What Is Modern Cost Accounting?

　　歷史成本原則是傳統成本會計理論的基礎之一。在物價不變或基本穩定的社會經濟環境下，歷史成本的會計計量模式因其可驗證性和有利于反映資產經營管理責任的履行情況，而被各國所廣泛采用。.然而，自本世紀60年代以來全球性通貨膨脹的出現，引發了傳統歷史成本會計下嚴重的會計信息失真問題。與此同時，在世界經濟迅猛發展的大環境下，大規模企業購并的出現，高新信息技術的開發和運用，人力資源概念的興起，以及其他新興經濟資源的出現，使得會計信息使用者對會計信息的決策相關性和充分披露的要求越來越高，而歷史成本在面對這些問題時也顯得越來越束手無策。

Modern cost accounting is developed on the basis of traditional cost accounting.

With the change of the economic environment, it can reflect the change of the value of assets in time, and have a high correlation of decision making, so that the status of the balance sheet in the financial accounting report system is consolidated and strengthened, and the position of the accounting information in the economic information system is also raised.

　　一、現代成本會計概念解析

Definition of modern cost accounting

Modern cost accounting is a direct combination of cost accounting and production and operation. It is a series of value management activities that use special management techniques and methods, and take currency as the main measurement unit, to forecast, make decisions, plan, control, calculate, analyze and assess the labor cost in the process of production and operation.

Cost accounting has the function of cost prediction and cost decision making, which is an important symbol of modern cost accounting.

Modern cost accounting is mainly a management activity, and its functions are all aimed at achieving the goal of cost management.

(two) reasons for the formation of modern cost accounting.

With the development of social production, especially the third revolution of science and technology, the combination of science and technology is more and more closely linked with production, and a large number of new technologies and technologies have been adopted in production activities.

The manufacturing environment, market environment and management environment have undergone profound changes. The traditional cost accounting theory has been unable to meet the requirements of enterprise development, and modern cost accounting has been born at this time.

1, the manufacturing environment has changed.

After the third technological revolution, information technology began to be widely used in the production of enterprises. Flexible manufacturing system (FMS), computer aided design (CAD), computer-aided engineering (CAE), computer aided manufacturing (CAM) system, manufacturing resource planning (MRP II), and computer integrated manufacturing system (CIM) with computer as the core, combined with all new technologies such as FMS, CAD, CAE, CAM and so on, have been promoted in enterprise production, forming an automated manufacturing process and realizing the factory's unmanned management.

For enterprises, in the face of the impact of new manufacturing environment, the traditional cost accounting techniques and methods will continue to be used, which will lead to incorrect cost calculation.

In the new manufacturing environment, robots and computer-aided production systems have replaced labor in some jobs. The proportion of labor costs has dropped from 20% to 40% in the traditional manufacturing environment to less than 5%.

But manufacturing costs are soaring and diversified.

2, the market environment of enterprises has changed.

Under the condition of market economy, the law of value dominates the operation of the market. At this time, the market environment of enterprises has changed greatly than before. Most products have been sought, resulting in increasingly fierce market competition, the diversification of product demand, the increasingly stringent demands of customers on product quality, the increasingly close international division of labor and cooperation, the fierce competition, and the innovation of new technology and technology.

For enterprises, in the face of changes in the market environment, traditional cost accounting techniques and methods may continue to be used to produce anti functional behavior.

Traditional cost accounting makes a difference report between the budget and actual performance, comparing the actual cost with the standard cost.

In the new manufacturing environment, this control system will produce an anti functional behavior.

For example, in order to obtain favorable efficiency differences, enterprises may unilaterally pursue mass production, resulting in an increase in inventories.

In addition, in order to obtain favorable price differences, the purchasing department may purchase low-quality raw materials or bulk purchase, resulting in quality problems or inventory backlog.

3, business management environment has changed.

The changes in the production environment and the market environment of enterprises have promoted the change of the management environment. Business operators have created a lot of new management theories and methods according to the actual conditions of enterprises. The main theories and methods are Just In Time System (JIT), Total Quality Management, TQM, strategic management (Strategic Management), benchmark management (TQM), continuous improvement, restriction theory, target management, etc.

For enterprises, in the face of the innovation of enterprise management environment, traditional cost accounting is changing to modern cost accounting, mainly manifested in the change of management concept of cost accounting, so that modern cost accounting has come into being in accordance with the requirements of the times.

(three) the task of modern cost accounting.

1, make cost estimates, compile cost plans, provide basic basis for cost control and cost analysis of enterprises.

In order to achieve effective results in enterprise management under market economy, scientific and effective management objectives must be formulated.

