Activity-based-costing (ABC) in practice - the factors affecting the Essay

Activity-based-costing (ABC) in practice - the factors affecting the successful implementation of an ABC system - Essay Example ABC also provides useful information about the cost of the product which is helpful in decision making (Weetman, 2012, pp. 85-88). According to Drury, ABC method can be used for various cost management applications like customer profitability analysis, business process management and value chain analysis. According to some other management accounting literature ABC can be divided in four genres like contingency research, basic research, critical research and consulting. It can be seen that type of the contingency research is one of the most important development on the topic of ABC. However, some countries have given more attention to the contingency based research. Johnson (1990) has described that ABC, ROI and Variance Analysis are the most important concept of management accounting in 20th century. According to Mitchell (1994), ABC system got high profile popularity by the work of Kaplan and Cooper. Bhimani and Piggott (1992) have stated that Activity Based Costing has many important benefits over other costing systems like it increases the cost accuracy of product and provides more comprehensive information about cost incurred to ensure better performance. It also provides more accurate data which helps the managers to take better decisions and increase efficiency for sensitivity analysis. It is also considered as a valuable model which adds value to the organizational activities and transactions. According to some research studies, respondents told that they are satisfied and they think that ABC provides more accurate costing result than the traditional method of costing. These studies have also stated other benefits like accurate profitab ility analysis for customers, positive behavioral effect on employees, accurate insight into cost behavior and causation and better measurement of performances. According to Mitchell and Innes (1991) have stated that Activity Based Costing gives more relevant costs

AS Unit F911- Communication in care settings Coursework

AS Unit F911- Communication in care settings - Coursework Example The receiver must then respond to the message given to them. As an example, when the practitioner wants to convey information about a particular health situation, they may first tell the patient the condition that they have found through testing and other means. They may next send the family to a website that gives more information about the disease or condition, and they would probably provide written handouts about the disease or condition. These are all effective ways of communicating to the patient. Nonverbal Communication Nonverbal communication, also known as body language, is a type of communication that people convey to one another on an unconscious level. This level of communication goes back and forth between two people who are talking to each other all the time. As an example, an individual may be sending a verbal message to another person. Person one is conveying the information and person two is listening. If person two does not like what person one is saying, or they ar e feeling uncomfortable with what is being said, they may cross their arms. This is a signal to the other person that something is going wrong with how person two is receiving the message. If person one recognizes the body language, they can ask the individual if they are feeling uncomfortable and they can talk more about the issue so that person two finds a better comfort level. Nonverbal communication is a system of cues from one person to another and there are fiver roles they can play (Segal, 2011): 1. Nonverbal communication can repeat a verbal message or add emphasis to it. Often, people will use hand gestures as they are trying to make a specific point which can add emphasis to what is being said. 2. Noverbal communication can contradict what an individual is trying to say. For example, the individual may be saying that they are happy about a situation when in fact, they are feeling nervous. Their eyes or the fact that they are fidgeting may show that they are uncomfortable w ith what is being said. 3. Nonverbal communication can substitute for a verbal expression. As an example, when sending a message of empathy, showing empathy with the eyes, or with a warm smile can convey more than stating how someone feels about a situation. 4. Nonverbal communication can compliment what is being said. A caregiver who rubs the back of someone who is feeling depressed while they are telling them not to worry can be comforting to the individual hearing the message of bad news. 5. Nonverbal communication can also add an accent to the communication. As an example, someone pounding their fist on the table while conveying anger would accent the message that was given. Nonverbal communication is essential to an understanding in patient care because the practitioner must understand how to read the body language of their patients and/or the family so they can better serve their needs. Verbal Communication Most people are familiar with verbal communication because it is how w e talk to each other. Verbal communication can be quiet or loud and it can serve the purpose of getting information across to a patient and/or their family members. When verbally communicating in care settings it is important to use simple language, make sure that the pace of the conversation is not too fast or slow and it is important to use short sentences (NVQ Made Simple, 2010). The reason these things are important is