Evaluate FOUR (4) purposes of standard costing. (4 marks)

The purposes of standard costing are:
i) Prediction of future costs that can be used for decision-making.
ii) Provide a challenging target that can serve as motivation for employees.
iii) Assist in setting targets.
iv) Act as a control device by highlighting exceptions.
v) Simplify the task of tracing costs to products for measuring profitability and inventory valuation.