StudentShare
Contact Us
Sign In / Sign Up for FREE
Search
Go to advanced search...
Free

Activity Based Costing - Essay Example

Cite this document
Summary
It divides it into quantifiable and discrete activities (Lawrence, 2004). Traditional volume-based costing methods concerns the cost, specifications, and scope for each job order…
Download full paper File format: .doc, available for editing
GRAB THE BEST PAPER96.7% of users find it useful
Activity Based Costing
Read Text Preview

Extract of sample "Activity Based Costing"

Activity Based Costing al Affiliation) Memorandum CEO Cost Accountant RE: Analysis of ABC as compared to traditional methods of costingIntroductionActivity Based Costing is a technique that uses cost estimates in the development of a project. It divides it into quantifiable and discrete activities (Lawrence, 2004). Traditional volume-based costing methods concerns the cost, specifications, and scope for each job order. The conventional methods allocate a company’s indirect costs based on the volume of items manufactured.

DiscussionDevelopment of ABC has led to a positive change in productivity. This is due to its ability in the identification of inefficient products, allocation of more profits on resources, and cost reduction. Conventional costing methods have caused problems in their implementation in most companies. This is because of the constant change in technological advancement which requires the use of modern methods of costing. The use of the ABC system creates difficulties in the separation and allocation of some overhead costs on a product unit.

For instance, the Chief Executive Officer’s salary does not provide the management with the appropriate reports on costs. The ABC method allocates business cost on a proportionate basis to products or based on assumptions (Lawrence, 2004). This makes inaccurate reports on costs to be generated to the management. Some of the traditional methods of costing ensure accuracy of information which can lead to a competitive advantage. ABC is a costly method as compared to the traditional methods, but it is the most efficient.

ConclusionIn planning implementation of ABC method, it is important to identify key purposes of the information that the method will provide. A well designed ABC method can form the basis of improved budgeting and capacity of resource planning (Lawrence, 2004). Organizations need to understand their cost structures and have a cost management system that supports the understanding. Effective management of both ABC and the conventional methods may have greater profitability to the company. ReferenceLawrence, W. B. (2004).

Cost accounting (4th ed.). New York: Prentice-Hall.

Read More
Cite this document
  • APA
  • MLA
  • CHICAGO
(“Activity Based Costing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words”, n.d.)
Retrieved from https://studentshare.org/finance-accounting/1656804-activity-based-costing
(Activity Based Costing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 Words)
https://studentshare.org/finance-accounting/1656804-activity-based-costing.
“Activity Based Costing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 Words”, n.d. https://studentshare.org/finance-accounting/1656804-activity-based-costing.
  • Cited: 0 times

CHECK THESE SAMPLES OF Activity Based Costing

Scholars Tout Benefits of Activity-Based Costing

In the paper “Scholars Tout Benefits of Activity-based costing” the author analyzes HP, the world's largest IT Company with a global supply chain, who is aiming at being a world leader in marketing and financial services.... Classmates Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard founded the company in 1939....
4 Pages (1000 words) Assignment

Activity-Based Costing Implementation for Insurance Company

This paper 'Activity-Based Costing Implementation for Insurance Company" focuses on the fact that in particular in the insurance industry, which was at least partially responsible for its genesis, Activity Based Costing (ABC) is highly effective as more than a tool used for accounting for costs.... hellip; In the words of management consultant and business author Peter Drucker, “Activity-based costing records the cost of not doing, such as the cost of machine downtime, the cost of waiting for a needed part or tool, the cost of inventory waiting to be shipped, and the cost of reworking or scrapping a defective part” (Success Profiles, 2003)....
8 Pages (2000 words) Case Study

Management Accounting & Activity Based Costing

Activity Based Costing have the products consuming activities and the activities consume the resources (Kallunki& Hanna 2008, p.... The Effect of Organizational Life Cycle Stage on the Use of Activity-based costing.... The overheads may be calculated based on the number of tests.... Therefore, activities consume the resources and accountant and manager mush investigate for new cost drivers capable of establishing convincing relationship between the performed activity and the related costs based on consumption of resources....
2 Pages (500 words) Essay

Cost allocation and activity based costing

Activity Based Costing is a concept that refers to the ascertainment of various activities involved in the production of goods and services.... Unlike traditional costing method, Activity Based Costing recognizes the fact that, during a production process, not all costs are attributed to the volume of products and services produced.... Therefore, Activity Based Costing determines the cost drivers associated with the customers, batches, products and administration related costs directly connected to the units produced....
4 Pages (1000 words) Essay

Activity-Based Costing (ABC) in Service Industries

This is due to the fact that most of the products and services from the e-commerce companies are of standard qualities that a consumer… Another factor that has also made the online shopping to be that common is because of the state of digital migration internationally.... The modern technology has brought the marketing of goods and services close enough in that factors such as Most of the companies always have the door to door service after purchasing a product from their organization....
5 Pages (1250 words) Case Study

Activity-Based-Costing

Activity-based rate 1,050,000/15,000 = $ 70 per hour Product design Annual cost for product design; $ 2,350,000 Number of designs done annually; 2,500 designs Activity-based rate 2,350,000/2,500= $ 940 per product design Product development Annual cost for product development= $ 3,600,000 Number of products developed annually; 90 products Activity-based rate 3,600,000/90 =$ 40,000 per product development Prototype design Annual cost for prototype test = $ 1,400,000 Annual number of tests= 500 tests Activity-based rate 1,400,000/50 = $ 28,000 per test Question (b) Costing for 1,800hrs market analysis 1,800 X 70 = $ 126,000 Costing for 280 product designs 280 x 940 = $ 263,200 Costing for 10 product development 10 x 40,000 = $ 400,000 Costing for 92 engineering tests 92 x 28,000 = $ 2,576,000 Total cost; 2,576,000 + 400,000 + 263,200 + 126,000 $ 3,265,200 Question (c) Costing for 800hrs marketing analysis 800 x 70 = $ 560,000 Costing for 178 product designs 178 x 940 = $ 167,320 Costing for 3 product development 3 x 40,000 = $ 120,000 Costing for 70 engineering tests 70 x 28,000 = $1,960,000 Total cost; 560,000 + 167,320 + 120,000 + 1,960,000 $ 2,807,320 Question (d) ' Benefits of Activity Based Costing Charging clients on a service or product should be based on calculative figures or else the price of the end product will either low or high....
2 Pages (500 words) Essay

Business Finance: Activity Based Costing

This paper "Business Finance: Activity Based Costing" discusses ABC that has materialized as a more developed accounting technique for modern businesses.... It emphasized the allocation of resource-based costing which in turn helped to reveal the reason for declining profitability or ways to improve profitability.... That prompted the Western companies to innovate new costing techniques that would point out their problems and lower the costs....
7 Pages (1750 words) Case Study

Steps for Implementing Activity-Based Costing

hellip; It is evidently clear from the discussion that activity-based costing has become a popular way of cost allocation and analysis and hence helps in controlling the cost.... Activity-based costing system recognizes that there are various activities that have to be performed by an organization to successfully accomplish their goals and objectivities.... ABC costing system implementation requires following various steps in order to help maximize the value of the shareholders....
6 Pages (1500 words) Research Paper
sponsored ads
We use cookies to create the best experience for you. Keep on browsing if you are OK with that, or find out how to manage cookies.
Contact Us