Activity-Based Management: Arthur Andersen's Lessons from the Abm Battlefield

Arthur Andersen's Lessons from the ABM Battlefield provides clear insight into the cost management revolution by moving from the development stage to the actual implementation. Fortune 500 and growth companies are using ABM with varying results, and it is clear that the successful application of ABM requires certain tools and techniques. Player and Keys identify 30 lessons to be learned when implementing ABM and focus on three crucial areas: getting off to the right start, developing the pilot and moving from pilot to mainstream.

To provide a front-line perspective, members from Arthur Andersen's Advanced Cost Management Team discuss actual implementation experiences from companies such as American Express, Pennzoil, Hewlett-Packard, Johnson & Johnson, The Marmon Group, AT&T, Bliss and Laughlin, and Hoffmann-La Roche.

Steve Player, CPA, is Partner and Firmwide Director of Cost Management at Arthur Andersen. He designs and implements advanced cost management sytems for clients including Hewlett-Packard, NordicTrack, Texas Instruments, American Express and Tyson Foods. He is Chairman of the CAM-I Cost Management System Program.

David E. Keys, CMA, CPA, is Household International Professor of Accountancy at Northern Illinous University. He writes for publications including Management Accounting and Journal of Cost Management.