One of the main disadvantages of the system is that it only works under some quite strict requirements. If these are not met, the system will become unbalanced and may be quite unusable, or a nightmare to maintain.

Standard costs must be reliably estimated and variances kept to a minimum. The premise of the system is that a sale triggers the manufacturing process, therefore buildup of work in progress or finished goods needs to be avoided Another drawback is that detailed information for management purposes may not be available where needed, and the production control therefore needs to be all the stronger. The cost accounts used in back-flush accounting may be more difficult to reconcile to financial accounts needed for reporting