SUBJECT OUTLINE

22753 Cost Management and Analysis

Course area UTS: Business
Delivery Autumn 2024; City
Credit points 6cp
Requisite(s) 22747 Accounting for Managerial Decisions
These requisites may not apply to students in certain courses. See access
conditions.
Result type Grade and marks

Subject coordinator
Prof. David Bedford

Accounting Discipline Group

Location: CB08.06.075

Email: David.Bedford@uts.edu.au

Subject description
This subject examines the role of cost management and analysis practices used within organisations. The subject
focuses on a range of quantitative techniques that use cost information for business planning and control, including
cost classification cost estimation, product costing and pricing, standard costing and variance analysis. Students learn
the basic principles underpinning these techniques, gain proficiency in applying them to analyse and solve practical
organisational problems and learn how information and communications technology supports cost management and
analysis in contemporary organisations.

Subject learning objectives (SLOs)

Upon successful completion of this subject students should be able to:
1. explain how cost accounting techniques support the achievement of organisational strategies and goals
2. apply a range of appropriate cost analysis techniques to solve practical problems faced by organisations
3. interpret and critically evaluate cost information to support managerial decision-making
4. understand and apply relevant information and communications technology tools to support cost accounting
management and analysis

Course intended learning outcomes (CILOs)

This subject also contributes specifically to the following program learning objectives:
Communicate accounting information and decisions clearly in an appropriate form to business stakeholders (2.1)

Contribution to the development of graduate attributes

This management accounting subject is designed to connect strongly to contemporary practices. The aim is to provide
knowledge and skills for a broad range of essential cost management and analysis practices. The subject is relevant to
accountants and also to non-accounting managers. The overall focus is the modelling and analysis of complex cost
behaviours.

This subject contributes to the development of the following graduate attribute(s):

Intellectual rigour and innovative problem solving
Social responsibility and cultural awareness
Professional and technical competence

This subject also contributes specifically to develop the following Program Learning Objective(s) for the Master of

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This subject also contributes specifically to develop the following Program Learning Objective(s) for the Master of
Professional Accounting:
Collaborate with peers and stakeholders to achieve desired business outcomes (2.2)

Teaching and learning strategies

This subject is designed on the philosophy that, to become practice-ready: (1) students learn best by using cost
accounting tools common in practice and; (2) students learn best by solving cost modelling and analysis problems
sourced from professional practice. This strategy aligns with the UTS Model of Learning for graduates to be
“work-ready” and to provide a “practice-oriented education”. The group assignment task is a cost system design and
analysis case study designed to encourage critical thinking about the textbook and lectures' content.

The subject is delivered through a three-hour seminar each week. Pre-assigned materials (readings, case studies and
audio-visual) and learning tasks will also be made available for students to complete independently.

Students of this subject are required to:

Attend all scheduled seminars
Complete all subject assessments
Check for announcements on the learning management system regularly
Read the entire subject outline

Act in an ethical manner in the completion of the requirements of this subject and to not engage in any malpractice
that will provide you with an unfair advantage over other students.

In particular, the University has strong policies regarding plagiarism and cheating, which can lead to severe penalties
or expulsion.

It is expected that students will have read the online and/or other material that has been allocated for a particular week
and are prepared to discuss those materials in seminars. Students must listen, take notes and actively participate in
the weekly class. Students should be active in asking questions and participating in discussions. Students will need to
learn a variety of theoretical concepts in order to solve the numerous and diverse practical problems contained in the
subject.

Content (topics)
Business processes and strategy
Costing principles, behaviour and estimation
Product costing and pricing
Job costing
Process costing
Activity-based costing
Standard costing and variance analysis
Data analysis and reporting
Datasets and database design
Database management systems and documentation

Program
Week/Session Dates Description

Week 1 21 Feb Module 1: Fundamentals of costing and management accounting

The role of management and cost accounting

Value chain analysis
Costing terminology recap

Readings: Chapter 1 (Eldenburg)

Notes:

Seminar activities:

Revision tutorial (pre-requisite knowledge and skills)

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 Microsoft Excel skill development

Week 2 28 Feb Module 2: Cost behaviour, drivers and estimation

Cost drivers
Cost behaviour patterns
Alternative methods for estimating and predicting costs
Scatterplots, high-low analysis and regression analysis in Microsoft Excel

Readings: Chapter 2 (Eldenburg)

Notes:

Seminar activities:

Questions and exercises on cost behaviour.

