In this book, Shank and Govindarajan demonstrate how strategic cost management - an analytical framework which relates meaningful accounting information to a firm's business strategy - is changing accounting practices in leading companies. Using case studies, including Ciba-Geigy, Ford, Motorola and Texas Instruments, they show how the tools of strategic cost management - value chain analysis, strategic positioning analysis and cost driver analysis - provide a sustainable competitive advantage over companies whose cost systems are in disarray.