Course Outline
Fundamentals of Cost Centers and Costing
- The purpose and architecture of cost centers
- Classifying costs: fixed, variable, direct, and indirect
- Linking organizational units to specific cost centers
Creating and Configuring Cost Centers
- Setting up new cost centers and groupings
- Defining responsibilities, hierarchies, and control parameters
- Managing master data and the full lifecycle of cost centers
Identifying Cost Drivers and Allocation Routines
- Selecting and defining appropriate cost drivers
- Determining allocation methods and their frequency
- Maintaining allocation rules and schedules
Integrating Machine and Labor Hours
- Defining machine hours and operator labor hours
- Capturing runtime metrics and operational logs
- Combining these hours with cost centers for precise cost absorption
Bills of Materials (BOM) and Component Costing
- BOM structures and principles of cost rollup
- Managing multi-level BOMs and phantom assemblies
- Handling component substitutions and analyzing cost impacts
Standard Costing, Variances, and Reconciliation
- Setting standard costs and managing updates
- Recording and analyzing material and overhead variances
- Executing period-end reconciliation and corrective measures
Activity-Based Costing and Advanced Allocation
- Designing activity pools and assigning costs
- Calculating activity rates and unit costs
- Evaluating ABC against traditional allocation methods
Absorption Costing and Cost Rollups
- Absorbing machine hours, labor hours, and overheads into product costs
- End-to-end costing for finished goods and services
- Simulating cost scenarios and conducting what-if analyses
Controls, Auditability, and Compliance
- Implementing access controls and change governance
- Maintaining audit trails for cost adjustments and revaluations
- Addressing regulatory and reporting requirements
Performance Optimization and Cost Reduction Strategies
- Identifying high-impact cost drivers and areas of focus
- Improving processes and analyzing cost-to-serve
- Continuous monitoring and designing KPIs for cost centers
Summary and Future Steps
Requirements
- A solid grasp of managerial accounting principles
- Knowledge of bills of materials and production workflows
- Operational experience with ERP or financial systems
Target Audience
- Cost accountants and financial analysts
- Product costing and supply chain specialists
- ERP functional consultants and system integrators
Testimonials (4)
How to manage business financials
surprise mtileni - Hatima Holdings (Pty) ltd
Course - Learning Xero
Good communication, open for discussion, kept it interesting and engaging
Ahmet Keyman - Keytrade AG
Course - Management Accounting and Finance for Non-Finance Professionals
Experience of the trainer and his way of conveying the content
Roggli Marc - Bechtle Schweiz AG
Course - FinOps
The trainer did not leave a single minute unexploited! He was up a storm throughout every lesson and provided much material for whatever he dealt with.
