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All Textbook Solutions for Cornerstones of Cost Management (Cornerstones Series)
The activity of moving materials uses four forklifts, each leased for 18,000 per year. A forklift is capable of making 5,000 moves per year, where a move is defined as a round trip from the plant to the warehouse and back. During the year, a total of 18,000 moves were made. What is the cost of the unused capacity for the moving goods activity? a. 5,400 b. 1,800 c. 7,200 d. 3,600Joseph Fox, controller of Thorpe Company, has been in charge of a project to install an activity-based cost management system. This new system is designed to support the companys efforts to become more competitive. For the past six weeks, he and the project committee members have been identifying and defining activities, associating workers with activities, and assessing the time and resources consumed by individual activities. Now, he and the project committee are focusing on three additional implementation issues: (1) identifying activity drivers, (2) assessing value content, and (3) identifying cost drivers (root causes). Joseph has assigned a committee member the responsibilities of assessing the value content of five activities, choosing a suitable activity driver for each activity, and identifying the possible root causes of the activities. Following are the five activities with possible activity drivers: The committee member ran a regression analysis for each potential activity driver, using the method of least squares to estimate the variable and fixed cost components. In all five cases, costs were highly correlated with the potential drivers. Thus, all drivers appeared to be good candidates for assigning costs to products. The company plans to reward production managers for reducing product costs. Required: 1. What is the difference between an activity driver and a cost driver? In answering the question, describe the purpose of each type of driver. 2. For each activity, assess the value content and classify each activity as value-added or non-value-added (justify the classification). Identify some possible root causes of each activity, and describe how this knowledge can be used to improve activity performance. For purposes of discussion, assume that the value-added activities are not performed with perfect efficiency. 3. Describe the behavior that each activity driver will encourage, and evaluate the suitability of that behavior for the companys objective of becoming more competitive.Baker, Inc., supplies wheels for a large bicycle manufacturing company. The bicycle company has recently requested that Baker decrease its delivery time. Baker made a commitment to reduce the lead time for delivery from seven days to one day. To help achieve this goal, engineering and production workers had made the commitment to reduce time for the setup activity (other activities such as moving materials and rework were also being examined simultaneously). Current setup times were 12 hours. Setup cost was 600 per setup hour. For the first quarter, engineering developed a new process design that it believed would reduce the setup time from 12 hours to nine hours. After implementing the design, the actual setup time dropped from 12 hours to seven hours. Engineering believed the actual reduction was sustainable. In the second quarter, production workers suggested a new setup procedure. Engineering gave the suggestion a positive evaluation, and they projected that the new approach would save an additional six hours of setup time. Setup labor was trained to perform the new setup procedures. The actual reduction in setup time based on the suggested changes was four hours. Required: 1. What kaizen setup standard would be used at the beginning of each quarter? 2. Describe the kaizen subcycle using the two quarters of data provided by Baker. 3. Describe the maintenance subcycle for setups using the two quarters of data provided by Baker. 4. How much non-value-added cost was eliminated by the end of two quarters? Discuss the role of kaizen costing in activity-based management. 5. Explain why kaizen costing is compatible with activity-based responsibility accounting while standard costing is compatible with financial-based responsibility accounting.Novo, Inc., wants to develop an activity flexible budget for the activity of moving materials. Novo uses eight forklifts to move materials from receiving to stores. The forklifts are also used to move materials from stores to the production area. The forklifts are obtained through an operating lease that costs 18,000 per year per forklift. Novo employs 25 forklift operators who receive an average salary of 50,000 per year, including benefits. Each move requires the use of a crate. The crates are used to store the parts and are emptied only when used in production. Crates are disposed of after one cycle (two moves), where a cycle is defined as a move from receiving to stores to production. Each crate costs 1.80. Fuel for a forklift costs 3.60 per gallon. A gallon of gas is used every 20 moves. Forklifts can make three moves per hour and are available for 280 days per year, 24 hours per day (the remaining time is downtime for various reasons). Each operator works 40 hours per week and 50 weeks per year. Required: 1. Prepare a flexible budget for the activity of moving materials, using the number of cycles as the activity driver. 2. Calculate the activity capacity for moving materials. Suppose Novo works at 80 percent of activity capacity and incurs the following costs: Prepare the budget for the 80 percent level and then prepare a performance report for the moving materials activity. 3. Calculate and interpret the volume variance for moving materials. 4. Suppose that a redesign of the plant layout reduces the demand for moving materials to one-third of the original capacity. What would be the budget formula for this new activity level? What is the budgeted cost for this new activity level? Has activity performance improved? How does this activity performance evaluation differ from that described in Requirement 2? Explain.26PTom Young, vice president of Dunn Company (a producer of plastic products), has been supervising the implementation of an activity-based cost management system. One of Toms objectives is to improve process efficiency by improving the activities that define the processes. To illustrate the potential of the new system to the president, Tom has decided to focus on two processes: production and customer service. Within each process, one activity will be selected for improvement: molding for production and sustaining engineering for customer service. (Sustaining engineers are responsible for redesigning products based on customer needs and feedback.) Value-added standards are identified for each activity. For molding, the value-added standard calls for nine pounds per mold. (Although the products differ in shape and function, their size, as measured by weight, is uniform.) The value-added standard is based on the elimination of all waste due to defective molds (materials is by far the major cost for the molding activity). The standard price for molding is 15 per pound. For sustaining engineering, the standard is 60 percent of current practical activity capacity. This standard is based on the fact that about 40 percent of the complaints have to do with design features that could have been avoided or anticipated by the company. Current practical capacity (the first year) is defined by the following requirements: 18,000 engineering hours for each product group that has been on the market or in development for five years or less, and 7,200 hours per product group of more than five years. Four product groups have less than five years experience, and 10 product groups have more. There are 72 engineers, each paid a salary of 70,000. Each engineer can provide 2,000 hours of service per year. There are no other significant costs for the engineering activity. For the first year, actual pounds used for molding were 25 percent above the level called for by the value-added standard; engineering usage was 138,000 hours. There were 240,000 units of output produced. Tom and the operational managers have selected some improvement measures that promise to reduce non-value-added activity usage by 30 percent in the second year. Selected actual results achieved for the second year are as follows: The actual prices paid per pound and per engineering hour are identical to the standard or budgeted prices. Required: 1. For the first year, calculate the non-value-added usage and costs for molding and sustaining engineering. Also, calculate the cost of unused capacity for the engineering activity. 