Week 3 6 Mar Module 3: Costing products and services

Product costs (direct materials, direct labour, overhead)

Plant-wide overhead allocation
Departmental overhead allocation

Readings: Chapter 3 (Eldenburg)

Notes:

Seminar activities:

Questions and exercises on product costing.

Week 4 13 Mar Module 4: Activity Based Costing

Problems with conventional costing

Activity analysis
Activity-based costing (ABC)
Comparing ABC with traditional costing methods

Readings: Chapter 12 (Eldenburg)

Notes:

Seminar activities:

Questions and exercises on activity-based costing.

Week 5 20 Mar Module 5: Job costing

Flow of costs through the general ledger

Job costing for customised products
Target costing

Readings: Chapter 7 (Eldenburg)

Notes:

Seminar activities:

Assignment: Assignment overview - Refer Canvas for details

Questions and exercises on job costing.

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 Questions and exercises on job costing.

Week 6 27 Mar Assignment Intensive

Notes:

Online Quiz 1 (15%): Covers modules 1, 2 and 3. Completed during class time.

Week 7 3 Apr Module 6: Process costing

Overview of process costing

Steps to process costing
Equivalent units
Inventory costing methods (FIFO, weighted average)

Readings: Chapter 8 (Eldenburg)

Notes:

Seminar activities:

Questions and exercises on process costing

Week 8 10 Apr Module 7: Standard costing and variance analysis

Static vs flexible budgets

Standard costs
Flexible budget variances
Variance analysis

Readings: Chapters 10 and 11 (Eldenburg)

Notes:

Seminar activities:

Online Quiz 2 (15%): Covers modules 4, 5 and 6. Completed during class time.

Questions and exercises on standard costing.

STUVAC 17 Apr STUVAC

Notes:

No classes

Week 9 24 Apr Module 8: Strategic management of costs and revenues

Value chain analysis

Customer profitability
Target costing
Pricing methods

Readings: Chapter 16 (Eldenburg)

Notes:

Seminar activities:

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 Seminar activities:

Questions and exercises on strategic management accounting.

Week 10 1 May Module 9: Introduction to data analysis

Introduction to data analytics

IMPACT model
Data analysis with Microsoft Excel
Communicating business insights

Readings: Chapter 1 (Richardson)

Notes:

Seminar activities:

Case exercises on data analysis:

Lending Club
Brandee Merchandise
San Francisco Case Study

Week 11 8 May Module 10: Working with datasets and databases

Database design
Relational databases
Extract transform and Load (ETL) processes
Data preparation and cleaning in Microsoft Excel

Readings: Chapter 2 (Richardson)

Notes:

Seminar activities:

Text functions in Excel Spreadsheet

Text cleaning

KAT Training Dataset

Week 12 15 May Subject overview

Additional information
This subject has been designed for with the following weekly pattern of teaching and learning activities for each
module:

1) Preparation work (self-directed)

Read the relevant chapters in the textbook, as prescribed in the subject outline and on the modules in Canvas.
Work through the module's lecture material by watching the online videos, available to stream on-demand on
Canvas. The lecture has been broken down into smaller 5-15 minute videos, which introduce the basic concepts
and demonstrate their application in practice problems. We recommend that students print the lecture slides and
lecture demonstrate templates, so that you can take notes and work through the problem questions while
watching the videos.
Post questions about the lecture material and demonstration questions on the assigned Discussion Board for the
module. These will be moderated regularly by the CMA teaching team every week

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 Download, print and read the in-class exercises for the module. We will be going through these questions in the
seminar, but it is important that you have familiarised yourself with the questions before class.
We expect it to take approximately 2 hours to complete the preparation work for each module.

