Cost Analysis to Support Strategic Decisions Course in Doha, Qatar

Cost Analysis to Support Strategic Decisions shows how accurate cost information underpins choices about pricing, product mix, sourcing, customer focus and investment. Participants explore cost behavior and cost-volume-profit analysis, relevant costing for decisions such as make-or-buy and closing a product line, and activity-based costing for understanding the true cost of products, services and customers. The course also covers strategic cost management tools, including target costing, life-cycle costing, value chain analysis and cost of quality, and examines the limitations of traditional absorption costing.

Learning is case-based and analytical. Participants rebuild product costs using activity-based costing, assess a make-or-buy proposal, analyze customer profitability and use target costing to evaluate a new offering. Each case ends with a recommendation that weighs financial results alongside strategic and qualitative factors. Excel models support the calculations. The course can be delivered as an in-house program, applying the techniques to an organization's own products, services and cost structure to produce practical insight during the training itself.

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

• Analyze cost behavior and apply cost-volume-profit analysis to strategic choices

• Identify relevant costs for make-or-buy, outsourcing and discontinuation decisions

• Apply activity-based costing to products, services and customers

• Use target costing and life-cycle costing to shape new offerings

• Evaluate customer and product profitability to guide portfolio decisions

• Recommend decisions that balance cost analysis with strategic and qualitative factors

This course is for professionals who analyze costs or rely on cost information to make strategic decisions.

• Management and cost accountants

• Financial analysts and finance business partners

• Commercial, pricing and product managers

• Operations and supply chain managers

• Strategy and business development staff

Module 1: Cost Concepts and Behavior

• Cost classification for decision-making

• Fixed, variable and step costs

• Cost-volume-profit and break-even analysis

• Absorption versus marginal costing

Module 2: Relevant Costing for Decisions

• Relevant, sunk and opportunity costs

• Make-or-buy and outsourcing decisions

• Accepting special orders and limiting factors

• Closing a product line or business segment

Module 3: Activity-Based Costing

• Limitations of traditional overhead absorption

• Identifying activities and cost drivers

• Product and service costing using ABC

• Customer profitability analysis

Module 4: Strategic Cost Management

• Target costing and value engineering

• Life-cycle costing

• Value chain analysis

• Cost of quality and continuous improvement

Module 5: Pricing and Portfolio Decisions

• Cost-based and value-based pricing

• Product and service portfolio analysis

• Qualitative factors and strategic fit

• Presenting cost-based recommendations

As Qatar's economy diversifies, companies in manufacturing, logistics, hospitality, healthcare and services face growing competition and need a clear understanding of what drives their costs and profits. Public bodies, too, must demonstrate efficient use of resources. Robust cost analysis supports competitive pricing, smarter sourcing and sustainable growth. Building these analytical skills contributes to the productive, competitive private sector and efficient public services envisaged in Qatar National Vision 2030.

Join a scheduled class at our training center in Doha or attend live online. For organizations, the course can run as an in-house program at your premises or online, tailored to your sector, case studies and timetable.