COSTING METHODS   [ MANUFACTURING ] Manufacturing costing methods are accounting techniques that are used to help understand the value of inputs and outputs in a production process. By tracking and categorizing this information according to a rigorous accounting system, corporate management can determine with a high degree of accuracy the cost per unit of production and other key performance indicators. Management needs this information in order to make informed decisions about production levels, pricing, competitive strategy, future investment, and a host of other concerns. Such information is primarily necessary for internal use, or managerial accounting. OVERVIEW OF CURRENT METHODS PROCESS AND JOB-ORDER COSTING. There are two conventional costing approaches used in manufacturing. The first, and more common, is process costing. Used in most mass-production settings, a process cost system analyzes the net cost of a manufacturing process, say filling bottles wit...