Michael G.

Foster School of Business

University of Washington
Accounting460AAdvancedCostAccountingSpring2010
RoomBLM205;M&W,1:302:50pm
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Instructor: LarryL.DuCharme,Ph.D.
Office:M259
Officehours: M&W(3:004:00pm)andbymutualarrangement.
Officephone:5438194/5434368;Homephone:(425)6403025;email:lducharm@u.washington.edu

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TEXTs:S.MarkYoung,ReadingsinManagementAccounting,PrenticeHall,5dedition,2007(referredtobelowas
M.Y.Readings).
JohnK.Shank,CasesinCostManagement:AStrategicEmphasis,ThomsonSouthWestern,3dedition
(referredtobelowasJ.S.Cases)

ClassSchedule:

DATE

03/29 Introductiontothecourse;
StrategicCostAnalysis
Prepare:BaldwinBicycleCompany(J.S.Cases)forWednesday
Thiscaseshouldgiveyouanexampleofthekindofanalysisyouneedtodowithcases.
03/31

Prepare:BaldwinBicycleCompanyforinclassdiscussiontoday.
Read:1.1BeDataLiterateinM.Y.Readings
1.2Cost/ManagementAccounting.inM.Y.Readings
1.3ManagementAccountingintheEraof.inM.Y.Readings
Iwillcallonyoutoanswerquestionsaboutthereadings.

04/05

ABC/ABM
Read:4.1IsABCSuitableforYourCompany?InM.Y.Readings
4.2MeasuringandManagingCustomerProfitabilityInM.Y.Readings
4.3ABMLiftsBanksBottomLineInM.Y.Readings

04/07 Prepare:MorrisseyForgings,Inc.[J.S.Cases,pp.197200]
Formulateanactionplanforthecompany.YoumustgofurtherthanjustABC!
Theassignmentquestionssetupabusinessperspectiveforthecasesituation,lookingattherecentpast,the
present,andthenearfuture.
Question7a:EstimatewhatincomeandROAwouldbeifTimimplementedyouradvicesowhatnow?
04/12 ABCandValueChainAnalysis:StrategicDecisions
Read:ANoteonValueChainAnalysis[J.S.Cases,pg.112123]
2.1StrategicCostManagementandtheValueChainInM.Y.Readings
6.3DistributionChannelProfitabilityInM.Y.Readings
04/14 Prepare:ChaliceWines[J.S.Cases]
Thisisahardbutveryfuncase.Therepealofprohibitiongrantedstatesthepowertoseparate
manufacturing.,distribution,andretailingofalcoholicbeverages(socalled3tierlaws).Therehasbeen
recentactivityinthisstaterelatedtomfg.andsaleofwines.Whatistheissue?
04/19 TargetCost
Read:6.4SmartPricing.InM.Y.Readings
7.1ControlTomorrowsCoststhroughTodaysDesigns.InM.Y.Readings
7.2TheuseofTargetCosting.InM.Y.Readings
04/21 Prepare:MontclairTheDeepColorGrades[J.S.Cases]

