RETURN ON INVESTMENT, MARGIN, TURNOVER Ready Electronics is facing stiff competition from imported goods. Its operating income margin has been declining steadily for the past several years; the company has been forced to lower prices so that it can maintain its market share. The operating results for the past three years are as follows: For the coming year, Ready’s president plans to install a JIT purchasing and manufacturing system. She estimates that inventories will be reduced by 70 percent during the first year of operations, producing a 20 percent reduction in the average operating assets of the company, which would remain unchanged without the JIT system. She also estimates that sales and operating income will be restored to year 1 levels because of simultaneous reductions in operating expenses and selling prices. Lower selling prices will allow Ready to expand its market share.

Danna Martin, president of Mays Electronics, was concerned about the end-of-the year marketing report that she had just received. According to Larry Savage, marketing manager, a price decrease for the coming year was again needed to maintain the companys annual sales volume of integrated circuit boards (CBs). This would make a bad situation worse. The current selling price of 18 per unit was producing a 2-per-unit profithalf the customary 4-per-unit profit. Foreign competitors kept reducing their prices. To match the latest reduction would reduce the price from 18 to 14. This would put the price below the cost to produce and sell it. How could these firms sell for such a low price? Determined to find out if there were problems with the companys operations, Danna decided to hire a consultant to evaluate the way in which the CBs were produced and sold. After two weeks, the consultant had identified the following activities and costs: The consultant indicated that some preliminary activity analysis shows that per-unit costs can be reduced by at least 7. Since the marketing manager had indicated that the market share (sales volume) for the boards could be increased by 50% if the price could be reduced to 12, Danna became quite excited. Required: 1. CONCEPTUAL CONNECTION What is activity-based management? What phases of activity analysis did the consultant provide? What else remains to be done? 2. CONCEPTUAL CONNECTION Identify as many nonvalue-added costs as possible. Compute the cost savings per unit that would be realized if these costs were eliminated. Was the consultant correct in the preliminary cost reduction assessment? Discuss actions that the company can take to reduce or eliminate the nonvalue-added activities. 3. Compute the unit cost required to maintain current market share, while earning a profit of 4 per unit. Now compute the unit cost required to expand sales by 50%, assuming a per-unit profit of 4. How much cost reduction would be required to achieve each unit cost? 4. Assume that further activity analysis revealed the following: switching to automated insertion would save 60,000 of engineering support and 90,000 of direct labor. Now, what is the total potential cost reduction per unit available from activity analysis? With these additional reductions, can Mays achieve the unit cost to maintain current sales? To increase it by 50%? What form of activity analysis is this: reduction, sharing, elimination, or selection? 5. CONCEPTUAL CONNECTION Calculate income based on current sales, prices, and costs. Then calculate the income by using a 14 price and a 12 price, assuming that the maximum cost reduction possible is achieved (including Requirement 4s reduction). What price should be selected?

Katayama Company produces a variety of products. One division makes neoprene wetsuits. The divisions projected income statement for the coming year is as follows: Required: 1. Compute the contribution margin per unit, and calculate the break-even point in units. Repeat, using the contribution margin ratio. 2. The divisional manager has decided to increase the advertising budget by 140,000 and cut the average selling price to 200. These actions will increase sales revenues by 1 million. Will this improve the divisions financial situation? Prepare a new income statement to support your answer. 3. Suppose sales revenues exceed the estimated amount on the income statement by 612,000. Without preparing a new income statement, determine by how much profits are underestimated. 4. How many units must be sold to earn an after-tax profit of 1.254 million? Assume a tax rate of 34 percent. (Round your answer up to the next whole unit.) 5. Compute the margin of safety in dollars based on the given income statement. 6. Compute the operating leverage based on the given income statement. (Round to three significant digits.) If sales revenues are 20 percent greater than expected, what is the percentage increase in profits?

Macom Manufacturing has total contribution margin of $61,250 and net income of $24,500 for the month of June. Marcus expects sales volume to increase by 10% in July. What are the degree of operating leverage and the expected percent change in income for Macom Manufacturing? 0.4 and 10% 2.5 and 10% 2.5 and 25% 5.0 and 50%