2. Using the targeted reduction, establish kaizen standards for molding and engineering (for the second year). 3. Using the kaizen standards prepared in Requirement 2, compute the second-year usage variances, expressed in both physical and financial measures, for molding and engineering. (For engineering, explain why it is necessary to compare actual resource usage with the kaizen standard.) Comment on the companys ability to achieve its targeted reductions. In particular, discuss what measures the company must take to capture any realized reductions in resource usage.Bienestar, Inc., has two plants that manufacture a line of wheelchairs. One is located in Kansas City, and the other in Tulsa. Each plant is set up as a profit center. During the past year, both plants sold their tilt wheelchair model for 1,620. Sales volume averages 20,000 units per year in each plant. Recently, the Kansas City plant reduced the price of the tilt model to 1,440. Discussion with the Kansas City manager revealed that the price reduction was possible because the plant had reduced its manufacturing and selling costs by reducing what was called non-value-added costs. The Kansas City manufacturing and selling costs for the tilt model were 1,260 per unit. The Kansas City manager offered to loan the Tulsa plant his cost accounting manager to help it achieve similar results. The Tulsa plant manager readily agreed, knowing that his plant must keep pacenot only with the Kansas City plant but also with competitors. A local competitor had also reduced its price on a similar model, and Tulsas marketing manager had indicated that the price must be matched or sales would drop dramatically. In fact, the marketing manager suggested that if the price were dropped to 1,404 by the end of the year, the plant could expand its share of the market by 20 percent. The plant manager agreed but insisted that the current profit per unit must be maintained. He also wants to know if the plant can at least match the 1,260 per-unit cost of the Kansas City plant and if the plant can achieve the cost reduction using the approach of the Kansas City plant. The plant controller and the Kansas City cost accounting manager have assembled the following data for the most recent year. The actual cost of inputs, their value-added (ideal) quantity levels, and the actual quantity levels are provided (for production of 20,000 units). Assume there is no difference between actual prices of activity units and standard prices. Required: 1. Calculate the target cost for expanding the Tulsa plants market share by 20 percent, assuming that the per-unit profitability is maintained as requested by the plant manager. 2. Calculate the non-value-added cost per unit. Assuming that non-value-added costs can be reduced to zero, can the Tulsa plant match the Kansas City per-unit cost? Can the target cost for expanding market share be achieved? What actions would you take if you were the plant manager? 3. Describe the role that benchmarking played in the effort of the Tulsa plant to protect and improve its competitive position.Kelly Gray, production manager, was upset with the latest performance report, which indicated that she was 100,000 over budget. Given the efforts that she and her workers had made, she was confident that they had met or beat the budget. Now, she was not only upset but also genuinely puzzled over the results. Three itemsdirect labor, power, and setupswere over budget. The actual costs for these three items follow: Kelly knew that her operation had produced more units than originally had been budgeted, so more power and labor had naturally been used. She also knew that the uncertainty in scheduling had led to more setups than planned. When she pointed this out to John Huang, the controller, he assured her that the budgeted costs had been adjusted for the increase in productive activity. Curious, Kelly questioned John about the methods used to make the adjustment. JOHN: If the actual level of activity differs from the original planned level, we adjust the budget by using budget formulasformulas that allow us to predict what the costs will be for different levels of activity. KELLY: The approach sounds reasonable. However, Im sure something is wrong here. Tell me exactly how you adjusted the costs of labor, power, and setups. JOHN: First, we obtain formulas for the individual items in the budget by using the method of least squares. We assume that cost variations can be explained by variations in productive activity where activity is measured by direct labor hours. Here is a list of the cost formulas for the three items you mentioned. The variable X is the number of direct labor hours: Labor cost = 10X Power cost = 5,000 + 4X Setup cost = 100,000 KELLY: I think I see the problem. Power costs dont have a lot to do with direct labor hours. They have more to do with machine hours. As production increases, machine hours increase more rapidly than direct labor hours. Also, ... JOHN: You know, you have a point. The coefficient of determination for power cost is only about 50 percent. That leaves a lot of unexplained cost variation. The coefficient for labor, however, is much betterit explains about 96 percent of the cost variation. Setup costs, of course, are fixed. KELLY: Well, as I was about to say, setup costs also have very little to do with direct labor hours. And I might add that they certainly are not fixedat least not all of them. We had to do more setups than our original plan called for because of the scheduling changes. And we have to pay our people when they work extra hours. It seems as if we are always paying overtime. I wonder if we simply do not have enough people for the setup activity. Supplies are used for each setup, and these are not cheap. Did you build these extra costs of increased setup activity into your budget? JOHN: No, we assumed that setup costs were fixed. I see now that some of them could vary as the number of setups increases. Kelly, let me see if I can develop some cost formulas based on better explanatory variables. Ill get back with you in a few days. Assume that after a few days work, John developed the following cost formulas, all with a coefficient of determination greater than 90 percent: Labor cost = 10X; where X = Direct labor hours Power cost = 68,000 + 0.9Y; where Y = Machine hours Setup cost = 98,000 + 400Z; where Z = Number of setups The actual measures of each of the activity drivers are as follows: Required: 1. Prepare a performance report for direct labor, power, and setups using the direct-labor-based formulas. 