Michael G. Foster School of Business

University of Washington
04/26 Budgeting,varianceanalysis
ReviewvarianceanalysisfromyourCostAccountingcourse.
Read:10.2BudgetingGamemanshipInM.Y.readings
10.3BudgetingMadeEasyInM.Y.readings
10.4CorporateBudgeting.InM.Y.readings
10.5BeyondBudgetingInM.Y.readings
04/28 Prepareandhandin:BostonCreamery[JSCASES,p.5968]***Thisisyourfirstwrittenassignment.***
05/03 TransferPricing
Read:ControlwithFairnessinTransferPricing[HBR,Nov/Dec1983,No.83606]
12.1TransferPricingwithABC.InM.Y.Readings
05/05 Prepare:BirchPaperCompany[HarvardCase#9158001]
05/10 MeasuringandDrivingPerformance
Read:9.1UsingtheBalancedScorecardas.InM.Y.Readings
9.2Transformingthe.IInM.Y.Readings
9.3Transformingthe.IIInM.Y.Readings
05/12 Prepare:Citibank:PerformanceEvaluation[HarvardCase#9198048]
05/17 CompensationSystemDesign
Read:8.2WhyIncentivePlansCannotWork.InM.Y.Readings
8.3SixDangerousMythsAboutPayInM.Y.Readings
8.5PayWithoutPerformance:.InM.Y.Readings
05/19 Prepare:JonesIronworks,Inc.[J.S.Cases]
05/24 StrategicRiskControlProblems
Read:The7SModel.[Harvard#497045]
HowRiskyisYourCompany?[HBR,MayJune1999;reprint#99311atwebsite]
Prepare:KidderPeabody[HarvardCase#9197038]
05/26 FinishKidderPeabodycase
05/31 Studyday(MemorialDay)
06/02 StrategicPositioning
Prepare:LevisPersonalPairJeans(A)[J.S.Cases]Researchcurrentinfo.onLevis.
Finalreading:TransformingCostManagementintoaStrategicWeaponThisarticlesummarizesand
integratesmanyoftheimportantthemesinManagementAccounting.Itwillbehandedoutbeforeclass.
06/07 FinalExam.:WellingtonChemicals[J.S.Cases](2:304:20pm)
***Thisisyoursecondandfinalwrittencaseanalysis***Checkmywebsiteformoredetails.
Read:3.3TheOutsourcingDecision,inM.Y.Readings
Youmightalsofindithelpfultoread,Venkatesan,R.,Sourcing:ToMakeorNottoMake,Harvard
BusinessReview,Nov.Dec.,1992,pp.98107.No.92610attheHarvardwebsite.

Coursematerials:M.Y.ReadingsisavailableintheUniversityBookstore.
TheHarvardcasesandreadingsareavailableonthewebat:
http://cb.hbsp.harvard.edu/cb/access/5819035

RefertothemanagerialtextthatyouusedinAcctg.225orAcctg.311
Iwillhandoutsomeadditionalreadingsinadvanceofclasssessions.
Iwillalsopostcasequestionsonmywebsiteseveraldayspriortotheclass

Michael G. Foster School of Business

University of Washington
discussioninwhichwewilldiscussthecase.
Iwillfrequentlyleavemessagesforstudentsonmywebpage:

http://faculty.washington.edu/lducharm/classes460.htm

Accounting460Spring2010page4

CourseOverview
Thiscourseallowsstudentstoreinforcetheirunderstandingofandtheirabilitytousesomekey
toolsandthinkingpatternsofmanagementaccounting.Thefocusisonmaximizationofthe
overallperformanceofanorganization(bothforandnotforprofit).
Amanagermustnotonlymastertechniques(tools),he/shemustalsobeabletoevaluatethe
relevanceofthetools/approachesandknowwhentousethemappropriatelyfordecisionmaking.
Thepurposeofmanagementaccounting(anessentialpartofthemanagerialinformationsystem)is
tosupportthevaluecreationprocessandthegrowthoftheorganization.Manyofthecasesinthis
coursechallengestudentstodiagnoseawholesituation,tolendordertoasomewhatunstructured
picture,andthenapplyusefulanalyticalframeworkstodealwiththeissues.Answeringthe
questionsthatariseinthecasesshouldgobeyondtheapplicationoftechniquesandhelpstudents
workthroughthewholeconnectionbetweenrawdata,dataanalysis,andmanagementsparticular
informationneeds.
CaseMethod
Analyzingcasesisreallyaprocessofaskingandansweringquestions.Instudyingcases,theart
andskillofaskingtherightquestionsisasimportantasbeingabletoanswerthem.Someofthe
casequestionswillbeobvious,butformostquestionstherewillbemorequestionstoexplorethan
wereatfirstapparent.Youneedtomakealistofquestionsforyourself.Afteryouhaveanswered
thesequestions,youmightask:Whatthingsmightbedonetoimprovetheenterprise?What
seemsmostpromising?Andsoon.Theprocessislikepeelinganoniontogetattheheartofthe
matter.Thiswillhelpyouthinkaboutthemanagementpartofmanagementaccounting.William
Rotch

