Management/Cost Accounting Projects

ACC 202, ACC 306, ACC 800, and ACC 106 (optional)
Closed
Salem State University
Salem, Massachusetts, United States
Zlatinka Blaber
Associate Professor of Accounting
(6)
6
Timeline
  • February 12, 2024
    Experience start
  • February 23, 2024
    Zoom introduction of the company and project
  • May 3, 2024
    Experience end
Experience
5/5 project matches
Dates set by experience
Preferred companies
Anywhere
Any company type
Any industries
Categories
Accounting Communications Operations Project management Sales strategy
Skills
business consulting business strategy cash flow planning data analysis research
Student goals and capabilities

Does your organization have a management accounting challenge you want to tackle? In this project, student-consultants working in teams will apply their accounting skills in managerial decision-making towards a challenge in the areas of planning and controlling operations pertinent to your organization. Areas assessed might include cost terminology and behavior, break-even analysis, relevant costs, master budgeting with an emphasis on cash flows and income projection, responsibility accounting systems, and variance analysis. The students may develop a report for your organization upon completion of the project and/or do a Zoom presentation with their findings.

Students
Undergraduate
Any level
70 students
Project
15 hours per student
Administrators assign students to projects
Teams of 5
Expected outcomes and deliverables

The final project deliverables might include:

A detailed written report, including students' research, analysis, insights, and recommendations and/or an oral presentation on Zoom/Teams.

Project timeline
  • February 12, 2024
    Experience start
  • February 23, 2024
    Zoom introduction of the company and project
  • May 3, 2024
    Experience end
Project Examples

Beginning of February 2024, students in groups of 5-6 will work with your company to identify your needs and provide actionable recommendations, based on their in-depth research and analysis.

Project activities might include but are not limited to:

  • Analyzing how fixed and variable costs behave and how to use them to predict costs;
  • Computing the break-even point using the contribution margin approach and interpreting a cost-volume-profit graph;
  • Exploring activity-based costing and how it differs from a traditional costing system;
  • Computing activity cost pools;
  • Preparing all budgets used in a business with an emphasis on cash flows and income projection;
  • Assessing standard costs and calculating variances from actual costs for materials, labor, and manufacturing overhead;
  • Identifying relevant and irrelevant costs and benefits in a decision situation;
  • Computing variances in direct material, direct labor, and overhead costs;
  • Preparing and interpreting statements of cash flows;
  • Calculating pricing;
  • Preparing a written portfolio solving the managerial accounting problem of the organization.
Companies must answer the following questions to submit a match request to this experience:

Provide an opportunity for students to submit their project outcomes and receive feedback.

Provide a dedicated contact who is available to answer periodic emails or phone calls over the duration of the project to address students' questions.

Be available for a quick phone call with the instructor to initiate your relationship and confirm whether your scope is an appropriate fit for the course.