Term |
Definition |
Activity-based costing system |
Helps managers describe processes, identify cost drivers of each process, and then determine the unit costs of products created in each process |
Business process management (BPM) software |
Automate the core processes that normally occur in an HR office |
Business process reengineering (BPR) |
Redesigning business processes that are no longer effective or efficient. It is a continuous process that requires analysis of an existing process to find areas that need improvement |
Change management consultants |
Facilitate the complex process of BPR and overcome potential negative reactions |
Cost accounting subsystems |
Provides important control information and varies with the size of the company and the type of product produced |
Electronic funds transfer (EFT) |
Also called electronic payment. It is a cash management technique that eliminates paper documents |
Enterprise asset management (EAM) systems |
Automate the management of a broad spectrum of assets |
Financial planning models |
Help financial managers select an optimum strategy for acquiring and investing financial resources |
Financing process |
Describes how a company acquires and uses such financial resources as cash, other liquid assets, and investments |
Fixed asset management (FAM) |
Manages the purchase, maintenance, valuation, and disposal of fixed assets |
Human Resource (HR) Management |
Responsible for hiring or laying off employees |
Job costing information system |
Keeps track of the specific costs or raw materials, labor, and overhead associated with each product or group of products, called a "job" |
Just-in-time (JIT) inventory systems |
The organization produces goods to fill an order rather than to fill inventory |
Lean accounting |
The system of accounting that uses new performance measures to compliment lean manufacturing and further improve the business |
Lean manufacturing |
Involves making the commitment to eliminate waste throughout the organization |
Lock-box systems |
AN effective cash management tool that reduces the float period during which checks clear the bank |
Non-value-added waste |
The Toyota Production System focuses on reducing this in order to improve its business. |
Payroll processing information systems |
Pay employees for their work, maintain employee earnings records, comply with various government tax and reporting requirements, report on various deduction categories, and interact with other personnel functions |
Process costing information systems |
Used by manufacturers of homogeneous products that are produced on a regular and continuous basis |
Production process |
Sometimes called the conversion process. Begins with a request for raw materials and ends with the transfer of finished goods to warehouses |
Third-party billing |
A special accounting need of many health care organizations. Instead of billing customers directly, they go through a third party |
Time and billing information systems |
Track hours and costs associated with each job. Similar to job order costing systems |
Value stream management |
Replaces traditional departments to measure and valuate results and create lean accounting |
Vertical markets |
Markets or industries that are distinct in terms of the services they provide or the goods they produce |