Increasing business competition is compelling managers not only to develop realistic and achievable strategies but also to analyze goals in financial terms and to evaluate performance. Whether in manufacturing, service, or the non-profit sector managers need to know the key methods and techniques of cost analysis. The interaction of the organisation's activities, the influences of the external world and the responsibilities of managers need to be captured in financial terms to plan, control and make decisions. Sales managers, production managers, HR managers, amongst others, are recipients of financial information which they are expected to understand. They need to appreciate the impact of their decisions on costs, selling prices, investment decisions and profit. They must be able to analyse, communicate and act on financial information to be a valuable member of the management team. This text explains in simple language the methods and techniques of cost analysis that can be applied strategically at any level in an organization. The busy manager will find that the cost information provided will help them plan and control the activities for which they are responsible and also make strategic decisions in the most effective way. Whether you are in a manufacturing or service organisation, the book will help you to answer the four questions: What did it cost? What should it have cost? How can we improve? What is our next strategic move? No prior knowledge of accounting or statistics is required. The book defines all key terms and emphasizes the essential knowledge of analyzing cost in a strategic context.

An indispensable guide for managers concerned with cost, strategy, and business re-engineering. Experts on the strategic use of cost data, the authors show how stategic cost management is revolutionizing accounting practices in leading companies. Includes numerous examples. 120 line drawings.

The availability of big data, low-cost commodity hardware, and new information management and analytic software have produced a unique moment in the history of data analysis. The convergence of these trends means that we have the capabilities required to analyze astonishing data sets quickly and cost-effectively for the first time in history. They represent a genuine leap forward and a clear opportunity to realize enormous gains in terms of efficiency, productivity, revenue, and profitability especially in digital marketing. Data plays a huge role in understanding valuable insights about target demographics and customer preferences. From every interaction with technology, regardless of whether it is active or passive, we are creating new data that can describe us. If analyzed correctly, these data points can explain a lot about our behavior, personalities, and life events. Companies can leverage these insights for product improvements, business strategy, and marketing campaigns to cater to the target customers. Big Data Analytics for Improved Accuracy, Efficiency, and Decision Making in Digital Marketing aids understanding of big data in terms of digital marketing for meaningful analysis of information that can improve marketing efforts and strategies using the latest digital techniques. The chapters cover a wide array of essential marketing topics and techniques, including search engine marketing, consumer behavior, social media marketing, online advertising, and how they interact with big data. This book is essential for professionals and researchers working in the field of analytics, data, and digital marketing, along with marketers, advertisers, brand managers, social media specialists, managers, sales professionals, practitioners, researchers, academicians, and students looking for the latest information on how big data is being used in digital marketing strategies.

Covers the strategic management topics in cost accounting. This title helps students to understand about the management and the role of cost accounting in helping an organization succeed. It addresses issues such as: How does a firm compete? and What type of cost management information is needed for a firm to succeed?

Discover the tools for knowing the costs your company should cut, without impacting its ability to deliver goods and services New from Steve Bragg, this book provides the tools for determining which costs a company should cut, without impacting its ability to deliver goods and services. It explains how to use throughput analysis in order to locate bottleneck operations in a company, which in turn dictates where capital investments should (and should not) be made. Delves into process analysis, to determine where excess resources are being used in a business process Describes the total cost of ownership, showing how a single purchasing decision actually snowballs into a variety of ancillary costs Shows how to create and use a spend management system to reduce procurement costs Shows how just-in-time systems can be used to eliminate inventory costs Cost Reduction Analysis: Tools and Strategies provides examples to show how much cost can potentially be eliminated to avoid drastic action later that can imperil your corporation's direction and future.

A practical approach to business transformation Fit for Growth* is a unique approach to business transformation that explicitly connects growth strategy with cost management and organization restructuring. Drawing on 70-plus years of strategy consulting experience and in-depth research, the experts at PwC’s Strategy& lay out a winning framework that helps CEOs and senior executives transform their organizations for sustainable, profitable growth. This approach gives structure to strategy while promoting lasting change. Examples from Strategy&’s hundreds of clients illustrate successful transformation on the ground, and illuminate how senior and middle managers are able to take ownership and even thrive during difficult periods of transition. Throughout the Fit for Growth process, the focus is on maintaining consistent high-value performance while enabling fundamental change. Strategy& has helped major clients around the globe achieve significant and sustained results with its research-backed approach to restructuring and cost reduction. This book provides practical guidance for leveraging that expertise to make the choices that allow companies to: Achieve growth while reducing costs Manage transformation and transition productively Create lasting competitive advantage Deliver reliable, high-value performance Sustainable success is founded on efficiency and high performance. Companies are always looking to do more with less, but their efforts often work against them in the long run. Total business transformation requires total buy-in, and it entails a series of decisions that must not be made lightly. The Fit for Growth approach provides a clear strategy and practical framework for growth-oriented change, with expert guidance on getting it right. *Fit for Growth is a registered service mark of PwC Strategy& Inc. in the United States

In the last few years, competition has become increasingly more complex, variable and dynamic, as can be seen in phenomena like globalization and technological acceleration. To cope with the dynamism and uncertainty of competition, enterprises need capabilities that enable them to respond to competition, as well as to improve their analytical skills and knowledge in order to better manage new strategic projects. Strategic analysis uses both quantitative and qualitative tools to understand both competitive contexts and available company resources. In Strategic Analysis: Processes and Tools, author Andrea Beretta Zanoni develops a theory of strategic analysis and offers models for the application of strategic analysis tools during all phases of the process including planning and decision-making, the development of control, and the formulation of a strategic diagnosis.