Cost analysis, also commonly known as cost benefit analysis, is a process that is involved in the calculation of various costs and benefits as a way to measure the overall feasibility of a project. There are lots of accountants around the world who are involved in cost benefit analysis for companies and institutions, with this form of analysis being an important part of many management accounting.
Cost benefit analysis is also sometimes called benefit cost analysis, and is abbreviated as CBA and BCA on a regular basis. While it shares a number of similarities, cost benefit analysis is different in principle to cost effectiveness analysis, with costs and benefits measured with respect to the time value of money. There are thousands of accountants in Berlin (Steuerberater Berlin) and throughout the world who perform this kind of analysis on a regular basis, helping businesses of all shapes and sizes to become more efficient and profitable.

There are a number of steps that are involved in the majority of cost benefit analysis practices, all of which are designed to enhance overall efficiency through the evaluation of individual policy decisions. Government departments and organisations also use the processes of cost benefit analysis on a regular basis, to evaluate policies and analyse the expected balance between profit and cost. Cost benefit analysis is tightly linked to the concept of opportunity cost, which is the cost associated with not taking a particular action. By linking these concepts, accountants in Berlin and elsewhere can measure the cost benefits of a number of related policies in a linear fashion, and decide on the best policy for any situation. Cost benefit analysis plays an important role in management accounting around the world, and there are many professional accountants who specialise in this particular area of accountancy.

While the processes involved in cost benefit analysis differs from country to country and sector to sector, there are a number of common factors that remain integral to the process regardless of the jurisdiction and industry. Some of the biggest differences as to how cost benefit analysis is carried out are related to how particular impacts are measured as either costs or benefits in particular situations. One of the key factors to recognise in cost benefit analysis is the accuracy of the measurements that take place, with accountants in Berlin and elsewhere having to evaluate each condition according to its carefully selected criteria.