Abstract:
The objective of the study is to investigate the level of significance of cost and scope of cost management in the business of crude palm oil refining in the southern region. Cost is divided into 4 main types: production cost, marketing cost, financial cost and management cost. The scope of the study is to study the cost management of crude palm oil refining in the southern region in order to maintain the lowest cost of operation. The sample group included 41 crude palm oil refining entrepreneurs in the southern region covering 14 provinces. Equipment for collecting data is the questionnaire which asked for the importance of cost and the scope of business cost. The data was analyzed and processed by using the statistics method, namely, mean and standard deviation.
The results of the study indicate that the entrepreneurs have the highest regard to the importance of the cost of operation, while the production cost received the top priority, followed by the financial and management cost, whereas the marketing cost received the third in the level of significance. Within the production cost, the material cost is most significant because the fresh palm is the main element of cost in the crude palm oil refining business.
The importance of the scope of cost management from the functional point of view is as follows: the scope of production cost management related to material is at the maximum level, that is, appraising the quality of material through buying and selecting palm fruits from orchard owners by skillful employees. The scope of cost management at the medium level is to own ones own palm orchard. The scope of cost management at the lowest level is in the setting up of the courtyard for buying palm fruits/seeds. The scope of labor cost management at the maximum level involved daily wage to the employees in the production process, organizing overtime working shifts and putting the surplus labor in the production process such as yearly maintenance. The scope of cost management at the medium level involving the reduction of shift, doubling of overtime employees and increasing the number of employees during the periods of fully utilized capacity and deduction of daily paid employees during the periods of low material availability. The scope of cost management at the maximum level is in the cost of expenditure such as planning of machine maintainance for the purpose of prevention instead of increasing income by other means such as by selling palm shell and inner seeds. The scope of cost management at the medium level involving the expenditure is the production of electricity from material remains. The scope of cost management at the minimum level involves the production of bio-gas from waste water.
The scope of marketing cost management, which received the maximum level is the decision to sell goods to the highest bidders. The scope of management of marketing cost at the minimum level is promoting social activities form building the organizational image and deduction of expenditure in the marketing promotion.
The scope of financial cost management at the maximum level such as seeking for the financial source at the lowest interest. The scope of financial cost management at the medium level is bargaining for the deduction of interest with financial firms, producing enough goods to respond to customers needs, to reduce expenses on goods storage, planning the yearly budget and cash flow statement. The scope of financial cost at the minimum level is the deduction the credit grace period given to the customers.
The scope of managing management cost at the maximum level is properly specify executive salary rate. The scope of managing management cost at the medium level is training employees, deduction of the expenditure pain to consultants by maximizing the potential of existing personnel, research and developing ways of useful applications of material remains, transferring employees from decisions over-loaded decision.
WALAILAK UNIVERSITY. CENTER FOR LIBRARY RESOURCES AND EDUCATIONAL MEDIA