2) Seminars (face-to-face - occurring at the time shown on your timetable)

Attend your weekly seminar, at your regular enrolled time slot.
During the class, attempt the in-class exercises and participate in the class discussion. These classes will not be
one-way information delivery – you will be expected to participate and engage with your instructor and peers during
this session. It will also be an opportunity to ask questions you have about the lecture material or the previous
week’s revision questions.

3) After-class revision (self-directed)

Attempt the proscribed set of revision questions from the textbook.
Review the solutions provided to those questions (available on Canvas).
Ask follow-up questions on the assigned Discussion Board for the module. These will be moderated regularly by
the CMA teaching team every week
We expect it to take approximately 1 hour to complete the after-class revision work for each module.

Need assistance?
For any questions about online learning and delivery, assessments and the subject content, please post a question
on the Discussion Board on Canvas
If you have trouble accessing Canvas or any of the online technologies for participating in class – please contact
UTS IT on 9514 2222 or lodge a request for assistance on Service Connect.

Assessment
X grades are awarded in this subject

Assessment task 1: Quizzes (Individual)*

Objective(s): This addresses subject learning objective(s):

2, 3 and 4

Weight: 30%

Task: Each quiz will be 60 minutes in length and will run through the Canvas platform.

Quiz 1:
Covers modules 1, 2, and 3
To be completed in Week 6
The quiz will be conducted in class time on 27th March 2024.

Quiz 2
Covers modules 4,5, and 6
To be completed in Week 8
The quiz will be conducted in class time on 10th April 2024.

The grade for this assessment will be the average of the two quiz marks. There are no
supplementary exams for missed quizzes. Further details about the structure of quizzes will be
provided on Canvas.

Length: Duration for each quiz is 60 minutes.

Due: Quiz 1 will occur in Week 6 and Quiz 2 will occur in Week 8. In each instance, the quiz will be
available online for students to complete in class time.

Criteria: This assessment will be graded on the following criteria:

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 Criteria: This assessment will be graded on the following criteria:

correct application of costing techniques and theories

accuracy of answers
level of detail and the clarity of your answers

*Note: Late submission of the assessment task will not be marked and awarded a mark of zero.

Students who do not attend one or both quizzes (15% each) will have the weighting of that
assessment added to the final examination conditional on the students submitting, receiving
approval and complying with the requirements of special consideration in accordance with the UTS
rules. If the composite mark for the final exam totals more than 50 percent and the student is in the
final subject of their degree, the UTS rules on borderline result (range of 45-49) shall apply whereby
students will be allowed to undertake a supplementary final examination. Where a student completes
and passes the supplementary examination, the maximum mark awarded for the subject will be 50
Pass.

Further The quizzes will be run in the tutorials. Students are required to Bring Your Own Laptop.
information: A quiz completed outside the class (i.e., without supervision) will be considered invalid and
given a mark of zero.

Assessment task 2: Individual Assignment (Individual)

Objective(s): This addresses subject learning objective(s):

1, 2, 3 and 4

This addresses program learning objectives(s):

2.1

Weight: 20%

Task: This assessment is a practice-based assignment designed to provide students experience in

addressing a real-world problem by applying cost accounting concepts, principles and analysis, using
relevant information and communications technology tools. Students will be required to produce a
final report that clearly communicates the results of their analysis in an appropriate form to relevant
business stakeholders. The specific requirements of the assignment are detailed in an assignment
brief, available on Canvas.

Length: The report detailing the results of your analysis which includes numeric tables of results and
associated explanations should not exceed 2,000 words.

Due: 5.00pm Monday 29 April 2024

The final report is due on Monday April 29. Note that students will be expected to complete
components of the assignment throughout the semester. Submission is through an upload on
Canvas.

