In order to implement the activity-based cost (ABC), there is give steps to
follow. In this discussion I am going to discuss these five steps and it's
advantages and disadvantages
The first step is identify Activities
Identify all the activities in your organization's processes that consume
resources. These can be production, support, or administrative activities.
Assign Costs - Assign the costs associated with each activity. This includes
both direct and indirect costs, such as labor, materials, and overhead
(Heisinger & Hoyle, 2012).
Determine Cost Drivers - Determine the factors that drive or influence each
activity's cost. These are known as cost drivers and can be volume-based or
activity-based.
Allocate Costs - Allocate the costs of each activity to products, services, or
projects based on the actual consumption of these activities by each. This
step calculates the cost of each product or service more accurately (Heisinger
& Hoyle, 2012).
Analyze and Report - Analyze the cost information and generate reports to
help management make informed decisions. This can include identifying
cost-saving opportunities, pricing adjustments, or product/service
profitability analysis.
However, some of the advantages of ABC is improved Cost Accuracy: ABC
provides a more accurate allocation of costs to products or services, reducing
cost distortion.
Enhanced Decision-Making - It helps in better decision-making by providing
insights into cost drivers and areas where cost reduction is possible
(Heisinger & Hoyle, 2012).
Resource Optimization - ABC allows organizations to allocate resources more
efficiently by focusing on activities that add the most value.
Product Profitability Analysis - It helps identify the profitability of individual
products or services, enabling businesses to prioritize and refine their
offerings.
Cost Control - By understanding the root causes of costs, ABC aids in better
cost control and management (Heisinger & Hoyle, 2012).
We can also see that though activity based cost has its advantages has also
it's disadvantages. Some of the disadvantages of ABC are,
Complex Implementation - ABC can be resource-intensive and time-
consuming to implement, making it less suitable for smaller organizations.