From the Inside Flap
"The purpose of From Cost to Performance Management is to index the specific advantages and shortcomings of the most widely used cost and performance management methodologies practiced today within the context of how organizations actually develop. It is time to stop using the either-or viewpoints with cost and performance–the old and tired ‘either we contain costs or we improve performance.’"
–from the Preface
Few in business would deny the direct link between profits and process. Yet many still insist on erecting an impenetrable wall between cost and performance, pursuing expensive and time-consuming methods for improving one while disregarding or even damaging development in the other.
From Cost to Performance Management treats cost and performance as two sides of the same coin. Arguing that far from being opposing entities, cost and performance are in fact fundamentally interconnected and synergistic partners, this innovative book provides an application-oriented, value-driven examination of current cost and management approaches that:
- Grounds cost and performance practice in the science of human cognitive development
- Explores a wide array of field-tested methodologies, from ABC/M and TQM to Balanced Scorecard, Theory of Constraints, Target Costing, and more
- Assists decision-makers in choosing the best method or blend of methods to address specifically identified business problems
- Supports learning and implementation through numerous real-world applications and examples
To fully realize its potential, an organization must–like any living organism–learn, develop, and mature. From Cost to Performance Management explains how to create a cost management system (CMS) that directly interacts with operations and enables greater organizational maturity, in effect becoming an all-inclusive CPMS–Cost and Performance Management System.
Amid the hectic environment of starting and growing a business, too many executives separate cost concerns from performance management–a serious, potentially fatal error. From Cost to Performance Management reveals how growing businesses can serve both masters to develop profit and process systems and programs that work with, instead of against each other, for the growth and success of all.
From the Back Cover
Techniques for Integrating Cost and Performance Work–to Create Increased Value at Each Level of an Organization
Measurable, sustainable improvements in cost and performance management require more than just isolated methodologies or slogans of the week. They require committed, involved leadership, adaptable systems, and an understanding that cost reduction and performance improvement work best when they work together.
From Cost to Performance Management provides application-based guidance for melding the best of today’s cost and performance management methods into a unified cost/performance approach that fits your organization’s needs, readiness, and identity. This well-rounded resource explores:
- Shortcomings of existing change and growth management perspectives
- New methodologies and mindsets for tracking valuable resources that create long-term wealth
- Organizational development examples from today’s most progressive companies
Cost continues to be the prime strategic mover in most organizations; unfortunately, it can lead to unclear, unsatisfying performance initiatives and decisions. From Cost to Performance Management reveals how cost and performance can instead be aligned to create one overriding imperative–a cost/performance approach designed to maximize long-term potential as it minimizes friction and confusion within each layer of an organization.
"Gaining and sustaining competitive advantage begins with the knowledge of how a firm’s resources can be leveraged to create outstanding value for its stakeholders. The Stenzels insightfully analyze and integrate the vast literature in cost management, detailing how a company can turn mundane costing data into the knowledge required to achieve this superior level of performance. It belongs on every manager’s ‘must read’ list."
–Dr. C. J. McNair, Professor of Management Accounting, Babson College
