ABSTRACT
In the research project which led to this book a large number of managers were asked whether they used wholelife costing. Although virtually all knew about the technique, some in reasonable detail, few indicated that they ever used it. Those who did tended to use the results as only a minor part of their decision-making process. Most were happier to rely on gut feel, especially the more experienced managers. Asking why so little weight was given to whole-life costing elicited a number of responses. It seemed that most of the managers felt that the findings of whole-life costing did not seem to correspond to their experience. A number of anecdotes were told. It seemed that although whole-life costing had a certain intellectual appeal, it was too far removed from real world decisionmaking.
