Strategic Cost Analysis Mastery: Tools for Smarter Decisions
Introduction
Cost control remains one of the most critical tools for planning, monitoring, and supporting strategic decisions within organizations. In today’s complex business environment, effective cost analysis is directly linked to strategy formulation, budgetary processes, and performance management.
This programme equips participants with both traditional cost analysis tools and advanced approaches such as Activity-Based Costing (ABC), Activity-Based Budgeting (ABB), Activity-Based Management (ABM), target costing, and the Balanced Scorecard. It emphasizes how to interpret cost behavior, align it with business strategy, and ensure timely and meaningful performance measurement.
By attending, you will gain a strong foundation in cost analysis and control, enhanced by practical case studies and exercises that connect cost management to strategy and decision-making.
Key Objectives
By the end of this course, participants will be able to:
* Enhance cost awareness and link it effectively with organizational strategy.
* Apply specific cost analysis and performance measurement techniques.
* Choose and implement the most effective costing measurement systems.
* Integrate advanced techniques such as ABC, ABB, ABM, and target costing.
* Discuss and analyze real-world case studies in cost management.
* Transition “from cost to strategy to performance measurement.”
* Broaden management accounting knowledge and improve strategic insight.
* Deliver timely, relevant, and actionable information to decision-makers.
* Identify and manage key financial and non-financial performance indicators.
Who Should Attend
This course is ideal for:
* Finance and accounting professionals involved in cost management and analysis.
* Business planners, controllers, and budget managers.
* Department heads and managers seeking better cost awareness.
* Strategy and performance management professionals.
* Executives seeking to strengthen decision-making with cost analysis insights.
Methodology
The training uses a highly interactive approach including:
* Expert-led presentations and guided discussions.
* Case study reviews and real-world industry examples.
* Hands-on problem-solving and cost analysis exercises.
* Group work and role-play to simulate decision-making processes.
* Practical tools and templates for immediate workplace application.
Course Outline
Day One – Introducing the Linkages Between Strategy and Costing
* Managing the contemporary organization
* Strategic plan, budgeting, costing, and management control
* Management accounting for organizational control systems
* Responsibility accounting and the process-view
* The context for costing and the role of budgets
* What is the situation in your organization? (self-assessment and case study)
Day Two – Cost Analysis and Classifications
* Cost terms and classifications
* Inventoriable vs. period costs
* Manufacturing vs. non-manufacturing costs
* Variable vs. fixed costs (CVP analysis)
* Direct vs. indirect cost
* Under-costing and over-costing problems
* Case study problems and exercises
Day Three – From Cost Accounting to Management Control
* Cost allocation: traditional costing vs. Activity-Based Costing (ABC)
* From traditional budgeting to Activity-Based Budgeting (ABB)
* Activity-Based Management (ABM) for performance excellence
* Decentralized organizations and their implications
* Cost, profit, and investment centers
* Transfer-pricing issues in practice
* Case study illustrations
Day Four – Flexible Budgets and Variance Analysis
* The features of budgetary control
* Defining the master budget and its strategic benefits
* Static budgets vs. flexible budgets
* Flexible-budget and sales-volume variances
* Standard costs in variance analysis
* Integrating continuous improvement into cost variance monitoring
* Case study and problem-based exercises
Day Five – Linking Strategy to Actions: Beyond Costing
* Shortcomings of traditional performance measurement
* The Balanced Scorecard: aligning strategy to performance measurement
* Financial, customer, internal business process, and learning & growth perspectives
* Designing and adapting the scorecard for your organization
* Case study application: linking strategy, cost analysis, and performance reporting
Key Benefits
* Gain practical and strategic cost analysis skills.
* Strengthen decision-making with relevant costing insights.
* Learn advanced techniques like ABC, ABB, and ABM for modern challenges.
* Improve alignment of strategy, cost control, and performance management.
* Build practical competence through case studies and exercises.
* Deliver more value to your organization by providing actionable insights.
Enquiries and Registration
Enquiry at : admin@keleaders.com
Whatsapp: 0044 790 125 9494
For more details visit our website : www.keleaders.com
