This paper gives an overview of contemporary cost management methods (target costing, ABC method, total quality management), and presents the benefits of introducing them to business practices. Previous studies have considered the possibility of cost reduction and optimisation by introducing contemporary cost management methods thus improving company performance. This explorative empirical study is a first step in investigating the relationship between contemporary cost management methods and financial performance. The aim of the research is to clarify the conceptual and methodological ambiguities surrounding the justification of using adopted measurement scales. This study is based on the outcomes of a questionnaire completed by a representative sample of 48 Croatian limited companies. The findings highlight the influence of contemporary cost management methods on financial performance of the companies surveyed. They also provide the basis for recommendations to management accountants and raise more questions for research. Based on psychometric characteristics of measurement constructs, the questionnaire applied in this study can serve as starting point for instrument development in future research.