Criteria: The extent to which the student can appropriately apply management accounting analysis
techniques, tools and software to the case problem
The quality of the written analysis supporting the accounting analysis outputs
The quality of the recommendations provided based on critical analysis and creative thinking
The extent (quantity and quality) of the academic research used to support the analysis and
recommendations
Clarity and appropriateness of communication of accounting information and decisions

Further During semester, students will participate in an ‘assignment intensive’ in class, discussing the

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 Further During semester, students will participate in an ‘assignment intensive’ in class, discussing the
information: content relevant to the assignment and practicing appropriate communication skills relevant for their
final report.

Students are expected to comply with the subject's policy regarding ethical use of generative AI in
completing this assessment (details of this policy will be available on Canvas).

All further details of the assignment will be provided in the assignment brief on Canvas.

Assessment task 3: Final Exam (Individual)

Intent: This assessment task is a compulsory component of the subject. A student must attain no less than
40% of the marks in this assessment to pass the subject irrespective of the subject’s total marks.

Objective(s): This addresses subject learning objective(s):

2, 3 and 4

Weight: 50%

Task: This assessment covers all topics in the subject. Students will be examined through problem-based
questions, including both calculations and theory-based components.

Length: Duration: 2 hours

Due: Formal Examination Period - Exact date and time TBA

Criteria: The Final Exam assessment task will be graded on the following criteria:

correct application of costing techniques and theories

accuracy of answers
level of detail and the clarity of your answers

Further Examinations will be centrally-conducted under University examination conditions, and hence
information: thoroughly address concerns regarding secure assessment. Please review the conditions for
centrally-conducted exams: http://www.sau.uts.edu.au/assessment/exams/central.html

Failure to sit the exam at the formally designated time may result in failure of the course unless you
comply fully with the SAU special consideration procedure. Please consult the website for detail on
the acceptable conditions and relevant procedure: http://www.sau.uts.edu.au/assessment/apply.html

Use of plagiarism detection software

TurnItIn, along with protocols for its use, is used to assess group assignment submissions for cheating and for
plagiarism.

Minimum requirements
A student must achieve 50% or more of the subject’s total marks AND achieve 40% or more in the final exam to pass
the subject.
A Fail (X) Grade is awarded to a student who attains 50% or more of the overall subject assessment marks but attains
less than 40% of the final exam marks. To pass the subject, the student must then attain 50% or more of the marks in
the supplementary task, in which case the student is awarded an overall mark of 50P.

Required texts
Course Textbooks:

Eldenburg, Management Accounting, 4th Edition. John Wiley and Sons. Print ISBN : 9780730369387 | Digital ISBN
: 9780730369424

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Richardson, Data Analytics for Accounting, 3rd Edition (International), McGraw-Hill, Print ISBN: 9781264444908 |
Digital ISBN: 9781264460571

Other resources
Required software:

During semester students will need to use Microsoft Teams and Microsoft Office (including Excel). Links to free
software downloads of all programs are provided on Canvas

Assessment: faculty procedures and advice

Extensions and late assessment protocol

Any assessment task (excluding take-home final exams, frequent assessment tasks that must be submitted on a
regular basis prior to or during a synchronous class such as weekly homework preparation, pre-class or in-class
quizzes or single assessments that are performed and assessed during class time such as presentations) submitted
after the due date and time, will be either:
penalised by way of loss of marks where 10 per cent (10%) of the marks for the assessment task will be deducted
per day for assessment tasks submitted after the due date. A day is defined as a 24-hour period or part thereof
following the published due date and time of the assignment, and
will be rejected and not marked if the assessment is submitted more than five (5) calendar days for subjects offered
in the Main Calendar (Autumn, Spring and Summer) and seven (7) calendar days for subjects offered in the UTS
Online (Sessions 1 to 6), after the stated submission date, unless a formal short-term extension has been granted
by the Subject Coordinator, or
rejected without marking (where the subject outline states that this will be the consequence of an assessment task
being submitted after the due time on the due date without an approved extension)

The maximum penalty that can be applied is 50% of the assessment marks. Students cannot receive a negative score
for the assessment task after a penalty is levied.

