Is Job Costing right for my business?

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You’ll want to speak to you accountant before making a decision about the type of job costing system that best suits your specific needs, but there are things you can consider before you have that conversation. You should first examine the nature of your business and the industry in which you transact your business. Job costing can be a highly effective method of cost allocation, but it best fits businesses that are highly task or job oriented. Does your business perform a high number of discrete jobs on a daily or weekly basis? Do those jobs consistently carry enough costs to justify the creation of a job costing system that focuses upon those jobs? Assuming that you believe your business is suited for job costing, you might also ask yourself the following questions:


• Am I capable of and willing to spend the money for the implementation of a job costing system and the requisite software? As discussed above, job costing systems require a high degree of accuracy and data integration. Given the likely need for specialized software and employee training in its use, are you willing to outlay the resources necessary for the implementation of a job costing system?


• Are my employees capable of fully realizing the potential of a job costing system after its implementation? Assuming that you’re willing and able to implement a job costing system, it’s important that you consider whether you and your employees possess the ability to report and analyze the necessary cost data that flows from your labor, inventory and overhead costs.



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