Differences Of Cost Accounting And The Advantage Of Activity Based Accounting

According to Epstein and Buhovac, (2014), costing system is a process designed to monitor the costs incurred in a certain business. Costing systems are meant to advise the management on how to choose the most appropriate course of action with cost efficiency and capability. According to Cardinaels and Labro (2009) costing system provides detailed cost information needed by management needs to control current operations with the aim of improving the future. Below are some of the costing systems that are common to many organizations (Epstein & Buhovac, 2014).

This paper provides a brief presentation of Activity-Based Costing methodology, how is used as well as its short comings.

The Hampshire Company was evaluating on which cost system would best fit their needs as a tool to measure the business activity. When conducting this process, Hampshire Company took a look at traditional cost method versus activity based costing.

3. Activity-based costing is commonly used with standard costing. Using more activity drivers increases the potential for managers to

Costing systems are components of a broader accounting system used by a given company or organization. Their main function is to keep a focused eye on expenditures made by the company in question. Synthesis of Existing Cost Models to Meet System of System Needs, p.86. G.G. Toy's production process for dolls started with the basic raw materials needed for the bodies of the dolls, wool and things for the hair and clothing and all of these things were consist in production initially. Then, in its modern Chicago manufacturing facility, the company machine-molded the vinyl and resin into doll bodies and even had varies different styles and designs for the

Narong, D. K. (2009). Activity-Based Costing and Management Solutions to Traditional Shortcomings of Cost Accounting. Cost Engineering, 51(8), 11-22.

Cost accounting is a type of accounting process that aims to capture a company's costs of production by assessing the input costs of each step of production as well as fixed costs such as depreciation of capital equipment. Cost accounting will first measure and record these costs individually, then compare input results to output or actual results to aid company management in measuring financial performance (Cost Accounting, n.d.).

The activity based costing system enables the business for allocates related overhead and costs depending on the participated activities. it also establishes a reasonable product pricing without overpricing or underpricing the product, furthermore, its consider the divers customer groups and the product competitive cost to

We will examine the given data from the case and compare the unit costs from the company’s current costing system (traditional costing) and from activity-based costing. We will also highlight other qualitative data in consideration with the numerical factors that may result to a significant change on our recommendation.

Bhimani, A., Horngren, C., Datar, S., Rajan, M. et al. (2012) Management and Cost Accounting. 5th ed. Edinburgh: Prentice Hall, p.369 - 378.

Would factory security and assembly activities be best classified at an appliance manufacturing plant as unit-level, batch-level, product-level, or organization-sustaining?

Nowadays, we know that activity based costing system assigns overhead costs to products or services products that using a two-stage process, which focuses on activities. ABC is a relatively new and very important topic in managerial accounting. ABC allows us to find a way that we could determine the profitability of every product, profitability of every customer we serve, and the profitability of our process. Contents in brief, first that comparing potential advantages of ABC versus traditional costing methods. The

Activity-based management, activity-based costing and continuous improvement, all these help in the improvement of the efficiency in manufacturing, better control of overhead costs and the accurate costing of products. With this in mind, We disagree with the advice that Chuck Davis, the firm’s controller, gave Leonard Bryner. The traditional way of costing produce average costs that severely overstated or understated. Without the accurate costs, the firm would not be able to price properly their products and that would be damaging to the firm. With activity-based costing and management, all costs are accounted for with the help activity-drivers and overhead costs are decreased. In turn, the costs that the firm has for their products are more accurate and pricing is much easier.

Question 1: Compare activity based costing (ABC) with traditional costing. Is it an improvement? If so why? Explain with a case (numerical).

C. T. Horngren, A. Bhimani, S. M. Datar, G. Foster (2005), 'Activity-Based Costing', Management and Cost Accounting (Prentice Hall Europe), 345-363