A penalty for late work will not apply in cases of approved extensions by the Subject Coordinator. Approved
extensions cannot be made without a request for extension sent directly to the coordinator (or nominated approving
tutor as designated by the subject coordinator) for short-term extensions (within the timeframe set out above) or via an
application for special consideration (within the UTS time frames for submission). Any direct requests must be
received by the Subject Coordinator at least 24 hours prior to the due date and time.

Students enrolled in UTS Online courses must complete the Request for Short Extension without Academic Penalty
form to apply for a short-term extension.

A penalty may not apply after due consideration of any submission (request for extension or application for special
consideration) by the Academic Liaison Officer (ALO), on behalf of students registered with Accessibility Services.

Academic integrity
Academic integrity is about demonstrating honesty, trust, fairness, respect, responsibility and courage in your studies
and assessments. Studying at UTS and being part of our community means maintaining these values and acting with
academic integrity at all times.

Guide to practising academic integrity

As a UTS student, when you create something original, credit others and collaborate with care, you act with academic
integrity.
Create something original: this means doing all your own work from start to finish, submitting work that is original for
that assessment and being honest about any data or results.
Credit others: you need to acknowledge and reference the source of any ideas, data or materials you use or adapt
in your work.
Collaborate with care: make sure you do group work according to the guidelines from your tutor, lecturer or
supervisor, study with your classmates and friends with care and keep your assessment and study notes just for you.

It is okay if you feel confused about academic integrity; just ask! We are here to help you understand academic
integrity and do your assessments with confidence.
Explore the guide to practising academic integrity, including dos and don’ts.

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 Complete the academic integrity self-paced tutorial and quiz.
Get help with academic skills, such as writing, researching and referencing, and other support for life outside of the
classroom.
Talk to your tutor, lecturer, subject coordinator, or UTS help services if you are unsure about anything related to
academic integrity.

Generative AI (GenAI) and academic integrity

Are you thinking about using GenAI (such as ChatGPT or DALL-E) in your subjects and assessments?

There are a few things you must do to make sure you are maintaining academic integrity:
Check the rules for if and how you can use GenAI in your subjects and assessments via this subject outline or your
subject sites in Canvas (rules will differ between subjects, so make sure you check each subject). If you are unsure,
check with your tutor, lecturer or subject coordinator.
Understand how to use GenAI ethically.
Reference and acknowledge its use.

Academic integrity breaches

A breach of academic integrity is also known as academic misconduct or academic dishonesty. A breach occurs if you
engage in behaviours that undermine academic integrity, such as plagiarism and cheating. These are serious forms of
misconduct, and penalties apply.

Academic liaison officer

Associate Professor Helen Spiropoulos, Accounting Department
Dr Mario Fiorini, Economics Department
Associate Lecturer Linda Styles, Finance Department
Dr Anja Hergesell, Management Department
Dr Kyuseop Kwak, Marketing Department
Dr Deborah Cotton, Indigenous student liaison

Any arrangements should be negotiated within the first six weeks of the session.

Support
Student Services Unit/Counselling: Student Services provides a range of free and confidential professional services
to support different aspects of your life and learning at UTS. These services include counselling for personal and
learning problems or issues. If you are experiencing difficulties with your overall study program, for whatever reason,
telephone +61 2 9514 1177 (City campus).

The Accessibility and Financial Assistance Service: The Accessibility Service can support students with
disabilities, medical or mental health conditions, including temporary injuries (e.g., broken limbs). The Accessibility
Service works with Academic Liaison Officers in each Faculty to provide ‘reasonable adjustments’ such as exam
provisions, assistive technology, requests and strategies for managing your studies alongside your health condition. If
you are unsure whether you need assistance, we recommend getting in touch early and we can provide advice on
how our service can assist you. Make an appointment with an Accessibility Consultant (AC) on +61 2 9514 1177 or
Accessibility@uts.edu.au.

The Financial Assistance Service can assist you with financial aspects of life at university, including Centrelink
information, tax returns and budgeting, interest-free student loans and grants to assist with course-related costs.
Check eligibility and apply online and make an appointment on +61 2 9514 1177 or Financial.Assistance@uts.edu.au.

