GIBY THOMAS

MACFAST

Measurement in monetary terms, of the

amount of resources used for the purpose

of production of goods or rendering

services-ICWA,INDIA

“It is the process of accounting for

cost which begins with the incurrence

of cost and ends with the control of

cost.”

The essentials of a good cost accounting system

are as follows: SUITABILITY

COMPARABILITY

SIMPLICITY

ECONOMICAL

LESS CLERICAL WORK

FLEXIBILITY

ACCURACY

PROMPTNESS

SUPPORT OF STAFF

COST OF CONTROL

CLEARLY DEFINED COST CENTRES

SUITABILITY: The cost accounting system should be suitable to the nature of

the business.

COMPARABILITY: The costing system should provide facts and figures necessary

to the management for evaluating the performance by comparing it with past

figures an figures of other concerns of same type

SIMPLICITY: It should be easy to understand and simple to operate. so that it

may be easily understood even by a man of average intelligence.

ECONOMICAL: It should be economical to install and operate. Its cost should be

justified by the benefits derived.

LESS CLERICAL WORK: The work connected with filling up of forms and

preparation of statement should be as little as possible as most of the workers

are not well educated

FLEXIBILITY: It should be flexible to adopt the changing requirements of the

business.

ACCURACY: It should provide an accurate information.

PROMPTNESS: It should provide prompt information at regular intervals.

SUPPORT OF STAFF: It should receive the necessary cooperation and

participation of the staff.

COST OF CONTROL: It should ensure cost control over the various fields.

CLEARLY DEFINED COST CENTRES: There should be clearly defined cost

centers and responsibility centers.

1) Classification and Subdivision of Costs: In the contrast to a single profit or loss figure supplied by general accounting, the cost accounting classifies costs and income by every conceivable subdivision of the business enterprise.

2) Adequacy or Inadequacy of Selling Prices: Unit cost of production, administration and safe made possible by cost accounting aids management in deciding the adequacy or inadequacy of selling prices i.e. neither too high detracting business, nor too low resulting in losses to the concern.

3) Disclosure of profitable Products: Cost Accounting will disclose activities, departments, products and territories, which bring profit and those that result in losses.

4) Control of Material and Supplies: In a good costing system materials and supplies must be accounted for in terms of departments, jobs, units of production or service.

5) Maintenance of Proper Investment in Inventories:A costing system

will help in the maintenance of various inventory items of materials and

supplies in line with production and sale requirements.

6) Correct Valuation of Inventories: Cost Accounting plays a basic role

in the correct valuation of inventories of finished goods, work in process,

materials and supplies.

7) Whether to Manufacture or Purchase from Outsiders: Cost records

furnish information regarding the cost of manufacturing of different

finished parts, which assist management in making a decision whether to

purchase these parts from outside manufacturers or manufacture them

in the factory.

8) Control of Labour Cost: Orders, jobs, contracts, departments,

processes, or services record cost of labour. In many manufacturing

enterprises, daily time reports are prepared showing the number of

hours and minutes spent and the wage rate for each worker per job or

operation.

9) Use of Standards for Measuring Efficiency:

A complete cost accounting system, generally, has a well-developed plan

of standards to measure the efficiency of the organization in the use of

materials, incurrence of labour and other manufacturing cost.

10) Budgeting:

In a good cost accounting system, preparation of various budgets

periods in advance of actual production and sale of goods is

necessary. These budgets include budgeted statement of profits,

budgeted cost of plant improvements, budgeted cost of production,

budgeted cash receipts and payments, and so forth.

11)Use of Company-wide Wage Incentive Plans: When labour cost

is accounted for by jobs and operations, it is possible to use

effectively wage incentive plans or bonus schemes for the

remuneration of labour force. Carefully planned and administered

incentive schemes are an effective means of enforcing superior

performance and cost reduction.

12) Reliable Check on General Accounting: Finally, an efficient

and proper system of cost accounting is a most reliable and

independent check on the accuracy of the financial accounts. This

check made effective through reconciliation of the balance of

profit or loss shown by the costing profit and loss account and the

balance of profit of profit or loss revealed by the general

accounting profit and loss account.

Cost accounting is a process of collecting, analyzing,

summarizing and evaluating various alternative

courses of action. Its goal is to advise the

management on the most appropriate course of

action based on the cost efficiency and capability.

Cost accounting provides the detailed cost

information that management needs to control

current operations and plan for the future