Categories: All - cost - activity - manager - variable

by Catherine Tang 15 years ago

436

Cost

Understanding cost behavior and its drivers is fundamental in cost management. Costs can be categorized into variable costs, which fluctuate with activity levels, and fixed costs, which remain constant in the short term but may vary in the long term.

Cost

Cost

Cost Terminology

Cost Pool
bucket' of cost that are to be applied tothe cost object
Cost Object
Thing that the cost are attached to
How to determine cost of Cost Object

2. Assignement

1. Cost acumulation

Purpose of using Cost info

Implement decision by motivating staff to act & learn

Make decision

Actual vs Budget cost

Cost Assignment of Cost Object

Factors affecting Direct/Indirect cost Classification
Design of Operations
Available Info-gathering Tech
Materiality of cost in Q
Indirect Cost
Cost Allocation
Direct Costs
can be traced to a cost object in cost-effective way
Cost Tracing

Total Cost & Unit Cost

Unit cost change when lv of pdn change from prior yr
Manager should think in terms of total cost rather than Unit cost
can determine profitablity of @ pdt to decide which invest more resources

Cost-Behavior Pattern

Relevant Range
a band of normal activity lv which ther's a specific re/ship b/w lv of activity & cost
Cost Driver
Variable that causes the cost to change
Fixed cost - no cost driver in ST; volume in LT
Variable cost - Lv of activity or volume
Variable & Fixed Costs