Cost Analysis and Performance Measurement

This programme addresses key issues, such as cost analysis, continuous improvement of cost assignment, management control, and performance evaluation. In so doing, the programme pushes delegates to understand the cause-and-effect relationship among

1. business strategy and vision
2. operational objectives, measures and targets, and
3. advanced performance measurement and reporting

In this programme you will learn:

• Cost analysis and improvement
• Advanced Costing and Management techniques (ABC, ABB, ABM) Economic Value Added
• The linkages between strategy, budgeting, operations and financial/non financial measurement
• The Balanced Scorecard construction and implementation

WHO SHOULD ATTEND?

• Professionals with direct financial responsibilities and those who would benefit from news ideas and methods
• Employees from every business discipline and department who have to run departments and plan and who are responsible for cost and strategic analysis
• Middle to senior personnel from all sectors of industry and employees on fast-track development programmes, along with other employees working in a project management environment

PROGRAMME OBJECTIVES

• Enhance cost awareness
• Describe specific cost analysis and performance measurement techniques
• Select the costing measurement system that works
• Select the systems of performance measurement that works
• Demonstrate Activity-based costing techniques
• Broadening knowledge of performance management techniques
• To understand the link between involvement and accountability
• Discuss real case studies
• Broadening the management accounting knowledge
• Enhance the ability to link cost to strategy to performance measurement

TRAINING METHODOLOGY

We combine theory and practice and we use company examples to illustrate how the techniques presented have been applied in real case studies. An active involvement of the delegates, as well as their participation to "in-class" discussion is required.

PROGRAMME OUTLINE

DAY 1 - Refining Cost Accounting Systems

• Review of key Cost Concepts
• Decentralized organizations
• Cost/Profit/Investment centres
• Implications for cost management
• Transfer-pricing issues
• Budgeting and variance analysis
• Problems and Examples
• Case study illustration

DAY 2 - Understanding Activity-based Management

• Day 1 recap and key learning points
• Cost drivers and Activity-based costing
• Using ABC in administrative functions
• Advantages/disadvantages of ABC
• Activity-based management
• Quantitative vs. Qualitative indicators
• Problems and Examples
• Case study illustration

DAY 3 - Performance Measurement

• Day 2 recap and key learning points
• Measuring performance
• Introducing the Balanced Scorecard
• Financial perspective
• Customer perspective
• Internal Business Process perspective
• Learning and growth perspective
• Problems and Examples
• Case study illustration

DAY 4 - Linking Strategy to Action

• Day 3 recap and key learning points
• Linking Balanced Scorecards with budgeting
• Linking Strategy to Performance Measurement and to Action
• Evaluating investment projects
• Developing and adapting scorecard
• Linking Balanced Scorecards with performance evaluation
• Problems and Examples
• Case study illustration

DAY 5 - The transformative power of the Balanced Scorecard

• Day 4 recap and key learning points
• Shortcomings of traditional approaches to measurement
• An integrated management model
• The role of measurement
• Building commitment and accountability
• Using the Balanced Scorecard to drive culture change
• Driving continuous improvement
• Case Studies illustration