Lean Accounting – Target Costing
Cost-plus pricing can be fine when a lean manufacturer offers a standardized product with limited competition. Unfortunately, most manufacturers offer highly unique products or highly commoditized products. For these manufactures, target costing is a vital part of the product development process. Target costing involves understanding the needs and wants of customers, determining how much they are actually willing to pay for the value a product delivers, and defining the organization’s necessary profit before determining product cost.