Activity-based costing methods are constantly being improved upon, and many websites discuss suggestions for improvement. The article in this activity outlines an alternative perspective on activity-based costing.

Address: http://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/4587.html, or go to www.wiley.com/college/kimmel Instructions Read the article provided at the site and answer the following questions.

(a) What concerns do the authors say are raised by “real-world use” of ABC? According to the authors, what benefits have companies enjoyed from the use of ABC?

(b) What method do the authors suggest for estimating practical capacity? How important is it to be precise in this estimate?

(c) Describe the steps that are taken after practical capacity has been estimated.

(d) What is one of the primary benefits obtained by management in the report entitled “ABC, the Time-Driven Way”? What is an example of how this worked for a real company?

COMMUNICATION ACTIVITY