Activity-Based Cost Management in Government
Author: Gary Cokins
List Price: $79.00
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ISBN: 1567261108
Publisher: Management Concepts, Inc. (01 November, 2001)
Sales Rank: 275,421
Average Customer Rating: 4.8 out of 5
Customer Reviews
Rating: 5 out of 5
The leading resource in the ABC/ABM field
Gary Cokins does an excellent job explaining Activity Based Costing and Activity Based Management from beginning to end. By reading the first chapter alone, one can tell he is an expert in his field. He begins explaining the subject matter with the basics and continues through using an easy to follow logic. For public sector organizations that are considering ABC/M, or already using it, this book is a master guide for its methodology. It has very helpful charts which the author uses in his explanation of the material, making it easy for the reader to follow. I have spent over 30 years in government, and the one aspect always apparent is that the government is always trying to improve performance with fewer resources, and therefore recognizes the need for activity based costing. This book is, by far, the leading reference to refer to for guidance on how to implement ABC/M. The reader does not have to be a cost accountant to comprehend the methodology or technique used to implement ABC/M. The author cites actual cases in the public sector where federal or local agencies have implemented this technique and the successes made. He begins with the issue or problem and cites the solution, the model structure used, the results, and the lessons learned. These actual case examples help show how ABC/M can resolve problems in the real world.
Overall, I found this book to be an excellent resource in its field, as it is easily understood, yet comprehensive. I strongly recommend it to any government manager that wants to help their organization excel.
Rating: 4 out of 5
A MUST HAVE
I have an earlier book written by this author entitled, "Activity-based Cost Management, Making It Work" that was written during earlier days of implementing activity-based costing. Cokins' new book, while it addresses activity-based functionality for government, also presents some "matured" thinking and advice on ABC/M which I found to be extremely helpful in validating some of my own observations and learnings from implementing ABC/M. For a newcomer to ABC/M, the book presents the case for why government entities can profit from using ABC/M, how to get an implementation going, critical factors for success and some case studies of actual government implementations. But, it also gets into more advanced applications such as using ABC/M to support performance measurement, supply chain management, and budgeting. These chapters are not as easily digested, but they are a rich source of reference for those planning to broaden the use of activity-based cost/management.
Rating: 5 out of 5
COST MANAGEMENT IN GOVERNMENT
Activity based cost management is increasingly taking hold in government and is helping many organizations make dramatic improvements in their understanding of costs. Gary Cokins, a widely respected cost management craftsman and teacher, has made an outstanding contribution to the advancement cost management in his book "Activity-Based Cost Management in Government." He does a great job covering a wide range cost topics in a clear and coherent manner; and he consistently reinforces - through relevant concepts, examples and quotations - the pragmatic value of cost information to support fact based decision making. Similar Products
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