2. Prepare a performance report for direct labor, power, and setups using the multiple cost driver formulas that John developed. 3. Of the two approaches, which provides the most accurate picture of Kellys performance? Why? 4. After reviewing the approach to performance measurement, a consultant remarked that non-value-added cost trend reports would be a much better performance measurement approach than comparing actual costs with budgeted costseven if activity flexible budgets were used. Do you agree or disagree? Explain.Douglas Davis, controller for Marston, Inc., prepared the following budget for manufacturing costs at two different levels of activity for 20X1: During 20X1, Marston worked a total of 80,000 direct labor hours, used 250,000 machine hours, made 32,000 moves, and performed 120 batch inspections. The following actual costs were incurred: Marston applies overhead using rates based on direct labor hours, machine hours, number of moves, and number of batches. The second level of activity (the right column in the preceding table) is the practical level of activity (the available activity for resources acquired in advance of usage) and is used to compute predetermined overhead pool rates. Required: 1. Prepare a performance report for Marstons manufacturing costs in the current year. 2. Assume that one of the products produced by Marston is budgeted to use 10,000 direct labor hours, 15,000 machine hours, and 500 moves and will be produced in five batches. A total of 10,000 units will be produced during the year. Calculate the budgeted unit manufacturing cost. 3. One of Marstons managers said the following: Budgeting at the activity level makes a lot of sense. It really helps us manage costs better. But the previous budget really needs to provide more detailed information. For example, I know that the moving materials activity involves the use of forklifts and operators, and this information is lost when only the total cost of the activity for various levels of output is reported. We have four forklifts, each capable of providing 10,000 moves per year. We lease these forklifts for five years, at 10,000 per year. Furthermore, for our two shifts, we need up to eight operators if we run all four forklifts. Each operator is paid a salary of 30,000 per year. Also, I know that fuel costs about 0.25 per move. Assuming that these are the only three items, expand the detail of the flexible budget for moving materials to reveal the cost of these three resource items for 20,000 moves and 40,000 moves, respectively. Based on these comments, explain how this additional information can help Marston better manage its costs. (Especially consider how activity-based budgeting may provide useful information for non-value-added activities.)Describe a strategic-based responsibility accounting system. How does it differ from activity-based responsibility accounting?What is a Balanced Scorecard?What is meant by balanced measures?4DQ5DQWhat are stretch targets? What is their strategic purpose?7DQWhat are the three strategic themes of the financial perspective?9DQExplain what is meant by the long wave and the short wave of value creation.11DQ12DQWhat is a testable strategy?14DQ15DQNorton Company has the following data for one of its production departments: Theoretical velocity: 300 units per hour Productive minutes available per year: 10,000,000 Annual conversion costs: 60,000,000 Actual velocity: 160 units per hour Required: 1. Calculate the actual conversion cost per unit using actual cycle time and the standard cost per minute. 2. Calculate the ideal conversion cost per unit using theoretical cycle time and the standard cost per minute. What incentive exists for managers when cycle time costing is used? 3. What if the actual velocity is 220 units per hour? What is the conversion cost per unit? What effect will this improvement have on delivery performance?Craig, Inc., has provided the following information for one of its products for each hour of production: Actual velocity: 100 units (per hour) Move time: 20 minutes Inspection time: 18 minutes Rework time: 12 minutes Required: 1. Calculate MCE. Comment on its significance. 2. What is the theoretical cycle time? Calculate MCE using actual and theoretical cycle times. 3. What if waste is reduced by 40 percent? What is the new MCE? New cycle time?3CEThe following comment was made by the CEO of a company that recently implemented the Balanced Scorecard: Responsibility in a strategic-based performance management system differs on the three Ds: Direction, Dimension, and Diffusion. Required: Explain how this comment describes differences in responsibility between an activity-based and a strategic-based performance management system.5E6EConsider the following list of scorecard measures: a. Product profitability b. Ratings from customer surveys c. Number of patents pending d. Strategic job coverage ratio e. Revenue per employee f. Quality costs g. Percentage of market h. Employee turnover percentages i. First-pass yields j. On-time delivery percentage k. Percentage of revenues from new sources l. Economic value added Required: Classify each measure according to the following: perspective, financial or nonfinancial, subjective or objective, and external or internal. When the perspective is process, identify which type of process: innovation, operations, or post-sales service.Hatch Manufacturing produces multiple machine parts. The theoretical cycle time for one of its products is 65 minutes per unit. The budgeted conversion costs for the manufacturing cell dedicated to the product are 12,960,000 per year. The total labor minutes available are 1,440,000. During the year, the cell was able to produce 0.6 units of the product per hour. Suppose also that production incentives exist to minimize unit product costs. Required: 1. Compute the theoretical conversion cost per unit. 2. Compute the applied conversion cost per minute (the amount of conversion cost actually assigned to the product). 3. Discuss how this approach to assigning conversion cost can improve delivery time performance. Explain how conversion cost acts as a performance driver for on-time deliveries.Computador has a manufacturing plant in Des Moines that has the theoretical capability to produce 243,000 laptops per quarter but currently produces 91,125 units. The conversion cost per quarter is 7,290,000. There are 60,750 production hours available within the plant per quarter. In addition to the processing minutes per unit used, the production of the laptops uses 10 minutes of move time, 20 minutes of wait time, and 5 minutes of rework time. (All work is done by cell workers.) Required: 1. Compute the theoretical and actual velocities (per hour) and the theoretical and actual cycle times (minutes per unit produced). 2. Compute the ideal and actual amounts of conversion cost assigned per laptop. 3. Calculate MCE. How does MCE relate to the conversion cost per laptop?Refer to Exercise 13.9. Assume that the company identifies poor plant layout as the root cause of wait time and move time. Required: 1. Express an improvement strategy as a series of if-then statements that will reduce the conversion cost per laptop. 