A huge number of financial ratios are in utilized. They complete a broad variety of functions and objectives. Managers estimate performance and investors match their expectations, exercise control and lenders undertake credit approvals along with their assist.

Control of business activity is vital for efficiency. Managerial action obeys meaningful information flows. Ratios give a relevant basis, although all ratios might not provide the objective of control. A profit performance measure, that is broadly prevalent, is the Return of Investment that is considered a main yardstick for the measurement of operational efficiency. A decomposition of such measure into its key components as depicted in the Du point Chart may underline areas that require managerial control for attaining the basic goal of maximizing the return on capital utilized in the enterprise

A series of secondary ratios has also been determined helpful in controlling business activities. As production and sales are the key parameters in a capable conduct of business activities, most of such ratios are associated in some issue to sales and output. The point is on revenues and costs and also on the intensity of activity as measured through the different turnover ratios. Going deeper in the conduct of business transactions, a superior number of relations would be uncovered for example: stores control, labour hours control, material usage control, machine maintenance quality control and operating cycle control so on. However the focus in this section has been on control of activities by ratios emerging from information externally represented.