Japanese Target Costing: A Historical Perspective
Patrick Feil, Keun-Hyo Yook, Il-Woon Kim
INTRODUCTION Target costing originated in Japan in the 1960s, though it remained a secret for years. Since the 1980s, however, when target costing was widely recognized as a major factor for the superior competitive position of Japanese companies, extensive efforts have been made to convey target costing to Western companies. Many large companies in North America and Europe have tried to adopt target costing to enhance their cost management and, thus, increase their competitiveness. Consequently, many variations of target costing have been developed and are being used in different countries. Since target costing, like many other management
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Their management accounting systems incorporate this commitment.” Similarly, Sakurai (1989) writes that “…target costing can be defined as a cost management tool for reducing the overall cost of a product over its entire life cycle with the help of production, engineering, R&D, marketing and accounting departments.” Later, “genka kikaku” was viewed as a tool of profit management. As Monden (1995), for example, states: “Target costing is defined as a companywide profit management activity during the new product development stage that includes: (1) planning products that have customer-pleasing quality, (2) determining target costs (including target investment costs) for the new product to yield the target profit required over the medium to long term given the current market conditions, and (3) devising ways to make the product design achieve target costs while also satisfying customer needs for quality and prompt delivery.” A detailed discussion of the various definitions by Japanese scholars can be found in the work of Seidenschwarz (1993), which classifies the definitions into three different categories: • Market-oriented (Hiromoto). • Engineering-oriented (Sakurai and Monden). • Product function-oriented (Tanaka and Yoshikawa). As the variety of definitions
Assuming that the company’s goal is to maximize profits, the current cost system is not an appropriate tool for strategic planning. The ambiguity of the overhead costs per product makes it difficult to accurately analyze the cause and effect relationships of changes and/or improvements to specific product line.
While we are performing our analysis on different aspects of the company, we look at the three main types of cost. When we remain devoted to improving our costs, and the faults related, we show our same devotion to our consumers. This is portrayed by the quality of products we put on the shelves. Prevention costs, appraisal costs and Failure costs are areas
Actual costing is rarely used because managers can’t wait until the end of the year to obtain product costs. Information about product costs is needed as the year goes for planning, control, and decision making.
Overall Theme We will explore fundamental assumptions of cost functions and discuss the relationships between cost behaviour, cost estimation and cost prediction. The concept of cost driver analysis and its application to cost estimation and cost management will also be discussed. We will also describe how to estimate cost behaviour using managerial judgment, engineering methods and other quantitative techniques.
Hasan, M. S. (2016). VARIABLE COSTING AND ITS APPLICATIONS IN MANUFACTURING COMPANY. International Journal of Information, Business and Management, 8(2), 145-157. Retrieved from http://prx-herzing.lirn.net/login?url=http://search.proquest.com.prx-herzing.lirn.net/docview/1778467564?accountid=167104
However, as a new member with a new product, electronic product in North American market, the reputation is also an important attribute. Especially, quick delivery time is a key attribute for this company, due to the demand of quick delivery in all markets. Moreover, the manufacturing process of the new product, electronic product, on which our company will definitely focus, has a lot demands. Such as, technology, innovation and quick delivery time even the ability to make the product be the first one appearing in the market (other company, which is developing the same product, may become our competitive opponents). Especially, technology is predicted to play the most important role in the manufacturing process. On the other hand, the traditional cost system has a lot of limitations. Traditional costing system focuses on the cost reduction and the efficiency, particular the products with relatively few standardized components; Clifton, however, produces a wide range of airplane components. In addition, nonfinancial aspects of
This memo highlights segmented reporting and the variable approach to preparing income statements. Segmental reporting is necessary since there is a need to understand the cost data for each section. Proper cost allocation is critical to preparing the income statements, while it is also easier to identify the costs that are common and not attributable to any specific segment. Typically, the management analyzes the cost behavior by making the assumption that the total costs change occur because of change in level of a single activity (Slideshare, n.d.). The variable costing
Session 1 Date September-4 Topic Introduction, overview, group assignment, product costing systems (concepts and design) Process costing systems Managing and allocating support service costs Inventory decisions Strategic issues in investment decision Managing quality and time to create value Midterm Exam Cost management and strategy The nature of management control systems Understanding strategy Strategy, balanced score card, incentive systems Organizational design & responsibility accounting Case presentation Case presentation Case presentation Case written report is due at the beginning of session 13 Final exam Chapter 1 (H) Chapter 1 (A) Chapter 2 (A) Chapter 20 (H) Chapter 18 (H) Reading Chapter 2 (H)
Cost analysis: fixed versus variable costs direct versus indirect costs; traditional costing and activity based costing
An organization costing system is a system that helps the management with the strategy planning while the system plays an important role in providing accurate cost information about the products and customers (Curtin, 2006). UPS utilizes the Activity-Based Costing (ABC) system. ABC assumes that activities cause costs and that cost objects create the demand for activities (Marx,
Businesses – from manufacturing, merchandising and service industries alike – take careful considerations for their costing systems. Setting-up competitive prices in the market can be a result of proper costing methods. Misallocation of costs may lead to incorrect price estimates, continuous production of unprofitable products, and ineffective processing schedules. In this case study, we will discuss the costing methods Zauner Ornaments are currently using and upon conclusion, it will enable us to distinguish the advantages and disadvantages of each costing method.
Bhimani, A., Horngren, C., Datar, S., Rajan, M. et al. (2012) Management and Cost Accounting. 5th ed. Edinburgh: Prentice Hall, p.369 - 378.
with a number of strategic issues facing a capital-intensive, mature industry. Their product costing system was
INTRODUCTION Businesses – from manufacturing, merchandising and service industries alike – take careful consideration in the analysis of their costing systems in order to be able to set up competitive prices in the market. Misallocation of costs may lead to incorrect price estimates, continuous production of unprofitable products, and ineffective processing schedules. In this case study, we will discuss the costing methods which Zauner Ornaments have used or is currently using and, in conclusion, be able to distinguish the advantages and disadvantages of each costing method. CASE CONTEXT The case seeks to assist Zauner’s comptroller, Yu Chia-yi, in determining the best costing method for their overhead costs. In addition we also aim to
During the 1980s the limitations of traditional product costing systems began to be widely publicised. These systems were designed decades ago when most companies manufactured a narrow range of products, and direct labour and materials were the dominant factory costs. Overhead costs were relatively small, and the distortions arising from inappropriate overhead allocations were not significant. Information processing costs were high, and it was therefore difficult to justify more sophisticated overhead allocation methods.