2. Assume that you set an MCE target of 75 percent, based on the improvement strategy described in Requirement 1. What is the expected conversion cost per unit? Explain how you can use these targets to test the viability of your quality improvement strategy.The following if-then statements were taken from a Balanced Scorecard: a. If employee capabilities increase, then process time decreases. b. If process time decreases, then customer retention will increase. c. If customer retention increases, then market share will increase. d. If market share increases, then revenues will increase. Required: 1. Identify the lead and lag variables, and explain your reasoning. 2. Discuss the implications of Requirement 1 for the financial and learning and growth perspectives. 3. Using the first if-then statement, explain the concept of double-loop feedback.Consider the following quality improvement strategy as expressed by a series of if-then statements: If real-time feedback information capabilities improve, then post-sales service time will improve. If post-sales service time improves, then post-sales service quality will increase. If post-sales service quality increases, then customer satisfaction will increase. If customer satisfaction increases, then market share will increase. If market share increases, then sales will increase. If sales increase, then profits will increase. Required: 1. Prepare a strategy map that shows the cause-and-effect relationships of the quality improvement strategy (see Exhibit 13.10 for an illustrative example). 2. Explain how the quality improvement strategy can be tested.Bannister Company, an electronics firm, buys circuit boards and manually inserts various electronic devices into the printed circuit board. Bannister sells its products to original equipment manufacturers. Profits for the last two years have been less than expected. Mandy Confer, owner of Bannister, was convinced that her firm needed to adopt a revenue growth and cost reduction strategy to increase overall profits. After a careful review of her firms condition, Mandy realized that the main obstacle for increasing revenues and reducing costs was the high defect rate of her products (a 6 percent reject rate). She was certain that revenues would grow if the defect rate was reduced dramatically. Costs would also decline as there would be fewer rejects and less rework. By decreasing the defect rate, customer satisfaction would increase, causing, in turn, an increase in market share. Mandy also felt that the following actions were needed to help ensure the success of the revenue growth and cost reduction strategy: a. Improve the soldering capabilities by sending employees to an outside course. b. Redesign the insertion process to eliminate some of the common mistakes. c. Improve the procurement process by selecting suppliers that provide higher-quality circuit boards. Required: 1. State the revenue growth and cost reduction strategy using a series of cause-and-effect relationships expressed as if-then statements. 2. Illustrate the strategy using a strategy map. 3. Explain how the revenue growth strategy can be tested. In your explanation, discuss the role of lead and lag measures, targets, and double-loop feedback.14EIn a balanced scorecard, a key strategic if-then statement is provided: if the number of defective units decreases, then market share will increase. Assume that the targeted reduction level of defective units was achieved but that the targeted market share increase was not achieved. Which statement best describes this outcome? a. The company has not successfully implemented its strategic plan. b. Single-loop feedback is needed. c. The hypothesized relationship is somehow invalid. d. Corrective action must be taken so that the strategy can be executed as intended.Which of the following objectives would be associated with the process perspective? a. Increasing information system capabilities b. Increasing service quality c. Decreasing unit product cost d. Increasing customer satisfactionA manufacturing cell produces 40 units in five hours. What is the cycle time for the manufacturing cell? a. 8 units per hour b. 8 hours per unit c. 1/8 unit per hour d. 7.5 minutes per unitWhich of the following objectives would likely be associated with the learning and growth perspective of the balanced scorecard? a. Increasing post-sales service efficiency b. Increasing information system capabilities c. Decreasing product development cycle time d. Improving product image and reputationWhich of the following objectives would likely be associated with the customer perspective of the balanced scorecard? a. Increasing post-sales service efficiency b. Decreasing product development cycle time c. Reducing distribution channel cost d. Increasing delivery reliabilityCarson Wellington, president of Mallory Plastics, was considering a report sent to him by Emily Sorensen, vice president of operations. The report was a summary of the progress made by an activity-based management system that was implemented three years ago. Significant progress had indeed been realized. At the conclusion of the report, Emily urged Carson to consider the adoption of the Balanced Scorecard as a logical next step in the companys efforts to establish itself as a leader in its industry. Emily clearly was impressed by the Balanced Scorecard and intrigued by the possibility that the change would enhance the overall competitiveness of Mallory. She requested a meeting of the executive committee to explain the similarities and differences between the two approaches. Carson agreed to schedule the meeting but asked Emily to prepare a memo in advance, listing the most important similarities and differences between the two approaches to responsibility accounting. Required: Prepare the memo requested by Carson.At the end of 20x1, Mejorar Company implemented a low-cost strategy to improve its competitive position. Its objective was to become the low-cost producer in its industry. A Balanced Scorecard was developed to guide the company toward this objective. To lower costs, Mejorar undertook a number of improvement activities such as JIT production, total quality management, and activity-based management. Now, after two years of operation, the president of Mejorar wants some assessment of the achievements. To help provide this assessment, the following information on one product has been gathered: Required: 1. Compute the following measures for 20x1 and 20x3: a. Actual velocity and cycle time b. Percentage of total revenue from new customers (assume one unit per customer) c. Percentage of very satisfied customers (assume each customer purchases one unit) d. Market share e. Percentage change in actual product cost (for 20x3 only) f. Percentage change in days of inventory (for 20x3 only) g. Defective units as a percentage of total units produced h. Total hours of training i. Suggestions per production worker j. Total revenue k. Number of new customers 2. For the measures listed in Requirement 1, list likely strategic objectives, classified according to the four Balance Scorecard perspectives. Assume there is one measure per objective.Refer to the data in Problem 13.21. 1. Express Mejorars strategy as a series of if-then statements. What does this tell you about Balanced Scorecard measures? 