SLIDE 10 4/21/2015 10
Activity Based Cost Accounting
Cost accounting approach concerned with matching costs with activities (called cost drivers) that cause those costs. (1) products consume activities, (2) it is the activities (and not the products) that consume resources, (3) activities are the cost drivers, and (4) activities are not necessarily based on the volume of production. Instead of allocating costs to cost centers (such as manufacturing, marketing, finance)
- Direct and indirect costs are allocated to activities such as
processing an order, attending to a customer complaint, or setting up a machine.
– Better understand how and where the firm makes a margin/profit – Indicate where money is being spent – Located which areas have the greatest potential for cost reduction.
Developed by professors Robert Kaplan and Robin Cooper of Harvard University in late 1980's.
- Basic Concepts with Cost Accounting
Systems
– Lean observation – Time – motion studies on process of care (multi-sample average vs.
- ptimal/ideal with minimal variation)
– Episodic bundles (overall average or tiered pricing)
– Accounting for both direct & indirect costs (allocation)