Cost-control-成本控制--外文翻译.doc
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1、Reference for business,Encyclopedia of Business.2nd ed,Cos DesCost controlRoger J. BinderAbstractCost control, also known as cost management or cost containment, is a broad set of cost accounting methods and management techniques with the common goal of improving business cost-efficiency by reducing
2、 costs, or at least restricting their rate of growth. Businesses use cost control methods to monitor, evaluate, and ultimately enhance the efficiency of specific areas, such as departments, divisions, or product lines, within their operations.Control of the business entity, then, is essentially a ma
3、nagerial and supervisory function. Control consists of those actions necessary to assure that the entitys resources and operations are focused on attaining established objectives, goals and plans. Control, exercised continuously, flags potential problems so that crises may be prevented. It also stan
4、dardizes the quality and quantity of output, and provides managers with objective information about employee performance. Management compares actual performance to predetermined standards and takes action when necessary to correct variances from the standards. Keywords: Cost control;Applications;Con
5、trol reports; Standards;StrategicCost control, also known as cost management or cost containment, is a broad set of cost accounting methods and management techniques with the common goal of improving business cost-efficiency by reducing costs, or at least restricting their rate of growth. Businesses
6、 use cost control methods to monitor, evaluate, and ultimately enhance the efficiency of specific areas, such as departments, divisions, or product lines, within their operations.During the 1990s cost control initiatives received paramount attention from corporate America. Often taking the form of c
7、orporate restructuring, divestment of peripheral activities, mass layoffs, or outsourcing, cost control strategies were seen as necessary to preserveor boostcorporate profits and to maintainor gaina competitive advantage. The objective was often to be the low-cost producer in a given industry, which
8、 would typically allow the company to take a greater profit per unit of sales than its competitors at a given price level. Some cost control proponents believe that such strategic cost-cutting must be planned carefully, as not all cost reduction techniques yield the same benefits. In a notable late
9、1990s example, chief executive Albert J. Dunlap, nicknamed Chainsaw Al because of his penchant for deep cost cutting at the companies he headed, failed to restore the ailing small appliance maker Sunbeam Corporation to profitability despite his drastic cost reduction tactics. Dunlap laid off thousan
10、ds of workers and sold off business units, but made little contribution to Sunbeams competitive position or share price in his two years as CEO. Consequently, in 1998 Sunbeams board fired Dunlap, having lost confidence in his one-trick approach to management. COST CONTROL APPLICATIONS A complex busi
11、ness requires frequent information about operations in order to plan for the future, to control present activities, and to evaluate the past performance of managers, employees, and related business segments. To be successful, management guides the activities of its people in the operations of the bu
12、siness according to pre-established goals and objectives. Managements guidance takes two forms of control: (1) the management and supervision of behavior, and (2) the evaluation of performance. Behavioral management deals with the attitudes and actions of employees. While employee behavior ultimatel
13、y impacts on success, behavioral management involves certain issues and assumptions not applicable to accountings control function. On the other hand, performance evaluation measures outcomes of employees actions by comparing the actual results of business outcomes to predetermined standards of succ
14、ess. In this way management identifies the strengths it needs to maximize, and the weaknesses it seeks to rectify. This process of evaluation and remedy is called cost control. Cost control is a continuous process that begins with the proposed annual budget. The budget helps: (1) to organize and coo
15、rdinate production, and the selling, distribution, service, and administrative functions; and (2) to take maximum advantage of available opportunities. As the fiscal year progresses, management compares actual results with those projected in the budget and incorporates into the new plan the lessons
16、learned from its evaluation of current operations. Control refers to managements effort to influence the actions of individuals who are responsible for performing tasks, incurring costs, and generating revenues. Management is a two-phased process: planning refers to the way that management plans and
17、 wants people to perform, while control refers to the procedures employed to determine whether actual performance complies with these plans. Through the budget process and accounting control, management establishes overall company objectives, defines the centers of responsibility, determines specifi
18、c objectives for each responsibility center, and designs procedures and standards for reporting and evaluation. A budget segments the business into its components or centers where the responsible party initiates and controls action. Responsibility centers represent applicable organizational units, f
19、unctions, departments, and divisions. Generally a single individual heads the responsibility center exercising substantial, if not complete, control over the activities of people or processes within the center and controlling the results of their activity. Cost centers are accountable only for expen
20、ses, that is, they do not generate revenue. Examples include accounting departments, human resources departments, and similar areas of the business that provide internal services. Profit centers accept responsibility for both revenue and expenses. For example, a product line or an autonomous busines
21、s unit might be considered profit centers. If the profit center has its own assets, it may also be considered an investment center, for which returns on investment can be determined. The use of responsibility centers allows management to design control reports to pinpoint accountability, thus aiding
22、 in profit planning. A budget also sets standards to indicate the level of activity expected from each responsible person or decision unit, and the amount of resources that a responsible party should use in achieving that level of activity. A budget establishes the responsibility center, delegates t
23、he concomitant responsibilities, and determines the decision points within an organization. CONTROL REPORTS Control reports are informational reports that tell management about an entitys activities. Management requests control reports only for internal use, and, therefore, directs the accounting de
24、partment to develop tailor-made reporting formats. Accounting provides management with a format designed to detect variations that need investigating. In addition, management also refers to conventional reports such as the income statement and funds statement, and external reports on the general eco
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