The increased interest in nonfinancial performance measures originated outside the operations of cost accounting systems. In part, this increased interest is a response to perceived problems with traditional accounting measures. It would be counter-productive, though, to view this development as a threat to the management accountant's role. Rather, the essential skills of the management accountant can be applied to the identification, measurement, verification, reporting, and interpretation of any performance measure, whether it is stated in dollars or not.
For example, if a firm's production engineers or salespeople begin ignoring financial measures because they are viewed as being too late, too aggregated, or too unresponsive to changing needs, then they may develop their own measures of each department's performance. If engineers and salespeople regard the new measures as more timely or more relevant, then managers are likely to request the same information once they learn it is available. The management accountant may then be required, after the fact, to verify the information and estimate or explain its financial impact. It is more efficient for the management accountant to be involved early in the process and establish efficient and verifiable data-gathering and reporting systems.