This student guide is intended to assist persons employed as supervisors in improving their economics and financial management skills. Discussed in the first three sections are the following topics: costs and cost centers (cost information and decisions; costs; cost statements, units, centers, and codes); cost centers and the supervisor (techniques of product costing and the relationship between cost centers and material and labor costs); and cost centers and overheads (overheads and allocation, apportionment, and transfer of overheads). Each of these sections contains an introduction, sections of instructional text that are interspersed with reinforcing learning activities, and a section summary. The fourth part of the guide includes a series of performance checks (an end check, a tutor check, and a work-based project). A unit review, which also includes a description of related extension courses and resources, concludes the guide. (MN)