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- All HBS Web
(222)
- News (7)
- Research (179)
- Multimedia (3)
- Faculty Publications (145)
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- May 2017
- Supplement
Boston Children's Hospital Process Map Video
By: Robert S. Kaplan and Mary Witkowski
The 13 minute video simulates a discussion among orthopedic surgeons and cast room technicians about the processes and resources used when applying long leg casts for patients. The video should be used when teaching Boston Children’s Hospital (Abridged) case, #914-407,... View Details
Keywords: Activity Based Costing; Healthcare Costing; Process Maps; Activity Based Costing and Management; Health Care and Treatment
Kaplan, Robert S., and Mary Witkowski. "Boston Children's Hospital Process Map Video." Harvard Business School Multimedia/Video Supplement 117-703, May 2017.
- February 2025
- Article
Innovations in Evaluating Ambulatory Costs of Cystic Fibrosis Care: A Comparative Study Across Multidisciplinary Care Centers in Ireland and the United States
By: Emma Brady, Ryan C. Perkins, Kate Cullen, Gregory S. Sawicki, Robert S. Kaplan and Gerardine Doyle
Lead clinicians at two large pediatric cystic fibrosis (CF) centers in the United States and Ireland measured and compared their ambulatory care costs. The clinicians selected three strata of patients (0–11 months, 1–5 years, and 6–17 years of age). Process maps were... View Details
Brady, Emma, Ryan C. Perkins, Kate Cullen, Gregory S. Sawicki, Robert S. Kaplan, and Gerardine Doyle. "Innovations in Evaluating Ambulatory Costs of Cystic Fibrosis Care: A Comparative Study Across Multidisciplinary Care Centers in Ireland and the United States." NEJM Catalyst Innovations in Care Delivery 6, no. 2 (February 2025).
- October 2016 (Revised December 2016)
- Module Note
Strategy Execution Module 6: Evaluating Strategic Profit Performance
By: Robert Simons
This module reading demonstrates how to calculate and analyze the profit generated by different business strategies. Formulas and examples are provided to calculate profit generated by changes in market share, revenue growth, efficiency improvements, and support costs.... View Details
Keywords: Management Control Systems; Implementing Strategy; Execution; Evaluating Business Performance; Profitability Analysis; Variance Analysis; Measuring Effectiveness; Measuring Efficiency; Activity-Based Costing; Flexible Budget; Accounting; Strategy
Simons, Robert. "Strategy Execution Module 6: Evaluating Strategic Profit Performance." Harvard Business School Module Note 117-106, October 2016. (Revised December 2016.)
- October 1990 (Revised April 1999)
- Case
Hewlett-Packard: Queensferry Telecommunications Division
Queensferry Telecommunications Division has recently implemented an activity-based cost system. The case explores several issues. First, the role of variance analysis in an activity-based system. Second, the way to determine cost drive rates. Third, the evaluation of... View Details
Cooper, Robin, and Kiran Verma. "Hewlett-Packard: Queensferry Telecommunications Division." Harvard Business School Case 191-067, October 1990. (Revised April 1999.)
- April 1998 (Revised September 1998)
- Case
Classic Pen Company, The: Developing an ABC Model
By: Robert S. Kaplan
Classic Pen has diversified from its core blue and black pen business by introducing new specialized colors. But costs have risen and margins on blue and black pens are decreasing. The controller turns to activity-based costing (ABC) for an explanation. View Details
Kaplan, Robert S. "Classic Pen Company, The: Developing an ABC Model." Harvard Business School Case 198-117, April 1998. (Revised September 1998.)
- February 2006 (Revised September 2006)
- Case
Sippican Corporation (A)
By: Robert S. Kaplan
Presents a time-driven version of the Wilkerson Co. activity-based costing case (101092). Faced with declining profits, Sippican Corp. is struggling to understand why it is encountering severe price competition on one product line. The controller collects data that... View Details
Keywords: History; Business Model; Strategic Planning; Cost Accounting; Motivation and Incentives; Resource Allocation; Activity Based Costing and Management; Profit; Business Strategy; Budgets and Budgeting
Kaplan, Robert S. "Sippican Corporation (A)." Harvard Business School Case 106-058, February 2006. (Revised September 2006.)
