1.     Costing and MIS

The Costing is not just a control mechanism but a planning tool to ensure that all known and anticipated costs are covered to ensure company creates overall operations strategy that will allow it to focus on DISTINCTIVE ADVANTAGE, we have discussed till this point, in order to make it simple as Basic Dash Board Design following are the questions that will allow BOD and EXECUTIVES to find link between Functional Objectives and Control Mechanism, One things needs to be pointed out is that these questions are starting point to assess company operations not the final end result that needs to be obtained and BOD and EXECUTIVES are needed to design a MIS that will allow them to manage their own company, reason for same is quite clear strengths and weaknesses for each organization are different but that equations changes every time when either Market, Competitors or Technology changes and these are external factors that company can not control and thus it becomes very important to stay ahead of game and this questionnaire is starting point for same.

1.       Has Appropriate Cost Accounting System is selected for overall Organization

2.       Does Department wise Cost Centre and Profit Centre is Well Defined

3.       Does Cost Driver Analysis for Each Department is Done

4.       Does Standard Operations Cost is Defined for Each Department?

5.       Does Costing System translate into Meaningful Operations Control Mechanism?

6.       Does Target Costing Method is applied for arriving at Efficiency Improvement and does it help individuals in benchmarking Exercise?

7.       **Does Marginal Costing Method is Used for Changing the Level of Production from 1 Level to Another?

8.       Does BEP Based Accounting Controls and MIS Reporting made for Annual Basis to Manage Risk of Non-Profitable Operations Control for Each Business Vertical or Product Group?

9.       Does Product Supply Arrangements are done with Related Product Manufacturers to Reduce cost of Marketing Operations? (like relationship with Dealers of Related Products done by Mechworld Eco)

10.   Does Product wise and Project Wise Contribution Analysis is done by Company?

11.   Does Selling Price Analysis is done for Optimized Cost Structure or Target Cost

12.   Is Man Hours Scheduling is done for Production Planning and After Sales Warranty Activities?

13.   Variable cost per Site Analysis is ready with Company?

14.   Does Order Fulfilment Cycle cost is Considered while Quotation?

15.   What is Method for WIP Valuation and Current Market Price Data Gathered on Regular Basis and compared for Variation for Acceptable Limits?

16.   Is Cost Leadership in Process of Production and Other Business Process is Achieved?

17.   Does Finance Cost is loaded on Carrying cost of Inventory for Purpose of MIS to enable BOD and Executive Management identify the Effect of Inventory Turnover Period on Finance Cost and Vice Versa?

18.   Does Inventory Valuation reflect Attributable and Direct and Indirect Costs to ensure VALUE ADDITION identified with each Product/ Service Sold?

19.   Does Profits attached with COGS are adequate to Cover All Expenses and they are monitored for BEP Point across Financial Period to ensure that Period to Period Operations Management is adequately change to track that BEP point?

20.   Does Profits of COGS are Monitored for Future Expenses and Reserves are created through Pricing Strategy to manage them?

21.   Does Costing System Provides Margin for Safety in Loading of Costs itself to Monitor for Overall Operations?

22.   Does Product/ Service wise Actual Vs Planned Cost Variance Measurement Exercise is Available to BOD/ Executives?

23.   Does Different Type of Costing and Standards Costs, Marginal Costs and Batch Cost is Used at Different Level to ensure Proper Primary and Secondary Cost Allocation to arrive at Proper Costing of Products and Services? And allows Functional Heads to Control respective Business Process in Optimized way?

24.   Does Depreciation and Impairment of Assets is charged to COGS for Accurate Costin and Mapped for Decision Making with Marginal Costing Approach?

25.   Does Effects of FOREX rates and its impact on Product Cost are Mapped for Future Operations Control?

26.   Is Government Benefits and Grants are Considered as Part of Costs or Treated as Revenue Part independent of Operations and MIS Considers them while making Operations and Pricing Decisions or not

27.   Does Profit Centre is Maintained for All Activities that help company to ensure Value Analysis Across All Functions?

28.   Does Cost-Benefits Analysis is applied for all Employees and There Performance and Accordingly Incremental Cost Loading in done for Performance Based Payments?

29.   Does Product Group/ Segment Wise Costing P&L is prepared for Company?

30.   Does effect of Related Party Transactions is Monitored over Costing Structure?

31.   Does Assets Acquisition decision is made based on Aggregate Costing considering Long term Planning?

32.   DOES STRATGIC PLANNING INVOLVES COMPREHENSIVE COST CONTROL AND COST LEADERSHIP PROGRAM CONSIDERING ACTIVITY BASED COSTING?

33.   What is Strategy used for reducing Manufacturing Defects without increasing load of Manufacturing Cost?

34.   Use of Kaizen Approach to Improve Function

a.       SEIRI – Organization-reorganization

b.      SEITON – Neatness

c.       SEISO – Cleaning

d.      SEIKETSU – Standardization

e.      SHITSUKE – Discipline