Accounting, Finance and Manufacturing Strategy

Two common denominators are used in manufacturing businesses as the basis for control and performance measurement. The first is the time base on which manufacturing principally works. Product mix and volumes, capacity, efficiency, utilization and productivity are all normally measured by time. The second common denominator is that of money. At the corporate level, forecast activity levels, performance measures, levels of investment and similar activities use the money base. The importance of getting the correct links between the time-based and money-based measures is self-evident — correct not only in terms of being accurate, but also in reflecting the key perspectives associated with the business itself.