cost-control-Roger-J.A

COSTCONTROLRogerJ.AbiNaderReferenceforBusiness，EncyclopediaofBusiness,2nded.Costcontrol,alsoknownascostmanagementorcostcontainment,isabroadsetofcostaccountingmethodsandmanagementtechniqueswiththecommongoalofimprovingbusinesscost-efficiencybyreducingcosts,oratleastrestrictingtheirrateofgrowth.Businessesusecostcontrolmethodstomonitor,evaluate,andultimatelyenhancetheefficiencyofspecificareas,suchasdepartments,divisions,orproductlines,withintheiroperations.Duringthe1990scostcontrolinitiativesreceivedparamountattentionfromcorporateAmerica.Oftentakingtheformofcorporaterestructuring,divestmentofperipheralactivities,masslayoffs,oroutsourcing,costcontrolstrategieswereseenasnecessarytopreserve—orboost—corporateprofitsandtomaintain—orgain—acompetitiveadvantage.Theobjectivewasoftentobethelow-costproducerinagivenindustry,whichwouldtypicallyallowthecompanytotakeagreaterprofitperunitofsalesthanitscompetitorsatagivenpricelevel.Somecostcontrolproponentsbelievethatsuchstrategiccost-cuttingmustbeplannedcarefully,asnotallcostreductiontechniquesyieldthesamebenefits.Inanotablelate1990sexample,chiefexecutiveAlbertJ.Dunlap,nicknamedChainsawAlbecauseofhispenchantfordeepcostcuttingatthecompaniesheheaded,failedtorestoretheailingsmallappliancemakerSunbeamCorporationtoprofitabilitydespitehisdrasticcostreductiontactics.Dunlaplaidoffthousandsofworkersandsoldoffbusinessunits,butmadelittlecontributiontoSunbeam'scompetitivepositionorsharepriceinhistwoyearsasCEO.Consequently,in1998Sunbeam'sboardfiredDunlap,havinglostconfidenceinhisone-trickapproachtomanagement.Behavioralmanagementdealswiththeattitudesandactionsofemployees.Whileemployeebehaviorultimatelyimpactsonsuccess,behavioralmanagementinvolvescertainissuesandassumptionsnotapplicabletoaccounting'scontrolfunction.Ontheotherhand,performanceevaluationmeasuresoutcomesofemployee'sactionsbycomparingtheactualresultsofbusinessoutcomestopredeterminedstandardsofsuccess.Inthiswaymanagementidentifiesthestrengthsitneedstomaximize,andtheweaknessesitseekstorectify.Thisprocessofevaluationandremedyiscalledcostcontrol.Costcontrolisacontinuousprocessthatbeginswiththeproposedannualbudget.Thebudgethelps:(1)toorganizeandcoordinateproduction,andtheselling,distribution,service,andadministrativefunctions;and(2)totakemaximumadvantageofavailableopportunities.Asthefiscalyearprogresses,managementcomparesactualresultswiththoseprojectedinthebudgetandincorporatesintothenewplanthelessonslearnedfromitsevaluationofcurrentoperations.Controlreferstomanagement'sefforttoinfluencetheactionsofindividualswhoareresponsibleforperformingtasks,incurringcosts,andgeneratingrevenues.Managementisatwo-phasedprocess:planningreferstothewaythatmanagementplansandwantspeopletoperform,whilecontrolreferstotheproceduresemployedtodeterminewhetheractualperformancecomplieswiththeseplans.Throughthebudgetprocessandaccountingcontrol,managementestablishesoverallcompanyobjectives,definesthecentersofresponsibility,determinesspecificobjectivesforeachresponsibilitycenter,anddesignsproceduresandstandardsforreportingandevaluation.Abudgetsegmentsthebusinessintoitscomponentsorcenterswheretheresponsiblepartyinitiatesandcontrolsaction.Responsibilitycentersrepresentapplicableorganizationalunits,functions,departments,anddivisions.Generallyasingleindividualheadstheresponsibilitycenterexercisingsubstantial,ifnotcomplete,controlovertheactivitiesofpeopleorprocesseswithinthecenterandcontrollingtheresultsoftheiractivity.Costcentersareaccountableonlyforexpenses,thatis,theydonotgeneraterevenue.Examplesincludeaccountingdepartments,humanresourcesdepartments,andsimilarareasofthebusinessthatprovideinternalservices.Profitcentersacceptresponsibilityforbothrevenueandexpenses.Forexample,aproductlineoranautonomousbusinessunitmightbeconsideredprofitcenters.Iftheprofitcenterhasitsownassets,itmayalsobeconsideredaninvestmentcenter,forwhichreturnsoninvestmentcanbedetermined.Theuseofresponsibilitycentersallowsmanagementtodesigncontrolreportstopinpointaccountability,thusaidinginprofitplanning.Abudgetalsosetsstandardstoindicatethelevelofactivityexpectedfromeachresponsiblepersonordecisionunit,andtheamountofresourcesthataresponsiblepartyshoulduseinachievingthatlevelofactivity.Abudgetestablishestheresponsibilitycenter,delegatestheconcomitantresponsibilities,anddeterminesthedecisionpointswithinanorganization.Theplanningprocessprovidesfortwotypesofcontrolmechanisms:Feedforward:providingabasisforcontrolatthepointofaction(thedecisionpoint);andFeedback:providingabasisformeasuringtheeffectivenessofcontrolafterimplementation.Management'sroleistofeedforwardafuturisticvisionofwherethecompanyisgoingandhowitistogetthere,andtomakecleardecisionscoordinatinganddirectingemployeeactivities.Managementalsooverseesthedevelopmentofprocedurestocollect,record,andevaluatefeedback.Therefore,effectivemanagementcontrolsresultsfromleadingpeoplebyforceofpersonalityandthroughpersuasion;providingandmaintainingpropertraining,planning,andresources;andimprovingqualityandresultsthroughevaluationandfeedback.Controlreportsarein