Acasetypicallycontainsseveralissues.Someissuesareevident,butmostofthetimeyouwill
havetoidentifythekeyissues.Youhavetoidentifytheissuesbeforegettingintoyourtoolbagof
techniquesforanalysis.Casesprovidespecificcontextinwhichtoanswersomeinteresting
questions.Dataavailableforformulatingasolutiontoacomplexsituationareneverorderlyand
systematicallypresented.Intherealworldyouhavebillionsofpiecesofinformationavailable
andattimesaremissingsomecriticalinformation(informationoverloadwithmissingcritical
pieces).Missinginformationisespeciallypresentincases.Itisyourresponsibilitytoidentifythe
missinginformationandresearchfortheinfoormakesomereasonableassumptionstomakeup
formissinginformation.
Nocasehasasinglesolution.Theimportantpartisthatallstudentshavearigorous,logical,and
wellarticulatedmethodofanalysis.Foramanager,thedecision(evenifpreparedwithagroupof
peers,partnersorsubordinates)isapersonalcommitment.
Oneapproachtopreparingforacasediscussion:
First,readthecasequicklycompletelythroughWhatisthiscaseallabout?
Carefullyreadthecasewithunderliningandnotetaking;makesomenotations/computations.
Developyourownviewaboutthecase.
Discussyourideaswithyoursmallstudygroup;purposeisNOTforagroupsolution.
Thefinaldiscussionofacasetakesplaceinthescheduledclasssession,where,withtheassistance
oftheinstructor,thecollectiveviewsandopinionsandjudgmentsofeveryoneintheclassare
explored.ItisthegoaloftheclasssessiontoidentifystrongorweakanalysisNOTtosaywhat
(orwho)isrightorwrong.Remember,whatactuallyhappenedorwhatonepersonthoughtought

Accounting460Spring2010page5

tobedoneisofnogreatsignificance;whatisimportantistheanalyticalprocessthatyoufollowed
asyoudevelopedyourownanswerstothecase!
CourseGrade
Yourfinalgradewillbebasedonthefollowingweights:
%ofgrade
Firstcaseanalysis
35
Classparticipation
30
Finalcaseanalysis
35
100%

ClassProcedures
Thelearningprocessinthiscoursereliesontheactiveparticipationandcontributionofeveryone.
Raisingquestionsorsuggestinganswersareequallyimportant.Listeningtoothersandbuilding
onpriorobservationsarekeytoaconstructivediscussionintheclassroom.Iwantyouto
challengeideasandnotpeoplebehaveprofessionallyatalltimes.
Inordertocontributetotheclass,youneedtobepresent.Pleaseemailmeaboutanyplanned
absencefromclass.Youareexpectedtosubmitanyworkdoneinclassthatyoumissed(bye
mailorhardcopy,beforeoraftermissedclass,individualtypewrittenanalysisoftheassignment
forthatsessionproblems,caseanalysis,summaryofreadings).Failuretosubmitmissedclass
materialmayleadtoreductioninyourindividualparticipationscore.
Academic Honesty
As a student in Accounting 460 you acknowledge that you are a member of a learning community
in the Foster School of Business that is committed to the highest academic standards. As a member
of this community, you agree to uphold the fundamental standards of honesty, respect, and
integrity, and you accept the responsibility to encourage others to adhere to these standards.
Office Hours / Meeting Times
If you have questions about anything in the course, career, other concerns, or just want to chat,
please stop by my office during office hours (M & W 3:00-4:00 pm) or contact me to arrange a
meeting. I am around campus many hours each week. If my office door is open, then I am
available to see you. Above, I have included my home phone number if you need to reach me and
are unable to get me at my office.

Procrastinationislikeacreditcard:itsalotoffununtilyougetthebill.ChristopherParker

GoodluckLarry
ver.:March2010