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Activity-based costing and activity-based management

ABC: benefits and limitations

4.1 Benefits

 More accurate product-line costings where non-volume related overheads are
significant and a diverse product line is manufactured.

 Flexible enough to analyse costs by cost objects other than products such as
processes, areas of managerial responsibility and customers.

 Provides a reliable indication of long-run variable product cost which is
particularly relevant to managerial decision-making at a strategic level.

 Provides meaningful financial (periodic cost driver rates) and nonfinancial
(periodic cost driver volumes) measures which are relevant for cost
management and performance assessment at an operational level.

 Aids identification and understanding of cost behaviour and thus has the
potential to improve cost estimation.

 Provides a more logical, acceptable and comprehensible basis for costing work.

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