business, energize sales, unnecessary expenses/personnel, cost management with vendors etc.) , thus leading to performance bonuses. Continue Reading
At one point I oversaw the P&L's for 16 different branches that were essentially independent operating entities. It means your performance plan is rolled up from all these and thus you focus a good part of your performance planning with these entities the same way. I always enjoyed assuming the responsibility of mature budgets because you could usually identify several opportunities where changes could be made to cut costs and increase the bottom line quickly (bad business, energize sales, unnecessary expenses/personnel, cost management with vendors etc.) ,