Cost management in production chains: reflections on its genesis

Abstract

Cost management represents an important tool for decision-making in companies, especially in times characterized by high levels of uncertainty and restrictions. The objective is to analyze cost management from the perspective of production chains. It relies on the review and analysis of scientific documents, from specialized databases, in order to identify aspects that allow us to focus attention not only on internal production relations and their costs; but rather in the analysis of costs incurred in other links in the chain: supply (provision of essential production factors) and marketing and sales (output of products derived from core activity). When companies require focused accounting information for analysis and projections, cost accounting is an alternative. However, changing contexts require combining specific methods, measures and reports on costs with qualitative elements offered by the administration. Both disciplines complement each other and give rise to management accounting or cost management. This, from the conception of production chains, allows more powerful organizations, by assuming an extended vision in cost analysis. Adding and expanding from a comprehensive view, allows to analyze and evaluate costs associated with the supply of inputs, the production and marketing of products or services with a greater direction and support of business decisions.