2. Prepare a strategy map that illustrates the relationships among the likely strategic objectives.The following strategic objectives have been derived from a strategy that seeks to improve asset utilization by more careful development and use of its human assets and internal processes: a. Increase revenue from new products. b. Increase implementation of employee suggestions. c. Decrease operating expenses. d. Decrease cycle time for the development of new products. e. Decrease rework. f. Increase employee morale. g. Increase customer satisfaction. h. Increase access of key employees to customer and product information. i. Increase customer acquisition. j. Increase return on investment (ROI). k. Increase employee productivity. l. Decrease the collection period for accounts receivable. m. Increase employee skills. The heart of the strategy is developing the companys human resources. Management is convinced that empowering employees will lead to an increase in economic returns. Studies have shown that there is a positive relationship between employee morale and customer satisfaction. Furthermore, the more satisfied customers pay their bills more quickly. It was hypothesized that as employees became more involved and more productive, their morale would improve. Thus, the strategy incorporated key objectives that would lead to an increase in productivity and involvement. Required: 1. Classify the objectives by perspective, and suggest a measure for each objective. 2. Prepare a strategy map that illustrates the likely causal relationships among the strategic objectives.Lander Parts, Inc., produces various automobile parts. In one plant, Lander has a manufacturing cell with the theoretical capability to produce 450,000 fuel pumps per quarter. The conversion cost per quarter is 9,000,000. There are 150,000 production hours available within the cell per quarter. Required: 1. Compute the theoretical velocity (per hour) and the theoretical cycle time (minutes per unit produced). 2. Compute the ideal amount of conversion cost that will be assigned per subassembly. 3. Suppose the actual time required to produce a fuel pump is 40 minutes. Compute the amount of conversion cost actually assigned to each unit produced. What happens to product cost if the time to produce a unit is decreased to 25 minutes? How can a firm encourage managers to reduce cycle time? Finally, discuss how this approach to assigning conversion cost can improve delivery time. 4. Assuming the actual time to produce one fuel pump is 40 minutes, calculate MCE. How much non-value-added time is being used? How much is it costing per unit? 5. Cycle time, velocity, MCE, conversion cost per unit (theoretical conversion rate actual conversion time), and non-value-added costs are all measures of performance for the cell process. Discuss the incentives provided by these measures.Auflegger, Inc., manufactures a product that experiences the following activities (and times): Required: 1. Compute the MCE for this product. 2. A study lists the following root causes of the inefficiencies: poor quality components from suppliers, lack of skilled workers, and plant layout. Suggest a possible cost reduction strategy, expressed as a series of if-then statements that will reduce MCE and lower costs. Finally, prepare a strategy map that illustrates the causal paths. In preparing the map, use only three perspectives: learning and growth, process, and financial. 3. Is MCE a lag or a lead measure? If and when MCE acts as a lag measure, what lead measures would affect it?26PAt the beginning of the last quarter of 20x1, Youngston, Inc., a consumer products firm, hired Maria Carrillo to take over one of its divisions. The division manufactured small home appliances and was struggling to survive in a very competitive market. Maria immediately requested a projected income statement for 20x1. In response, the controller provided the following statement: After some investigation, Maria soon realized that the products being produced had a serious problem with quality. She once again requested a special study by the controllers office to supply a report on the level of quality costs. By the middle of November, Maria received the following report from the controller: Maria was surprised at the level of quality costs. They represented 30 percent of sales, which was certainly excessive. She knew that the division had to produce high-quality products to survive. The number of defective units produced needed to be reduced dramatically. Thus, Maria decided to pursue a quality-driven turnaround strategy. Revenue growth and cost reduction could both be achieved if quality could be improved. By growing revenues and decreasing costs, profitability could be increased. After meeting with the managers of production, marketing, purchasing, and human resources, Maria made the following decisions, effective immediately (end of November 20x1): a. More will be invested in employee training. Workers will be trained to detect quality problems and empowered to make improvements. Workers will be allowed a bonus of 10 percent of any cost savings produced by their suggested improvements. b. Two design engineers will be hired immediately, with expectations of hiring one or two more within a year. These engineers will be in charge of redesigning processes and products with the objective of improving quality. They will also be given the responsibility of working with selected suppliers to help improve the quality of their products and processes. Design engineers were considered a strategic necessity. c. Implement a new process: evaluation and selection of suppliers. This new process has the objective of selecting a group of suppliers that are willing and capable of providing nondefective components. d. Effective immediately, the division will begin inspecting purchased components. According to production, many of the quality problems are caused by defective components purchased from outside suppliers. Incoming inspection is viewed as a transitional activity. Once the division has developed a group of suppliers capable of delivering nondefective components, this activity will be eliminated. e. Within three years, the goal is to produce products with a defect rate less than 0.10 percent. By reducing the defect rate to this level, marketing is confident that market share will increase by at least 50 percent (as a consequence of increased customer satisfaction). Products with better quality will help establish an improved product image and reputation, allowing the division to capture new customers and increase market share. f. Accounting will be given the charge to install a quality information reporting system. Daily reports on operational quality data (e.g., percentage of defective units), weekly updates of trend graphs (posted throughout the division), and quarterly cost reports are the types of information required. g. To help direct the improvements in quality activities, kaizen costing is to be implemented. For example, for the year 20x1, a kaizen standard of 6 percent of the selling price per unit was set for rework costs, a 25 percent reduction from the current actual cost. To ensure that the quality improvements were directed and translated into concrete financial outcomes, Maria also began to implement a Balanced Scorecard for the division. By the end of 20x2, progress was being made. Sales had increased to 26,000,000, and the kaizen improvements were meeting or beating expectations. For example, rework costs had dropped to 1,500,000. At the end of 20x3, two years after the turnaround quality strategy was implemented, Maria received the following quality cost report: Maria also received an income statement for 20x3: Maria was pleased with the outcomes. Revenues had grown, and costs had been reduced by at least as much as she had projected for the two-year period. Growth next year should be even greater as she was beginning to observe a favorable effect from the higher-quality products. Also, further quality cost reductions should materialize as incoming inspections were showing much higher-quality purchased components. Required: 1. Identify the strategic objectives, classified by the Balanced Scorecard perspective. Next, suggest measures for each objective. 