Definition

Opex (operational expenditure)

Part of the Compliance glossary:

An operational expenditure (Opex) is the money a company spends on an ongoing, day-to-day basis in order to run a business or system. Depending upon the industry, these expenses can range from the ink used to print documents to the wages paid to employees. The counterpart, Capex, is the money spent on the improvement or purchase of fixed assets.

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There is a direct correlation between Opex and the value of the enterprise, in that when the Opex decreases, while maintaining the same level of production and quality, the overall value of the enterprise increases.

Opex and Capex are commonly used financial reporting terms. A similar but not closely related term, forex, stands for foreign exchange.

 

See also: operational costs, hoteling, cost center, IT chargeback system, IT MOOSE management, EBITDA

 

Continue reading about OPEX:

 > The difference between Opex and Capex

 > Opex vs. Capex: Maintaining the right balance

 > Capex to Opex: Conversion of IT investments

This was last updated in December 2011
Contributor(s): Brita Van Fossen
Posted by: Margaret Rouse

Related Terms

Definitions

  • Capex (capital expenditure)

    - A capital expenditure (Capex) is money invested by a company to acquire or upgrade fixed, physical, non-consumable assets, such as buildings and equipment or a new business. (WhatIs.com)

Glossaries

  • Compliance

    - Terms related to compliance, including regulatory definitions and words and phrases about governance and mitigating IT risk.

  • Business terms

    - Terms related to business, including definitions about project management and words and phrases about human resources, finance and vertical industries.

  • Internet applications

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