The essential reference to help federal contractors negotiate and maintain profitable contracts—Now in its third edition! This is the essential reference to help federal contractors negotiate and maintain profitable contracts—and remain in compliance throughout the life of the contract. Government contracting rules and regulations have changed significantly over the past six years. This new third edition addresses these changes and more: New thresholds for certification of cost and pricing data Revisions in cost accounting standards Implementation of commercial time-and-material and labor-hour contracts New, stringent ethics requirements Impact of stimulus funding Revised cost principles, including excessive pass-through costs, post-retirement benefits, and travel costs Redirected audit initiatives based on the GAO review of DCAA Plus…changed requirements for bidding…pricing…cost accounting…subcontracting…contract modification…all the information you need to be in compliance with the new rules. No other single book provides as much up-to-date federal procurement cost and pricing information in such a concise - yet comprehensive - format.

The process of estimating the cost for the development and delivery of a product, service, or solution can range from simple to highly complex based upon multiple factors including: technology maturity, urgency, geographic location, quantity, quality, availability of resources, hardware and software, systems integration and more. This book provides a comprehensive discussion of cost estimating and contract pricing with extensive use of tools, techniques, and best practices from both the public and private sectors. Key topics of discussion include: Cost estimating methods Cost accounting standards Cost analysis Profit analysis Contract pricing arrangements Price analysis Total ownership cost Earned value management systems

The easy way to get a grip on cost accounting Critical in supporting strategic business decisions and improving profitability, cost accounting is arguably one of the most important functions in the accounting field. For business students, cost accounting is a required course for those seeking an accounting degree and is a popular elective among other business majors. Cost Accounting For Dummies tracks to a typical cost accounting course and provides in-depth explanations and reviews of the essential concepts you'll encounter in your studies: how to define costs as direct materials, direct labor, fixed overhead, variable overhead, or period costs; how to use allocation methodology to assign costs to products and services; how to evaluate the need for capital expenditures; how to design a budget model that forecast changes in costs based on expected activity levels; and much more. Tracks to a typical cost accounting course Includes practical, real-world examples Walks you though homework problems with detailed, easy-to-understand answers If you're currently enrolled in a cost accounting course, this hands-on, friendly guide gives you everything you need to master this critical aspect of accounting.

This master reference is essential if you contract with the government! Correctly pricing your goods or services—and making certain that those prices are in compliance with myriad federal rules and regulations—is essential to doing business with the government…and ensuring your commercial success. Cost-Based Pricing: A Guide for Government Contractors shows you how to appropriately estimate and price for government contracts and defend those estimates in a government contracting and subcontracting environment. This practical book includes coverage of all government pricing rules and regulations as well as pertinent aspects of related laws, such as the Truth in Negotiations Act. The book walks you through every step of the estimating process. From figuring direct labor costs to intra-company transfers to contract modifications, the coverage is extensive yet accessible for even those new to the process. Using Cost-Based Pricing, you will be able to: • Develop more realistic estimates • Enhance your support of those estimates in negotiations • Avoid violations of the Truth in Negotiations Act • Increase your chances of securing a fair and reasonable price Cost-Based Pricing: A Guide for Government Contractors can make the difference between your success—and profitability—and failure in the federal government arena.

Strategic Cost Transformation offers a new framework, business domain management, which creates a comprehensive picture of your organization for improved cash based decision-making. Your product costs $2.86 to make. What does the number tell you about your operations, how effectively they were run, demand, or how much money you spent on capacity? Nothing. Shouldn’t you know? Accounting information creates a limited picture of operations and true cash performance. Strategic Cost Transformation offers a new framework, business domain management, which creates a comprehensive picture of your organization for improved cash based decision-making.

Business leaders rely on accounting data such as profit and calculated costs as a guide to whether they are making money. Should they? Accounting was designed to report financial performance not model cash flow. Accruals can disconnect cash flow from the timing and extent to which it occurs. Statements of cash flow do not provide insight into what was bought and how efficiently it was used. Costs and profits are not absolute, they change based on the model you use to calculate them. To manage cash, you must manage what you buy and how effectively you use it. The largest expenditure for most companies is capacity; space, labor, materials, equipment, and technology. Unless you model and manage capacity effectively, you will not achieve the cash flow results you seek. This book introduces capacity management, describes cash flow dynamics, and offers ideas about how to manage both. After reading it, you be able to see, understand, and manage cash flow as never before.