Parents/carers: The Academic Liaison Officers (ALOs) should be your first point of contact as you navigate time and
other pressures as a result of your caring responsibilities. ALOs will be able to advise you and liaise with other staff
on your behalf in relation to assessment arrangements.

Improve your academic and English language skills: Marks for all assessment tasks such as assignments and
examinations are given not only for what you write but also for how you write. If you would like the opportunity to
improve your academic and English language skills, make an appointment with the HELPS (Higher Education
Language and Presentation Support) service in Student Services.

HELPS (Higher Education Language and Presentation Support): HELPS provides assistance with English
language proficiency and academic language. Students who need to develop their written and/or spoken English

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language proficiency and academic language. Students who need to develop their written and/or spoken English
should make use of the free services offered by HELPS, including academic language workshops, vacation intensive
courses, drop-in consultations, individual appointments and Conversations@UTS. HELPS is located in Student
Services, Building 1, Level 5, Room 25 (CB01.05.25).

Study skills/learning support: If you are experiencing difficulty with your studies or need to develop the necessary
study skills you require for your course, there is a host of useful information and websites to help you on the UTS
Business School, Study and Assessment Resource website. Links on how to write better, study more effectively,
available support services/staff to help, how to complete assignments; as well as tips for successful study and online
study skills resources can all be accessed. In addition, HELPS provides self-help resources.

Special consideration: Special consideration consists of the exercise of academic discretion to provide equitable
treatment to students whose performance in an assessment item is affected by illness, misadventure or work-related
circumstances. You should only apply for special consideration when your performance in an assessment item,
including examinations, has been affected by extenuating or special circumstances beyond your control. These
circumstances include:
Serious illness or psychological condition: such as hospital admission, serious injury or illness, severe anxiety or
depression
Loss or bereavement: such as death of a close family member, family relationship breakdown
Hardship or trauma: such as being a victim of a crime, sudden loss of income or employment, severe disruption to
domestic arrangements
Exceptional employment demands: such as active service (e.g. ADF Reserves, bushfire and SES services).

Special consideration is not automatically guaranteed and may not result in a mark adjustment.

Careers Service: The UTS Careers Service aims to actively support the career development needs of all UTS
students.

Statement about assessment procedures and advice

Assessment of coursework subjects

All staff and students involved in the assessment of coursework subjects at UTS are subject to the Policy for the
Assessment of Coursework Subjects. The policy is applicable to the assessment of all coursework subjects. This
policy does not apply to thesis subjects that are taken by students enrolled in research degrees, but does apply to any
coursework subjects undertaken by research degree students. It does not describe policy that relates to academic
progression through a course of study.

The policy should be read in conjunction with the Procedures for the Assessment of Coursework Subjects.

Statement on copyright
Australian copyright law allows you as a student or researcher to copy and use limited amounts of other people's
material in your study or research without their permission and free of charge.

This applies to any sort of published or unpublished work and includes written material, tables and compilations,
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including books, journals, websites, emails and other electronic messages.

It is important to remember that you can only use a limited amount for your study or research purposes and that
you need to correctly acknowledge the author and reference their material when you use it in your work.

Incorrect or improper use of copyright protected material could result in breaking Australian copyright law, for which
significant penalties apply. Incorrect or improper use of copyright protected material at UTS would result in
consideration under the UTS Student Misconduct rules.

UTS Rules and the UTS Student Charter require that students familiarise themselves and comply with UTS student
policies and procedures. Students should also see the copyright statement advising what you can copy and how much
you can use.

Copyright notice concerning teaching materials

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Please remember that teaching materials and resources provided to you at UTS are protected by copyright. You are
not permitted to re-use those for any purposes (including commercial purposes, in kind benefit or gain) without
permission of the copyright owner. Breaching copyright in relation to teaching materials and resources could lead to a
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Email from the University to a student will only be sent to the student's UTS email address in accordance with UTS
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email address. University staff will not respond to emails from any other email accounts for currently enrolled students.

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