ACTIVITY-BASED COSTING(ABC), ACTIVITY-BASED MANAGEMENT(ABM) AND COST ENGINEERING(CE) - OVERVIEW

"Mastery over detail is intelligence in action." Being leaders in cost strategy solutions, Focost focuses on, and specializes in, ABC, ABM and related CE applications. It has become evident that ABC and ABM systems give visibility to how effectively resources are being used and how all activities contribute to the cost of a product or service. Cost Engineering(CE), is the engineering practice devoted to the management of project cost, involving such activities as estimating, cost control, cost forecasting, investment appraisal and risk analysis. CE applications focuses on budgeting, planning and monitoring investment projects to seek the optimum balance between cost, quality and time requirements (for more details, refer to Services Rendered page and Activity Based Costing & Management and Cost Engineering – Read More further below). "ABC systems have the flexibility to provide special reports so that management can take decisions about the costs of designing, selling and delivering a product or service. The key aspect is that ABC focuses on accumulating costs via activities, whereas traditional cost allocation focuses on accumulating costs within functional areas. The main advantage of ABC is that it minimises or avoids distortions on product costs that might occur from arbitrary allocation of overhead costs.” (CIMA).

What is ABC (Activity-Based Costing)?

“Definition of terms is the beginning of wisdom. (Albert Einstein).
Many different terms are used by businesses to describe cost allocation in practice.

Continue Reading...


What is ABM (Activity-Based Management)?

Using an Activity-Based Costing (ABC) system to improve the operations of an organization is Activity-Based Management (ABM) and a continuum of value. In the broadest terms,

Continue Reading...


Why adopt and implement ABC & ABM?

Adherents of ABC/ABM systems claimed traditional management accounting systems generated misleading costs in a contemporary, often changing business environment

Continue Reading...


Training, Education, Development

Knowledge precedes application. Focost believes in: "I am thankful for all of those who said NO to me. It’s because of them I’m doing it myself.”(Albert Einstein).

Continue Reading...


Who is Focost?

Who is Focost?

"Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending.” (Carl Bard). Focost is a Gauteng based business in the management consulting industry in South Africa and considers itself to be a “Leader in Cost Focus Strategy", nationally and internationally. Focost is specializing in Activity-Based Costing (ABC) and Activity-Based Management (ABM) in conjunction with various Cost Engineering (CE) applications. "What cannot be measured, cannot be controlled.” In current and expected future ever changing, intricate, volatile and demanding business requirements, cost in all organizations has become a much more focused and emphasized component of all enterprises. Being a leader in cost focus strategy, Focost promotes best cost modelling solutions and build cost strategies to ensure improved profitability and sustainability in organizations. Focost professionally provides in the needs of organizations who want to understand better what their cost strategies and systems ought to be through applying in depth knowledge, experience, competencies, skills and academic/professional institutes' qualifications to find solutions for improved cost control and gain better understanding of how their cost strategy integrates, and is in congruence, with their organisation's overall strategy goals. Research revealed that good results have been achieved by some organizations who identified improvement opportunities and that it is possible that a first year payback of 15-20 times the investment in the ABC & M project, is achievable. We believe in the approach of learning by doing as this enables the organisation to develop its own internal team and eliminates the need for full time outside support.

Our Approach and strategy

"Challenges are what make life interesting and overcoming them is what makes life meaningful” (Joshua J. Marine). Working with professionals is a pleasure. You don't have to look any further than Focost to see examples of true professionalism. Focost subscribes fully to professional rules of conduct and ethics in their approach to add value for clients through professional services rendered. Our overall strategy is based on 5 ways to victory, namely, • To know when to fight and when not to fight • To know how to match a small force against a large one • To have the whole-hearted support of all the men • To seize every possible advantage or opportunity • To be able to lead and command. (Sun Tse.)

Professional Conduct and Services Rendered

Focost renders it’s professional services in compliance with generally accepted Professional Code of Conduct, based on professional Principles, Rules & Ethics. Our service rendering includes, but is not limited to • ABC & M specialization • Cost Engineering applications • Management consultation •

Activity Based Costing & Management and Cost Engineering