expected to be able to provide more accurate cost
information on the calculation of credit application
fees with ABC compared with traditional cost system.
2 THEORICAL FRAMEWORK
Hansen and Mowen (2015) define costs as cash or
cash equivalents sacrificed to obtain goods or services
that are expected to provide benefits now and in the
future for the company. Horngren, et al., (2013)
argues that costs are sacrifices or resources used for
specific purposes. Different cost for different
purposes, which means that each cost classification
has different objective in the decision making
(Horngren, et al., 2012). Horngren, et al., (2012)
classified costs into two; direct costs, which is the
cost that directly related to cost objects and its
economic value can be easily calculated and indirect
costs, which is the cost that associated with product
costs but its economic value can not be traced easily.
If the procedure for assigning the costs is wrong,
this will lead to a wrong decision taken by
management. Tracing coss into cost objects is divided
into two methods (Hansen and Mowen, 2015), the
direct tracing and driver tracing method. Direct
tracing can be perform by identifying costs that
specifically related directly to the cost object and thus
charged directly into the cost object. Driver tracing is
a method of allocating or charging costs by paying
attention to the causal relationship between the cost
and the cost object. Indirect costs are costs that cannot
be traced directly so that it requires a method called
cost allocation. Allocation is usually based on
assumptions or policies set by management.
Horngren, et al., (2012) explains that there are four
reasons of why the costs allocation is very important.
It is to predict the impact of business decisions, used
as a tool to shape the motivation desired by functional
managers, to calculate income and assess the cost of
assets, and to calculate costs or justifications in
spending. Generally there are three cost allocation
systems, which are the direct costing, traditional
costing, and Activity Based Costing (ABC) systems
Traditional costing system focus on production.
costs. This system is also known as volume based
costing because the overhead is charged based on
volume of the cost drivers (Cooper and Kaplan,
1999). In its development, traditional costing is
deemed unable to produce reliable information so
Cooper and Kaplan (1999) developed an allocation
method based on activities called Activity Based
Costing (ABC). Blocher and David Stout (2012)
explain that ABC system is a cost allocation system
that allocated costs to its cost objects based on the
activities carried out for these cost objects, Stout and
Propri (2011) mentioned that if ABC implementation
is done correctly, it will be able to provide accurate
information about costs to management regarding
product costs so that the information can be used as a
basis for decision making for strategies such as the
process of repairing, pricing, and managing customer
relationships.
Blocher, Stout, and Cokins, 2012 stated that to
gain full closure on the flow of the ABC system , one
must understand about activity, resource, driver cost,
resource cost driver, and activity cost driver. ABC
described a causal relationship between resource,
activity and cost object. In conclusion, the assignment
of costs according to ABC is done through two stages,
namely assigning overhead costs to activities and
assigning activities to the cost object using two cost
drivers; the resource cost driver and activity cost
driver (Blocher, Stout, and Cokins, 2010; Cooper and
Kaplan, 1999).
In practice, it is difficult to apply the ABC system
to companies and allocate the overhead costs
compared to traditional method. ABC requires
companies to identify significant activities in their
business process. However, the allocation of costs
with ABC is considered sufficient enough to provide
more accurate information on the overhead cost of the
company.
The benefits of the ABC system are 1) ABC is
useful to determine the cost of the product more
accurately. 2) ABC system is very useful for company
management to conduct profitability analysis more
accurately, both in profitability analysis of products,
customers, processes and departments. 3) ABC can be
used as an inventory valuation measure. 4)
Appropriate and effective implementation of the
ABC system can help companies to manage their
activities better, to eliminate activities that do not
provide value and improve the quality of the
company's internal processes consistently.
The weakness of the ABC system is 1) The
application of the ABC system requires the support of
human resources and adequate information
technology and a long time to socialize to all parts of
the company. 2) Identification of causal relationships
between company operating activities and production
costs requires careful and adequate steps. Mistakes
that occur in determining the trigger of activity will
bring distorted cost information to management and
could cause serious damage. Cooper and Kaplan,
(1999) in his research explained how ABC can be
used to improve performance in insurance companies.
The application of ABC can be used in various
service industries such as banks, medical service
industries and government departments.