On the issue of cost management, modern cost accounting emphasizes that the financial department should play its leading role. In conjunction with other functional departments, on the basis of careful analysis of the past, we should make use of historical cost, market investigation and other related information, and adopt scientific methods to predict the cost level, and draw up various cost reduction plans for decision making of enterprises after making a comparative analysis.

Then according to the target cost or cost forecast information, the cost plan, the cost control standard and the main measures to reduce the cost cost are worked out.

In order to carry out the plan management of cost, establish the responsibility system of cost management, lay the foundation of economic accounting and control cost, and achieve the purpose of saving cost and reducing cost.

2, audit and control the expenses and costs of enterprises, prevent and avoid all kinds of waste and loss.

Standardized and strict cost control refers to the use of modern cost accounting methods, predetermined cost limits, according to the limit of cost and cost, the actual cost and cost limit, to measure the performance and effectiveness of business activities, in order to improve work efficiency, and strive to control all kinds of consumption within the limit.

3. Analyze and assess the implementation of the cost plan, participate in the management of the enterprise, tap the potential, and minimize the cost.

In the process of cost prediction and plan execution, cost control is still not controlled. It will be completed through cost analysis and assessment, so as to achieve positive results, find gaps, encourage advanced and promote backward purposes.

In reality, due to the strong cost comprehensiveness, the completion of the plan is affected by many factors. Therefore, we must treat it objectively and objectively.

Through cost analysis, we reveal various factors that affect the cost rise and fall and the extent of their impact, and carefully analyze the discrepancy of the cost departure plan, so as to correctly evaluate the achievements of the departments and departments in the cost management, reveal the problems existing in the enterprise cost management, and promote the improvement of the cost management.

　　二、現代成本會計與傳統成本會計的對比及評價

Specifically, modern cost accounting is a procedure and method for identifying, measuring and reporting accounting objects under the circumstances of price changes, reflecting and eliminating the impact of inflation on the financial and operating performance of enterprises.

It is recognized as a relatively perfect accounting for price changes.

Modern cost accounting is the natural extension and objective development of traditional historical cost accounting under the condition of price changes.

But compared with traditional cost accounting, they have different theoretical bases and measurement models.

(1) the theoretical basis is different.

1. Accounting objectives

The traditional cost accounting adopts the concept of "management responsibility" and "decision usefulness" in accounting objectives.

Specifically, the concept of "management responsibility" holds that the fundamental goal of financial accounting is to effectively reflect the accountability and performance of entrusted management in a proper way.

At this time, accounting activities are the obligations of the managers of enterprises from their own standpoints and their economic responsibilities. Therefore, the accounting entity is in the position of active reporting.

It focuses on the role of accounting in the principal-agent relationship.

Focusing on the result of the separation of the two powers - principal-agent relationship.

According to this view, because the result of historical cost can objectively and impartially reflect the fulfillment of the business responsibility of the trustee as a trustee, the traditional historical cost accounting should be adopted.

Second, the "decision usefulness view" holds that the fundamental goal of financial accounting is to provide quantitative financial information to all users of information to help them make economic decisions, that is, the purpose of providing information is to make decisions useful. Obviously, accounting activities are based on the position of the external information of investors and the requirements of accounting entities, so the accounting entity is passive.

It focuses on the impact of capital market on the accounting objectives of enterprises, focusing on the forming conditions and realization space of the separation of the two rights capital market.

Modern cost accounting is a new branch of accounting discipline formed under the social and economic background of inflation to overcome the distortion of accounting information caused by price changes.

The accounting objective of modern cost accounting is that when the price level changes, it is more useful and useful to report users than traditional historical cost accounting. The accounting information based on the current cost should fully reflect the responsibility of entrusted management and make full use of the need to formulate economic decisions.

In contrast, it is based on the concept of "management responsibility" based on "decision usefulness view".

In terms of accounting objectives, modern cost accounting is neither a "responsibility view" of traditional accounting, nor a purely "decision usefulness view", instead of a "decision usefulness view" which fully reflects the business responsibility.

2. Accounting assumptions

The accounting assumption refers to the logical judgement of those economic objects that are not known or can not be positively demonstrated, according to objective normal situations or trends.

The accounting assumption reveals the close relationship between financial accounting and its social and economic environment. It is a prerequisite for the normal operation of the financial accounting system. Its objective reality is based on the uncertainty of the environment.

In the accounting assumption, the traditional cost accounting adopts the accounting assumption that the monetary value remains unchanged under monetary measurement.

However, in the real economic society, the emergence of inflation has seriously shaken the accounting assumption of monetary value unchanged under monetary measurement.

When the purchasing power of money continues to decline, the same amount of money represents different purchasing power at different times, thus losing its due homogeneity.

In the accounting statement, although the monetary unit used has not changed on the surface, but in terms of its real economic meaning, because of the change in the purchasing power of money, the measurement results have already lost the unified measurement standard (that is, the currency position representing the same value and purchasing power).

