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What is the difference between cost center and cost element in cost accounting and ERP systems?

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Question added by Mohammed Awaes , Cost Accountant , lactalis international
Date Posted: 2016/01/20
Deleted user
by Deleted user

Cost Centre is a department within an organization that does not directly add to profit, but which still costs an organization money to operate.

Cost Elements form categories of costs that help management to track costs according to internal accounting policies. The primary costs elements are more or less mirror images of P & L expenses accounts from the financial chart of accounts.

krushnasinh chavda
by krushnasinh chavda , General Accountant , Pixel Digital Systems LLC - UAE

 

Cost center is the organizational unit within a controlling area that represents a location where costs occur. (such as departments within a company or workshop) whereas cost element are Profit and Loss GL accounts which create in finance. (such as administration exp, sales expense, stationery expenses)

 

Fadhel Al Basri
by Fadhel Al Basri , Treasury Analyst , SAUDI ARAMCO TOTAL Refining and Petrochemicals Company (SATORP)

Cost center is a center where all costs are allocated into a specific department's cost center

 

Cost element is the nature of cost i.e. General Ledger Account

syedfarooq ali
by syedfarooq ali , Customer Relations Specialist , Ikea - India

A Cost Center is like a department.  This department has a person responsible for it, it has a name (i.e., Training, Production Planning, R&D, etc.), it belongs to a particular Company Code, etc.  When you go to work each day you work for a Cost Center and this Cost Center is where your Salary is charged.   Take a quick peek at the Cost Center Master Data which you can access through transactions code KS.

A Cost Element is like a G/L account.  It enables charges to be posted to your Cost Center (department).  When your payroll check is issued, the charge for your Salary is 'posted' to your Cost Center with a Cost Element

Muhammad Ahmed Shah
by Muhammad Ahmed Shah , Imports Accountant , DANUBE Co. Ltd. - شركة الدانوب للمواد الغذائية والكماليات

Cost Center is a center in which costs are incurred. e.g; department or  plant or region, project, etc.

 

Cost Element represents expense a/c and revenue accounts. In controlling you call P&L items as cost elements.

Chandrasekhara Sankole
by Chandrasekhara Sankole , Finance Manager , Blue Camel Group

COST CENTER is part of an organization which represents the segment of the company for which costs are collected and reported. It can be department and/or branch, created for the purpose of accounting or operational purpose or to fix the responsibility that may exist for an individual responsible.

 

 

COST ELEMENT is a chart of accounts in GL which are created for the purpose of P&L reporting not required reconciliation. The Cost object could be material or an activity created for the sole purpose of controlling and reporting expenses and/or costs

محمد فتحي السيد عبد الله
by محمد فتحي السيد عبد الله , نائب مدير الحسابات , شـركة النيــل للتفـريـغ والتخـزين

Cost centre is a cost object/collector (e.g. department, project); the entity that allows you to analyse all sorts of costs which are posted to it. Cost element is a nature of cost (e.g. salary, rent). Primary cost elements represent P&L G/L accounts and secondary are used for internal CO processes (allocations).

 

khorshed Alam Khorshed
by khorshed Alam Khorshed , Assistant Manager-Foreign Accounts, PRAN EXPORT LIMITED , PRAN-RFL GROUP

1.cost center= is a departmental term like=admin cost

2. cost element =is a GL term like= stationary cost,ta/da cost, fee etc.

Upesh Nambiaru Chalil
by Upesh Nambiaru Chalil , SENIOR ACCOUNTANT/INTERNAL AUDITOR , M/s SADO PAPER INDUSTRIES LLC

Cost centres are centres in which all the cost are incurred and accumulated. eg. workshop, department ,projects etc.

Cost elements are GL account ( Revenue and expenses account ) eg ; salary , rent , wages etc.

Cost center is the area where costs are accumulated and charged. cost element is the items charged under separate heads individually.

 

Syed Moqtadeer Hussain
by Syed Moqtadeer Hussain , SENIOR ACCOUNTANT - PAYABLE , United Fashion company

Cost Center is a profit center where as cost elements are expense heads.

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