- July 1990 (Revised October 1997)
- Case
Siemens Electric Motor Works (A) (Abridged)
By: Robert S. Kaplan
Explores how a cost system can help support a firm's decision to change strategies. In the process, the students are introduced to a simple activity-based cost system. Siemens Electric Motor Works found itself facing an increasingly competitive environment and so made... View Details
Keywords: Activity Based Costing and Management; Cost Accounting; Cost; Adoption; Cost vs Benefits; Management Analysis, Tools, and Techniques; Production; Business Strategy; Electronics Industry; Manufacturing Industry
Kaplan, Robert S. "Siemens Electric Motor Works (A) (Abridged)." Harvard Business School Case 191-006, July 1990. (Revised October 1997.)
- January 2000 (Revised October 2002)
- Case
Cambridge Hospital Community Health Network - The Primary Care Unit
By: V.G. Narayanan, Lisa Brem and Ryan Moore
The Cambridge Hospital Community Health Network needed to gain a better understanding of its unit-of-service costs, which had been rising at a rate of 10% per year. The network's step-down costing system gave only aggregate costing information, and there was some... View Details
Keywords: Activity Based Costing and Management; Health Care and Treatment; Cost Accounting; Cost; Network Effects; Health Industry; Service Industry; Massachusetts
Narayanan, V.G., Lisa Brem, and Ryan Moore. "Cambridge Hospital Community Health Network - The Primary Care Unit." Harvard Business School Case 100-054, January 2000. (Revised October 2002.)
- April 1997
- Background Note
Using ABC to Manage Customer Mix and Relationships
By: Robert S. Kaplan
Describes applying activity-based costing to manage customer relationships. Links cost-to-serve to net margins earned with individual customers. View Details
Kaplan, Robert S. "Using ABC to Manage Customer Mix and Relationships." Harvard Business School Background Note 197-094, April 1997.
- November 1995
- Technical Note
Analyzing Standard Costs: Technical Note
By: V.G. Narayanan
Explains variance analysis. Concepts of price variance and quantity variance are introduced to analyze prime cost variances. Spending variance and capacity variance are used to analyze overhead variance. Consistent with conducting variance analysis in an activity-based... View Details
Narayanan, V.G. "Analyzing Standard Costs: Technical Note." Harvard Business School Technical Note 196-109, November 1995.
- May 1987 (Revised November 1998)
- Case
John Deere Component Works (A)
By: Robert S. Kaplan
The division has recognized the inadequacies of its existing, traditional cost system for estimating product costs. Describes the innovative activity-based system that was developed to more accurately trace overhead costs to individual products. Provides students with... View Details
Keywords: Activity Based Costing and Management; Cost Accounting; Cost Management; Cost vs Benefits; Production; Budgets and Budgeting; Innovation and Invention; Innovation and Management; Consumer Products Industry
Kaplan, Robert S. "John Deere Component Works (A)." Harvard Business School Case 187-107, May 1987. (Revised November 1998.)
- October 1991 (Revised September 1998)
- Case
Maxwell Appliance Controls
By: Robert S. Kaplan
A profitable manufacturing division of a large company is looking for new ways to identify sources of productivity improvements. Led by its senior finance officer, an activity-based cost system is developed to identify activities performed for its highly varied product... View Details
Keywords: Activity Based Costing and Management; Management Teams; Quality; Performance Improvement; Organizational Culture; Problems and Challenges; Production; Manufacturing Industry
Kaplan, Robert S. "Maxwell Appliance Controls." Harvard Business School Case 192-058, October 1991. (Revised September 1998.)
- September 1989 (Revised December 1989)
- Case
Siemens Electric Motor Works (A) and (B) (Combined)
Explores how a cost system can help support a firm's decision to change strategies. In the process, students are exposed to a simple activity-based cost system. Also examines Siemens policy for transferring products between sales and manufacturing divisions. Transfer... View Details
Cooper, Robin, and Karen Wruck. "Siemens Electric Motor Works (A) and (B) (Combined)." Harvard Business School Case 190-052, September 1989. (Revised December 1989.)