At this time, the amount of money contained in each period of money reflected by nominal money is different and incomparable. Therefore, the results of the accounting items are not essential in essence. The sum of sums is also a simple addition to each single amount of money from the purchasing power level of different currencies, which is naturally lacking in comparability and relevance, and is also greatly reduced in comprehensiveness and comprehensiveness.

In contrast, the modern cost accounting has adopted the accounting entity hypothesis, the continuous operation hypothesis, the accounting stage hypothesis and the monetary measurement hypothesis according to the change of the environment.

The assumption of accounting entity refers to the specific spatial scope of accounting work.

It requires accounting to reflect the business activities of a specific enterprise instead of other business or individual business activities.

This provides a basis for defining the scope of accounting and financial statements.

For this assumption, the accounting of price changes completely inherited the idea of traditional accounting.

Similarly, in the choice of accounting individuals, price change accounting is still following the principle of substance over form: that is, the selection of accounting individuals should be determined according to the economic units that can control resources, undertake obligations and operate and operate, or be determined according to the scope of economic interests of specific individuals, collectives or institutions.

Second, the assumption of continuous operation means that in the foreseeable future, enterprises will not be faced with bankruptcy liquidation, and the business activities of the accounting entity will continue indefinitely.

The existing accounting models of price change also follow this assumption.

Even a radical liquidation value accounting mode is a standard of valuation for normal business enterprises, which is based on the normal selling price rather than the liquidation price of discontinued operation. That is to say, the regular liquidation of approved enterprises is based on continuous operation.

Deviating from the two party's forced ratio to confirm the malignant result of the enterprise's income must be to underestimate the cost and increase profits indirectly, so that the enterprises lack the actual ability to replenish assets and to regenerate their production capacity. From a macro perspective, the state's income tax and the arrangement of financial expenditure according to the false income of the enterprises will inevitably lead to an increase in the amount of money and inflation. From a microcosmic perspective, enterprises should not only bear the exfoliation of capital stock caused by the excess tax burden, but also distribute the excess profits as a result of the false profits listed in the reports, which will result in the excess allocation of the physical protection, essentially returning the share capital of the enterprises to shareholders, thus plunged into a dangerous bankruptcy and liquidation. The actual result is obviously contrary to the original intention of the continuous operation hypothesis. However, under the traditional historical cost accounting, when inflation occurs, the current price and historical cost are serious.

The assumption of accounting stage is that the continuous operation process of an enterprise can be artificially divided into paragraphs under the time series, and each paragraph is a corresponding accounting period.

To facilitate comparison, each accounting period is divided into equal length periods, usually in the Gregorian calendar year.

At this point, price change accounting is consistent with traditional historical cost accounting.

From the concept of accounting staging, it is an inevitable outcome under the assumption of continuous operation.

Similarly, in an inflationary environment.

Historical cost accounting will seriously affect the assumption of continuous operation, and it will eventually lead to the collapse of the accounting stage hypothesis.

(4) monetary measurement assumes that the assumption is based on monetary value unchanged, currency value stable, but not absolute stability.

Because only when the currency value is stable or relatively stable, the fluctuation range is not enough to affect the measurement results of accounting items. The value of accounting elements at different time points can be comparable, so as to correctly reflect the operating results and financial situation of enterprises.

On the assumption of accounting, modern cost accounting accepts the assumption of accounting entity, continuous operation and accounting staging, and abandonment the incidental assumption that the value of money is unchanged under the monetary measurement adopted by traditional cost accounting.

3. Accounting principles

Accounting principles are the normative concepts and rules based on specific confirmation and accounting.

The traditional cost accounting mainly adopts the historical cost principle. The historical cost principle is the most basic measurement principle of the traditional accounting, and is also the foundation of the historical cost accounting mode.

The principle of historical cost requires that every asset inventory be priced according to the actual cost at the time of acquisition, and it can not be changed at will once it is determined.

In the traditional accounting environment that emphasizes revenue measurement and relatively stable, historical cost is widely respected because of its objectivity, verifiability and the characteristics of asset management responsibility.

The prerequisite is price stability. When prices are stable or basically stable, the historical cost is not only theoretically impossible, but also feasible in practice.

In the period of inflation, the accounting principle bears the most direct impact.

At this time, due to the rise in prices, the purchasing power of unit currencies has seriously shrunk, and the continuation of historical cost will lead to a serious departure from the real value of assets.

However, whether investors make investment decisions or business managers make their own decisions, they need to be based on the real value of enterprise assets. Therefore, based on past historical costs, it is obviously unable to meet this requirement.