2. Using the results from Requirement 1, describe Marias strategy using a series of if-then statements. Next, prepare a strategy map. 3. Explain how you would evaluate the success of the quality-driven turnaround strategy. What additional information would you like to have for this evaluation? 4. Explain why Maria felt that the Balanced Scorecard would increase the likelihood that the turnaround strategy would actually produce good financial outcomes. 5. Advise Maria on how to encourage her employees to align their actions and behavior with the turnaround strategy.What is the difference between quality of design and quality of conformance?Why are quality costs the costs of doing things wrong?3DQDescribe the Taguchi quality loss function, and relate it to robust quality.Identify and discuss the four kinds of quality costs.Explain why external failure costs can be more devastating to a firm than internal failure costs.7DQ8DQDescribe the three types of quality performance reporting. How can managers use each report to help evaluate their quality improvement programs?10DQIf a firms annual sales are 200 million, what percentage of sales should be spent on quality costs? Suppose that the firm is spending 18 percent of sales on quality costs. What is the potential savings from quality improvement?Explain why it is important for a manager to assess the relative distribution of quality costs among the four categories.13DQExplain why the Accounting Department should be responsible for producing quality cost reports.15DQWhat is ecoefficiency?17DQ18DQ19DQWhat are the four categories of environmental costs? Define each category.21DQWhat does full environmental costing mean? Full private costing?What information is communicated by the unit environmental cost of a product?Evans Company had total sales of 3,000,000 for fiscal 20x5. The costs of quality-related activities are given below. Required: 1. Prepare a quality cost report, classifying costs by category and expressing each category as a percentage of sales. What message does the cost report provide? 2. Prepare a bar graph and pie chart that illustrate each categorys contribution to total quality costs. Comment on the significance of the distribution. 3. What if, five years from now, quality costs are 7.5 percent of sales, with control costs being 65 percent of the total quality costs? What would your conclusion be?2CERoss Company implemented a quality improvement program and tracked the following for the five years: By cost category as a percentage of sales for the same period of time: Required: 1. Prepare a bar graph that reveals the trend in quality cost as a percentage of sales (time on the horizontal axis and percentages on the vertical). Comment on the message of the graph. 2. Prepare a bar graph for each cost category as a percentage of sales. What does this graph tell you? 3. What if management would like to have the trend in relative distribution of quality costs? Express this as a bar graph and comment on its significance.Nabors Company had actual quality costs for the year ended June 30, 20x5, as given below. At the zero-defect state, Nabors expects to spend 375,000 on quality engineering, 75,000 on vendor certification, and 50,000 on packaging inspection. Assume sales to be 25,000,000. Required: 1. Prepare a long-range performance report for 20x5. What does this report tell the management of Nabors? 2. Explain why quality costs still are present for the zero-defect state. 3. What if Nabors achieves the zero-defect state reflected in the report? What are some of the implications of this achievement?Verde Company reported operating costs of 50,000,000 as of December 31, 20x5, with the following environmental costs: Required: 1. Prepare an environmental cost report, classifying costs by quality category and expressing each as a percentage of total operating costs. What is the message of this report? 2. Prepare a pie chart that shows the relative distribution of environmental costs by category. What does this report tell you? 3. What if Verde deliberately did not include the cost of damaging the ecosystem because of solid waste disposal in its environmental cost report? Offer possible reasons for this decision. If consciously avoided, is this decision unethical?Pinter Company had the following environmental activities and product information: 1. Environmental activity costs 2. Driver data 3. Other production data Required: 1. Calculate the activity rates that will be used to assign environmental costs to products. 2. Determine the unit environmental and unit costs of each product using ABC. 3. What if the design costs increased to 360,000 and the cost of toxic waste decreased to 750,000? Assume that Solvent Y uses 6,000 out of 12,000 design hours. Also assume that waste is cut by 50 percent and that Solvent Y is responsible for 14,250 of 15,000 pounds of toxic waste. What is the new environmental cost for Solvent Y?Rachel Boyce, president of a company that manufactures electronic components, has a number of questions concerning quality and quality costs. She has heard a few things about quality and has asked you to respond to the following questions. Required: 1. What does it mean to have a quality product or service? Explain how product quality and conformance are related. 2. Yesterday, my quality manager told me that we need to redefine what we mean by a defective product. He said that conforming to specifications ignores the cost of product variability and that further reduction of product variability is a veritable gold minejust waiting to be mined. What did he mean?Quality attributes such as performance and aesthetics are important to customers. Performance refers to how consistently and how well a product functions. Aesthetics is concerned with the appearance of tangible products as well as the appearance of the facilities, equipment, personnel, and communication materials associated with services. Required: 1. Do you agree that aesthetics is an important quality dimension for services? Use dental services as the framework for providing your response. 2. For services, performance can be more carefully defined by expanding its definition to include responsiveness, assurance, and empathy. Describe what you think is meant by these three characteristics as applied to service quality.Stahman, Inc., estimates its hidden external failure costs using the Taguchi loss function. Stahlman produces plastic sheets that vary in thickness and grade. For one of its large-volume products, it was determined that k = 30,000 and T = 0.28 inches in diameter. A sample of four units produced the following values: Required: 1. Calculate the average loss per unit. 2. Assuming that 100,000 units were produced, what is the total hidden cost? 3. Assume that the multiplier for Stahmans hidden external failure costs is six. What are the measured external costs? Explain the difference between measured costs and hidden costs.10EAbernathy, Inc., produces two different generators and is concerned about their quality. The company has identified the following quality activities and costs associated with the two products: Required: 1. Calculate the quality cost per unit for each product, and break this unit cost into quality cost categories. Which of the two seems to have the lowest quality? 2. How might a manager use the unit quality cost information?Kang Company reported sales of 3,240,000 in 20x5. At the end of the calendar year, the following quality costs were reported: Required: 1. Prepare a quality cost report. 