- December 1994
- Case
AB SKA (Sweden)
By: David F. Hawkins, V.G. Narayanan and Robert L. Simons
A senior manager faces three accounting and control decisions related to a new R&D project: to expense or capitalize, how to implement management control over the R&D function, and how to use activity-based cost drivers for product costing. View Details
Keywords: Cost Accounting; Management Practices and Processes; Cost Management; Activity Based Costing and Management; Research and Development; Sweden
Hawkins, David F., V.G. Narayanan, and Robert L. Simons. "AB SKA (Sweden)." Harvard Business School Case 195-180, December 1994.
- October 22, 2015
- Article
The Mayo Clinic Model for Running a Value-Improvement Program
By: Robert S. Kaplan, Derek A. Haas, Richard A. Helmers, March Rucci and Meredith Brady
Applying time-driven activity-based costing (TDABC) in health care cannot be delegated to the finance function. The most successful implementations have had strong executive support, exceptional clinical leaders, and dedicated, multi-disciplinary project teams. The... View Details
Keywords: Service Delivery; Activity Based Costing and Management; Health Care and Treatment; Health Industry
Kaplan, Robert S., Derek A. Haas, Richard A. Helmers, March Rucci, and Meredith Brady. "The Mayo Clinic Model for Running a Value-Improvement Program." Harvard Business Review (website) (October 22, 2015). (A collaboration of the editors of Harvard Business Review and the New England Journal of Medicine.)
- April 2003
- Tutorial
ABC Pen Factory Tutorial
By: Robert S. Kaplan
To preview this online product, Authorized Faculty can call our customer service department at 1-800-545-7685 or 617-783-7600. Illustrates, via a guided audio tour accompanied by dynamically changing spreadsheets, the role for activity-based cost systems. The numerical... View Details
Keywords: Factories, Labs, and Plants
- April 1995 (Revised April 1995)
- Case
Pillsbury: Customer Driven Reengineering
By: Robert S. Kaplan
Pillsbury is transforming itself from an integrated producer of flour and bakery products to a value-added supplier of premium branded products. After initial successes applying activity-based costing to manufacturing operations, two senior executives decide to... View Details
Keywords: Organizational Change and Adaptation; Production; Cost Management; Activity Based Costing and Management; Customer Value and Value Chain; Food and Beverage Industry
Kaplan, Robert S. "Pillsbury: Customer Driven Reengineering." Harvard Business School Case 195-144, April 1995. (Revised April 1995.)
- March 2001 (Revised August 2003)
- Case
Wilkerson Company
By: Robert S. Kaplan
The president of Wilkerson, faced with declining profits, is struggling to understand why the company is encountering severe price competition on one product line while able to raise prices without competitive response on another product line. The controller proposes... View Details
Keywords: Activity Based Costing and Management; Competition; Profit; Product; Consumer Products Industry
Kaplan, Robert S. "Wilkerson Company." Harvard Business School Case 101-092, March 2001. (Revised August 2003.)
- March 1995 (Revised April 1997)
- Case
Co-operative Bank, The
By: Robert S. Kaplan and Srikant M. Datar
A British bank with strong roots in the cooperative movement encounters declining profitability in an increasingly competitive and deregulated financial services industry. It attempts to grow by broadening its customer base and increasing the range of products and... View Details
Keywords: Product; Competition; Expansion; Cost Management; Activity Based Costing and Management; Profit; Banking Industry; Financial Services Industry
Kaplan, Robert S., and Srikant M. Datar. "Co-operative Bank, The." Harvard Business School Case 195-196, March 1995. (Revised April 1997.)
- February 1998 (Revised September 1998)
- Case
Insteel Wire Products: ABM at Andrews
By: V.G. Narayanan and Ratna G. Sarkar
Insteel implements an activity-based costing (ABC) system in 1996. It finds pallet nails to be its most profitable product and decides to expand the number of cells making pallet nails from two to four. A repeat of the ABC study in 1997 shows pallet nails have become... View Details
Narayanan, V.G., and Ratna G. Sarkar. "Insteel Wire Products: ABM at Andrews." Harvard Business School Case 198-087, February 1998. (Revised September 1998.)