In fact, the book value of assets calculated at historical cost can not truly reflect the actual changes and the current value of asset value. The value compensation and physical compensation of products can not be carried out simultaneously, so the material basis of simple reproduction and extended reproduction of enterprises is destroyed, resulting in the vicious circle of more losses and more losses. In addition, the matching of the current income and the past historical cost will also increase the profit of the company in the current period, which is not conducive to reflecting the real business performance.

Therefore, the current cost accounting mode negates the principle of historical cost fundamentally, instead of the current cost as the basis of valuation, which completely negates the principle of historical cost.

(two) different modes of measurement.

The traditional cost accounting adopts the historical cost measurement mode in the measurement mode. Compared with the modern cost accounting based on the current cost based measurement mode, the model has the following defects:

(1) the reliability of data acquisition needs to be considered, although historically, historical costs are based on historical pactions, and therefore are objective and reliable.

However, the historical cost is objective because it is built on the basis of fair trade. If the paction itself is not equal, the historical cost can not only represent the real value of the current time, even the real market price of the past time can not be objectively reflected. Moreover, when assets belong to self-made or self built, in the process of obtaining their assets value, there are many factors of subjective judgment, estimation and selection, which are difficult to achieve the true objectivity and reliability requirements.

2. Accounting information lacks relevance. The traditional historical cost accounting model is based on the theory of entrusted business responsibility, thus reflecting only the result of capital investment.

In the actual economic life, the adoption of past historical cost measurement attributes can only reflect the past business situation, and the users who need to make decisions based on this are the accounting information of the present or even future. On this point, the measurement attribute of traditional historical cost is obviously not competent, and a series of new accounting measurement attributes represented by the current cost and the current value of future cash inflow are undoubtedly more advantageous.

　　三、現代成本會計分析

Modern cost accounting is built on the basis of price instability. It differs from traditional cost accounting by adopting the current cost accounting.

With China's entry into the WTO, it is of great significance for Chinese enterprises to adopt modern cost accounting to carry out cost management in fierce market competition.

(1) accounting procedures for modern cost accounting

1. Determine the current cost of assets.

The determination of the current cost is the foundation and premise of the modern cost accounting. It is the cash or cash equivalent to the assets that have the same or comparable production capacity with the existing assets under the current market conditions.

The current cost data of enterprise assets are mainly derived from their current market prices, suppliers' selling quotes based on fair trade, and reproduction costs.

2, by calculating the changes in the cost of assets, determine the relevant gains and losses.

The profit and loss of assets is the difference between the current cost of assets and their historical cost due to the change of market prices.

If the current cost is greater than the historical cost, it will hold the revenue; otherwise, it will hold the loss. When the price continues to rise, it usually means holding the proceeds.

In modern cost accounting, because assets are priced according to their current cost, both the unrealized gains and losses or the realized gains in production have to be confirmed in time, and they should be listed in the asset liability statement according to different capital preservation concepts or as the adjustment items of owners' equity, or as income adjustment items in the income statement.

3. Prepare current cost accounting statements.

At the end of the accounting period, according to the relevant current cost information, according to the basic principle of the current cost accounting mode, we adjust the data in the financial statements under historical cost accounting, and re compile the accounting statements based on the current cost.

(two) accounting method of modern cost accounting

Modern cost accounting is an accounting model based on the current cost as the measurement attribute and the nominal currency as the unit of measurement. It is considered to be a real sense of price change accounting because of its fundamental difference from the general purchasing power accounting in the valuation basis and basic structure.

In daily accounting treatment, there are also its own unique accounting methods.

1, set up the account system under the modern cost accounting system.

The measurement attributes of the current cost demand to reflect the current cost of assets and the adjustment of the current cost of profit and loss. Therefore, the modern cost accounting requires more specific accounts to be reflected than the historical cost accounting.

Add the "realized profits and losses" and "unrealized gains income" accounts, reflect the current cost changes of the assets held by enterprises when prices are changing and their realization; add capital reserve accounts under equity projects as capital adjustment items.

2, the accounting method of the current cost of various assets.

When the asset is sold, it is necessary to calculate the selling cost according to its current cost; when it is consumed, it deduces the corresponding asset account with the current cost of its own consumption, and adjusts the balance of each asset account according to the current cost at the end of the period, so as to reflect its true value level.

3, account handling method of profit and loss

In modern cost accounting, there are usually two ways to deal with the accounting treatment of profit and loss.

The first is to include the capital gains and losses as a capital adjustment item in the balance sheet, and secondly, to include it as a current income adjustment item in the profit and loss account.

Specifically, the first method follows the concept of physical capital preservation, while the second method follows the concept of financial capital preservation.

　　結論

Modern cost accounting is generated from the change of economic development, enterprise production environment, market environment and management environment. It is the development of traditional cost accounting. It has different theoretical basis and measurement mode.