Managing customer profitability to improve corporate performance in PSF

Abstract

The paper discusses issues related to cost accounting systems and customer profitability analysis in professional service firms (PSFs), which have rapidly increased in Europe during the last decade. Because few research studies on cost accounting and customer profitability in PSFs have been reported, one of the main paper’s contributions relies on exploring the informative advantages of activity-based costing (ABC) compared to the cost centre accounting system. The research methodology used is a case study in which it is possible to investigate the link between the PSF’s costs and pricing/value drivers through service attributes and customer profitability analysis. The main findings show that the ABC system strongly supports the management of the cost–value relationship.