Ateneo - UPO

The course is divided into three integrated didactic modules, closely linked to each other.
The current competitive context, characterized by consumption and information economy and lean enterprise approach, requires companies to adopt consistent and innovative managerial mechanisms. Among them, cost management and performance management tools are particularly relevant. These tools are represented by the entire set of managerial mechanisms that, supporting company’s strategies, deal with cost planning and management, and, ultimately, profitability. The course presents tools and methodologies supporting the planning of future costs level and profitability both under firm’s performance and sustainability point of view. The focus is not only on corporate performance but also on strategic units and functions. Moreover, the course tackles the issue of managers’ evaluation based on cost management and performance management tools.
Then, a specific module is dedicated to non-financial communication for both internal and external stakeholders. Integrated reporting techniques are in-depth presented.

Teaching methods include case studies discussion and companies’ presentations.

Adopted books, both for attending and non-attending students, are:
- Songini L. “Target Costing: pianificazione e gestione della redditività”, Milano, EGEA.
- Pistoni A., Songini L. “Reporting e valore. Misurazione delle performance aziendali”, Milano, EGEA, first part – chap. from 1 to 4.
- Songini L., Pistoni A. “Sustainability Disclosure: State of the Art and new directions”, Emerald, 2015.
- Paola Vola “La pianificazione strategica per il family business: mappa strategica e balanced scorecard”, Aracne Editrice, 2012, chap. 2
- Paola Vola, in L. Brusa, “Sistemi Manageriali di programmazione e controllo” Giuffrè, seconda edizione, 2012, chap. 7, par 7.4 – L’Activity Based Management – e chap. 2, par. 2.19. – Altri approcci di cost accountig: cenni

Only some parts of the cited texts have to be studied by students. Some texts will be available to students in pdf format.
Both for attending and non-attending students, didactic material includes also slides, case studies and papers made available by teachers. A part of didactic material is in English. Didactic material is available on DIR course web site at https://www.dir.uniupo.it

The course aims at presenting design criteria and operating modes of cost management and performance management tools, making students able to use them in different contexts.
Consequently, course objectives are:
1. Learning of cost management and performance management tools;
2. Developing skills to use acquired knowledge;
3. Developing skills to exploit cost management and performance management tools in different contexts;
4. Developing skills to implement cost management systems, balanced scorecards, and integrated reports including all non-financial measures.

None

The course exploits three different teaching methods:

1. Traditional lessons, in which issues, problems, solutions and tools are presented to students;
2. Case studies, that present theoretical issues in practical and real situations (also multi-media case studies will be used);
3. Companies /professionals presentations by entrepreneurs, managers, foreign professors, and experts.
4. Students’ direct involvement with teamwork case studies presentations, and “role games”.

The course is highly interactive considering students’ involvement through teamwork, monographic insights and real case studies discussions.
Teamwork will focus on course issues in order to put into practice principles, methodologies, and techniques presented during traditional lessons.

Course attendance is not mandatory but is highly recommended.

None

Both for attending and non-attending students, the exam will consist in a final written exam with open question to verify the skills acquired during the course, and with the discount of a case to verify the ability of students to apply knowledge and to judge and deal independently with a specific business environment

Each didactic module cannot be done separately; but they must token in the same date. The exam will be considered passed if the student gets 18/30 in each of the three didactic module.
For those who have not participated to a teamwork, the exam will consist in a written test.
Instead, in the case of participation to a teamwork, the written test will be shorter and the vote obtained in the written test will be added to the score obtained in teamwork. This score will include in particular the capabilities and ability to understand a business environment, critical application of models and tools and the ability to represent results reached effectively in class to other students (through e.g. structured PowerPoint presentations).

The topics of the course are the following:

FIRST PART –PROF.SSSA SONGINI
1. The new economic context.
Information economy and lean enterprise: managerial challenges;
2. Company’s profitability determinants;
3. Strategic cost management and performance management: general framework;
4. Strategic cost management and profitability methodologies and tools: target costing, life cycle costing, interorganizational cost management systems.

SECOND PART – PROF.SSA VOLA
5. Costs improvement methodologies and tools: activity based costing and activity based management, kaizen costing, etc;
6. Strategy implementation: methodologies and tools for the evaluation of firm performance (balanced scorecard, performance pyramid, etc)

THIRD PART – PROF.SSA RIVA
7. Non-financial measures, as primary issues to be communicated to stakeholders;
8. The historical path from balance sheet to integrated report;
9. Reading and drafting integrated report;
10. D.N.F. ex 245 Law.

At the end of the course students will able to:
1. design, understand and use autonomously tools to plan and manage the future cost level, and mechanisms to measure and evaluate costs and corporate performance for a strategic and sustainability point of view;
2. design, understanding and use systems to measuring corporate performance;
3. read and understand an integrated reporting.