ABSTRACT
For the cost table e¢ort to be fully utilized, a shi¨ in nancial thinking within your business must occur. Typically, most nance departments become involved in tracking product costs well a¨er the initial design is completed. “In contrast, Japanese management accountants and cost estimators have very detailed cost tables or cost databases which provide most of the costing information for new products. Furthermore, with their cost tables Japanese management accountants can quickly provide answers to ‘what if ’ questions relating to product design alterations. is ability has helped the Japanese management accountant to become an integral part of the design team even at the planning stage of a new product (Tanaka, p. 87).” e cost table approach has been widely used in Japan since the
mid-1960s. Ryo Sato wrote Cost Table in 1965. Sato’s book received widespread publicity . Sato’s original work was enhanced to include cost tables for all forms of product design estimation (Tanaka, p. 88).
