Chapter 5 Discussion Questions 1. Such analysis allows the firm to determine at what level of operations it will break even and to explore the relationship between volume, costs, and profits. 2. A utility is in a stable, predictable industry and therefore can afford to use more financial leverage than an automobile company, which is generally subject to the influences of the business cycle. An automobile manufacturer may not be able to service a large amount of debt when there is a downturn in the economy. 3. A labour-intensive company will have low fixed costs and a correspondingly low break-even point. However, the impact of operating leverage on the firm is small and there will be little magnification of profits …show more content…
Coupled with the excessive prices paid (particularly for Federated Stores) this caused problems. There was only a small margin for error. Discussion may also include Robert Campeau’s ego, failure to follow advice, and failure to achieve asset sales at projected prices. Campeau’s gamble was risky but it was close. Internet Resources and Questions 1. http://www.sedar.com/search/search_form_pc_en.htm Problems 1. Shock Electronics a. [pic] b. Sales $300,000 (12,000 × $25) – variable costs 204,000 (12,000 × $17) Contribution margin 96,000 – fixed costs 96,000 Total operating profit $ 0 2. The Hazardous Toys Corporation a. [pic] b. [pic] 3. Therapeutic Systems Fixed costs Variable costs (per unit) Rent $120,000 Factory labour $1.50 Executive salaries 112,000 Raw materials 0.70 $232,000 $2.20 [pic] 4. Jay Linoleum Company a. [pic] [pic] b. [pic] [pic] 5. Gibson & Sons Cash related fixed costs = Total fixed costs – amortization = $1,200,000 – 25% ($1,200,000) = $1,200,000 – $300,000 = $900,000 [pic] 6. Labour intensive and capital-intensive break-even graphs [pic] [pic] The company having the high fixed costs will have lower variable costs than its competitor since it has
If the cost system reported sales volume and/or price we would be able to conduct an activity analysis to determine an appropriate cost function to determine the best cost driver for each product.
Businesses give an analysis of the profit and sales also other business data to find a trend of popular sales and what is making the most money for the company. An example is if an item is usually sold out in days and making lots of profit and if an item is barely sales businesses would buy more of the popular product and less of the unwanted product.
AutoZone is not immune to the economic downturns in the United States of America. However, AutoZone finds itself in a weird position whereby it experiences high-profit margins during the economic recession and low-profit margins during the economic boom. During economic downturns, you expect companies such as AutoZone to experience hard times during economic downturns. The truth is during economic downturns AutoZone makes profits compared to when there is an economic boom. The reason for this assertion is the fact that during economic downturn most consumers prefer to repair their cars rather than buying new ones as during such times buying a new car is not economical. This situation leads to companies such as AutoZone making profits during economic downturns as most consumers prefer repairing their cars rather than buying new ones.
Despite being well-established, over the last three years, sales at Atherley Furniture Company have remained the same while profits have declined by almost 24%. Their chair division produces three different types of chairs, the Atherley, the Caledonia and the Parkdale. Each model has its own production plan and production costs. The increasing production costs, alongside the intense competition the company faces, have become a great cause of concern for John Atherley.
Bob’s Discount Furniture can be defined in one word, “innovative”. In almost every aspect of their business, Bob’s is setting the standard for the furniture industry. Founded in 1991 in Newington, Connecticut, Bob Kaufman had a dream to build a successful company. This dream stemmed from his own experiences. In 1976, Bob was involved in a motorcycle accident that left one of his legs partially paralyzed. He was sent to bed to recuperate from his injuries, where he then found the benefits of the waterbed in his recovery. This experience inspired Bob to become a waterbed salesman. He sold waterbeds in 24 stores across New England.
The household wood furniture industry is healthy and growing. Total industry sales in 2007 were estimated to be $31 billion at manufactures prices. Three categories of furniture divide the industry. First upholstered furniture which makes up 50% of sales, Secondly wood furniture at 40% of the industry market share which has grown 2.5% in 2007 and is projected another 4% in 2008, this second category includes dining room and bedroom furniture. Third and last is the other category at 10% this includes ready to assemble and casual furniture. Haverwood has established themselves as a medium to high priced furniture company through 1,000 carefully selected high
White Furniture Company was the “oldest maker of fine furniture.” This phrase was reiterated over and over again by longtime Mebane, North Carolina residents. This company employed 1 out of 20 Mebane residents and was a driving economic force in the town. White 's “regulated many of the rhythms of the town-opening and closing time, lunchtime, weekend and holidays.”
The breakeven point is used my companies to prevent loss. The Cost Volume Profit (CVP) is the tool in which to capture the breakeven point. Sometimes it is referred to as the breakeven analysis. The CVP assists the company in identifying future operation need, production costs, and expansion possibilities based on estimating costs, prices, and volumes. This profit response can help Competition Bikes determine the amount of needed sales, what products to manufacture, pricing policies, marketing strategies, and how much profit is actually needed. In this analysis we will assume
In order to ascertain how well a company is performing, analyses must be done in regard to the business being stable, including its’ ability to pay debts, how much cash or other liquid assets are available, and whether the organization is viable enough to continue operations. These analyses typically look at income statements, balance sheets, and statements of cash flow, where current and past performance will be studied with the goal of predicting how the company will perform in the future.
* Other furniture suppliers do not possess considerable barging power, due to many factories over the world that has the ability to provide the same product.
In today’s operational management arena, there are certain expectations from a managerial aspect that must be met in order to be successful. A comprehensive look at the Space Age Furniture Company will show exactly what the Materials Requirement Planning (MRP) calculations are for this company at present time and then take the information given in order to properly suggest ways to improve the sub-assemblies. In addition, there will be an analysis on the trade-offs between the overtime and inventory costs. A calculation will be made on the new MRP that will improve the base MRP. This paper will also compare and contrast the types of production processing to include the job shop, batch, repetitive, or continuous, and determine which
Factors which affect fixed costs include the availability of outsourcing, which Apple has famously (some would say infamously) capitalized
Break-even point analysis is a measurement system that calculates the margin of safety by comparing the amount of revenues or units that must be sold to cover fixed and variable costs associated with making the sales. In other words, it’s a way to calculate when a project will be profitable by equating its total revenues with its total expenses. There are several different uses for the equation, but all of them deal with managerial accounting and cost management (Break-Even Point, n.d.)
A company's break-even point is the amount of sales or revenues that it must generate in order to equal its expenses. In other words, it is the point at which the company neither makes a profit nor suffers a loss. Calculating the break-even point (through break-even analysis) can provide a simple, yet powerful quantitative tool for managers. In its simplest form, break-even analysis provides insight into whether or not revenue from a product or service has the ability to cover the relevant costs of production of that product or service. Managers can use this information in making a wide range of business decisions, including setting prices, preparing competitive bids, and applying for loans.
West Company's cost structure will include a larger proportion of variable costs than East Company's cost structure. A firm's operating leverage factor, at a particular sales volume, is defined as its total contribution margin divided by its net income. Since East Company has proportionately higher fixed costs, it will have a proportionately higher total contribution margin. Therefore, East Company's operating leverage factor will be higher.