• SKILL LEVEL:
  • Proficient

Cost analyst


What is a cost analyst and what do they do?

Cost analysts examine and manage the expenses of a company. One of their key goals is to determine ways to reduce inefficiencies and lower costs. They must also keep an eye on the ‘bigger picture’ to understand how markets are performing in their industry.

Depending on the size of the organisation, cost analysts can be in charge of all expense monitoring or conduct analysis for a single project or department. They prepare and track budgets, audit financial transactions, monitor actual costs against standard (expected) costs, conduct pricing market research and prepare statements and reports for management.

Capabilities

While the accountancy profession offers diverse career options and paths, the core capabilities required to perform at the highest standards remain the same - irrespective of skill level or job role.

Collaboration Digital Drive Ethics Expertise Insight Sustainability
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Continuing professional development at ACCA

A commitment to life-long learning is a vital part of your ACCA membership; it unlocks the full potential of your career choices - and drives forward the profession.

We deliver a wide range of CPD resources tailored to different areas of expertise - and an ever-changing profession. Our, and your, commitment to quality CPD ensures you will have the most up-to-date skills to perform at the highest standard. 

So, get started (or restarted) and take a look at our curated list of the most relevant CPD resources to secure and succeed in this role.

units 12

Online course

Financial management 10 course pack

This ten course pack from BPP is designed to provide you with essential guidance and knowledge on financial management. These courses will develop the skills needed to carry out your day-to-day job.

By completing this pack, you will gain a better understanding of: 
 

  • how to plan your organisation's finances
  • budgeting
  • expenses
  • cash and credit
  • working capital
  • supply chain management.  
units 4

Online course

Operational cost savings and efficiencies

Is your organisation or project running efficiently? When things are going well, we often don’t spend enough time looking for efficiency improvements, and if things are going badly there can be a tendency to resort to arbitrary cost-cutting which can risk success in the long term.

This course provides a framework to help you improve your organisation’s efficiency. It helps you to analyse your business, consider where to best focus your resources and review how to balance short-term cost reductions with longer-term business needs to ensure a secure future for your business. Discover how to best plan your cost savings and, once you have decided on your plan, how to deliver this project and manage stakeholder expectations.

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units 7

Online course

Finance for non-finance managers: Why the numbers matter

Every organisation requires an effective finance function to take the lead on financial planning, financial control and financial reporting. The finance team produces meaningful information to help leaders and managers make informed decisions. This also requires decision makers to have a basic understanding of accounting and to be able to understand financial information and reports.

This course is designed to help the non-financial managers and professionals gain the necessary skills to successfully interpret, analyse and make decisions based on financial information and reports.

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Find more CPD resources on ACCA Learning

How does the ACCA Qualification prepare you for this job role?

From a combination of exams, ethics and experience, the ACCA Qualification will boost your employability and performance at every stage of your career journey.

Here we have listed some elements of the ACCA Qualification that will help you perform at the highest standard in this job role.