2. Prepare a graph (pie chart or bar graph) that shows the relative distribution of quality costs, and comment on the distribution.Gagnon Company reported the following sales and quality costs for the past four years. Assume that all quality costs are variable and that all changes in the quality cost ratios are due to a quality improvement program. Required: 1. Compute the quality costs for all four years. By how much did net income increase from Year 1 to Year 2 because of quality improvements? From Year 2 to Year 3? From Year 3 to Year 4? 2. The management of Gagnon Company believes it is possible to reduce quality costs to 2.5 percent of sales. Assuming sales will continue at the Year 4 level, calculate the additional profit potential facing Gagnon. Is the expectation of improving quality and reducing costs to 2.5 percent of sales realistic? Explain. 3. Assume that Gagnon produces one type of product, which is sold on a bid basis. In Years 1 and 2, the average bid was 400. In Year 1, total variable costs were 250 per unit. In Year 3, competition forced the bid to drop to 380. Compute the total contribution margin in Year 3 assuming the same quality costs as in Year 1. Now, compute the total contribution margin in Year 3 using the actual quality costs for Year 3. What is the increase in profitability resulting from the quality improvements made from Year 1 to Year 3?Muskogee Company had sales of 60,000,000 in 20x1. In 20x5, sales had increased to 75,000,000. A quality improvement program was implemented at the beginning of 20x1. Overall conformance quality was targeted for improvement. The quality costs for 20x1 and 20x5 follow. Assume any changes in quality costs are attributable to improvements in quality. Required: 1. Compute the quality cost-to-sales ratio for each year. Is this type of improvement possible? 2. Calculate the relative distribution of costs by category for 20x1. What do you think of the way costs are distributed? (A pie chart or bar graph may be of some help.) How do you think they will be distributed as the company approaches a zero-defects state? 3. Calculate the relative distribution of costs by category for 20x5. What do you think of the level and distribution of quality costs? (A pie chart or bar graph may be of some help.) Do you think further reductions are possible? 4. The quality manager for Muskogee indicated that the external failure costs reported are only the measured costs. He argued that the 20x5 external costs were much higher than those reported and that additional investment ought to be made in control costs. Discuss the validity of his viewpoint. 5. Suppose that the manager of Muskogee received a bonus equal to 10 percent of the quality cost savings each year. Do you think that gainsharing is a good or a bad idea? Discuss the risks of gainsharing.Javier Company has sales of 8 million and quality costs of 1,600,000. The company is embarking on a major quality improvement program. During the next three years, Javier intends to attack failure costs by increasing its appraisal and prevention costs. The right prevention activities will be selected, and appraisal costs will be reduced according to the results achieved. For the coming year, management is considering six specific activities: quality training, process control, product inspection, supplier evaluation, prototype testing, and redesign of two major products. To encourage managers to focus on reducing non-value-added quality costs and select the right activities, a bonus pool is established relating to reduction of quality costs. The bonus pool is equal to 10 percent of the total reduction in quality costs. Current quality costs and the costs of these six activities are given in the following table. Each activity is added sequentially so that its effect on the cost categories can be assessed. For example, after quality training is added, the control costs increase to 320,000, and the failure costs drop to 1,040,000. Even though the activities are presented sequentially, they are totally independent of each other. Thus, only beneficial activities need be selected. Required: 1. Identify the control activities that should be implemented, and calculate the total quality costs associated with this selection. Assume that an activity is selected only if it increases the bonus pool. 2. Given the activities selected in Requirement 1, calculate the following: a. The reduction in total quality costs b. The percentage distribution for control and failure costs c. The amount for this years bonus pool 3. Suppose that a quality engineer complained about the gainsharing incentive system. Basically, he argued that the bonus should be based only on reductions of failure and appraisal costs. In this way, investment in prevention activities would be encouraged, and eventually, failure and appraisal costs would be eliminated. After eliminating the non-value-added costs, focus could then be placed on the level of prevention costs. If this approach were adopted, what activities would be selected? Do you agree or disagree with this approach? Explain.In 20x4, Tru-Delite Frozen Desserts, Inc., instituted a quality improvement program. At the end of 20x5, the management of the corporation requested a report to show the amount saved by the measures taken during the year. The actual sales and quality costs for 20x4 and 20x5 are as follows: Tru-Delites management believes that quality costs can be reduced to 2.5 percent of sales within the next five years. At the end of 20x9, Tru-Delites sales are projected to grow to 750,000. The projected relative distribution of quality costs at the end of 20x9 is as follows: Required: 1. Profits increased by what amount due to quality improvements made in 20x5? 2. Prepare a long-range performance report that compares the quality costs incurred at the end of 20x5 with the quality cost structure expected at the end of 20x9. 3. Are the targeted costs in the year 20x9 all value-added costs? How would you interpret the variances if the targeted costs are value-added costs? 4. What would be the profit increase in 20x9 if the 2.5 percent performance standard is met in that year?17E18EAchieving sustainable development will likely require the cooperation of communities, governments, and businesses. The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) claims that ecoefficiency is the business contribution to sustainable development. Required: 1. What is sustainable development? 2. Explain why the WBCSDs claim about ecoefficiency may be true. 3. WBCSD has recently noted (http://www.wbesd.org): the good news is that ecoefficiency is working in the companies that try it. The troubling news is that it is not being tried on a large enough scale, even though it makes good business sense. Why do you think the ecoefficiency paradigm is not as widely accepted as it perhaps ought to be? What would you suggest to increase the number of companies involved in ecoefficient projects?Classify the following environmental activities as prevention costs, detection costs, internal failure costs, or external failure costs. For external failure costs, classify the costs as societal or private. Also, label those activities that are compatible with sustainable development (SD). 1. A company takes actions to reduce the amount of material in its packages. 2. After the activated carbons useful life, a soft-drink producer returns this material used for purifying water for its beverages to the supplier. The supplier reactivates the carbon for a second use in nonfood applications. As a consequence, many tons of material are prevented from entering landfills. 