Cost management system: an operational overview

Abstract

Defines cost management as “a set of techniques and methods for controlling and improving a company’s activities and processes, its products and services” to achieve continuous improvement and deal with global competition; with commitment from top management and worker involvement. Offers a model of a “self‐perpetuating system of improvement” to continuously improve value added and decrease non‐value added activities, using activity‐based costing to develop the information needed for activity‐based management, just‐in‐time, total quality management and process improvement. Explains these techniques, referring to research, and discusses the necessary conditions for top management commitment and worker involvement. A useful summary of the interaction of many modern management accounting tools