3. An evaporator system is installed to treat wastewater and collect usable solids for other uses. 4. The inks used to print snack packages (for chips) contain heavy metals. 5. Processes are inspected to ensure compliance with environmental standards. 6. Delivery boxes are used five times and then recycled. This prevents 112 million pounds of cardboard from entering landfills and saves 2 million trees per year. 7. Scrubber equipment is installed to ensure that air emissions are less than the level permitted by law. 8. Local residents are incurring medical costs from illnesses caused by air pollution from automobile exhaust pollution. 9. As part of implementing an environmental perspective for the Balanced Scorecard, environmental performance measures are developed. 10. Because of liquid and solid residues being discharged into a local lake, the lake is no longer fit for swimming, fishing, and other recreational activities. 11. To reduce energy consumption, magnetic ballasts are replaced with electronic ballasts, and more efficient light bulbs and lighting sensors are installed. As a result, 2.3 million kilowatt-hours of electricity are saved per year. 12. Due to a legal settlement, a chemicals company must spend 20,000,000 to clean up contaminated soil. 13. A soft-drink company uses the following practice: In all bottling plants, packages damaged during filling are collected and recycled (glass, plastic, and aluminum). 14. Products are inspected to ensure that the gaseous emissions produced during operation follow legal and company guidelines. 15. Operating pollution control equipment incurs costs. 16. An internal audit is conducted to verify that environmental policies are being followed.At the end of 20x5, Bing Pharmaceuticals began to implement an environmental quality management program. As a first step, it identified the following costs in its accounting records as environmentally related for the calendar year just ended: Required: 1. Prepare an environmental cost report by category. Assume that total operating costs are 150,000,000. 2. Use a pie chart to illustrate the relative distribution percentages for each environmental cost category. Comment on what this distribution communicates to a manager.22ECoyle Pharmaceuticals produces two organic chemicals (Org AB and Org XY) used in the production of two of its most wide-selling anti-cancer drugs. The controller and environmental manager have identified the following environmental activities and costs associated with the two products: Required: 1. Calculate the environmental cost per pound for each product. Which of the two products appears to cause the most degradation to the environment? 2. In which environmental category would you classify excessive use of materials and energy? 3. Suppose that the toxin releases cause health problems for those who live near the chemical plant. The costs, due to missed work and medical treatments, are estimated at 2,025,000 per year. How would assignment of these costs change the unit cost? Should they be assigned?24EWhich of the following quality costs is an internal failure cost? a. Inspection of reworked units b. Lost sales because of products failing to meet specifications c. Replacing a defective product d. Training production line workers in new quality proceduresWhich of the following would be a hidden quality cost? a. Inspecting and testing prototypes b. Repairing a computer still under warranty c. Stopping work to correct process malfunction (discovered using statistical process control procedures) d. Lost market share due to poor product performanceUsing the Taguchi quality loss function, an average loss of 20 per unit is calculated. During the year, 25,000 units were produced. Which of the following statements represents the correct application of the Taguchi loss function? a. The hidden costs of internal failure are 500,000. b. The hidden costs of external failure are 500,000. c. The costs of detection activities are 20 per unit inspected. d. The total external costs are 500,000.Environmental costs are those costs incurred because poor environmental quality exists or may exist. As with quality costs, environmental costs can be placed into one of four categories. One of these categories is external failure costs. Which of the following describes one of the two external failure cost categories? a. Costs incurred to detect pollution caused by the firm b. Costs incurred to prevent pollution from contaminating the environment after pollution has been produced c. Pollution costs caused by the firm but paid for by society d. Costs incurred to prevent the production of pollutionTwo products, Product A and Product B, are associated with the following environmental activities and associated data: Driver data: Which of the two products has the greatest environmental impact? a. Product A because its total environmental cost is 400,000. b. Product A because it causes more waste and pollution control than Product B. c. Product B because its total environmental cost is 400,000. d. Product B because its environmental cost per unit is five times more than Product As unit environmental cost.Kathy Shorts, president of Oliver Company, was concerned with the trend in sales and profitability. The company had been losing customers at an alarming rate. Furthermore, the company was barely breaking even. Investigation revealed that poor quality was at the root of the problem. At the end of 20x5, Kathy decided to begin a quality improvement program. As a first step, she identified the following costs in the accounting records as quality related: Required: 1. Prepare a quality cost report by quality cost category. 2. Calculate the relative distribution percentages for each quality cost category. Comment on the distribution. 3. Using the Taguchi loss function, an average loss per unit is computed to be 15 per unit. What are the hidden costs of external failure? How does this affect the relative distribution? 4. Shortss quality manager decided not to bother with the hidden costs. What do you think was his reasoning? Any efforts to reduce measured external failure costs will also reduce the hidden costs. Do you agree or disagree? Explain.Panguitch Company manufactures a component for tablet computers. Weight and durability of the component are the two most important quality characteristics for the tablet manufacturers. With respect to the weight dimension, the component has a target value of 100 grams. Specification limits are 100 grams, plus or minus five grams. Products produced at the lower specification limit of 95 grams lose 20. A sample of five units produced the following weight measures: During the first quarter, 100,000 units were produced. Required: 1. Calculate the loss for each unit. Calculate the average loss for the sample of five. 2. Using the average loss, calculate the hidden quality costs for the first quarter. 3. Durability is another important quality characteristic. The target value is 20,000 hours of operation before failure. The lower specification limit set by engineering and marketing is 19,000 hours. They agreed that there should be no upper specification limit. They also noted that there is a 750 loss at the lower specification limit. Explain why there would be no upper specification limit. Use the lower limit and the left half of the Taguchi quadratic loss function to estimate the loss for components with the following lives: 6,500 hours, 11,000 hours, and 15,500 hours. What does this reveal about the importance of durability?Gaston Company manufactures furniture. One of its product lines is an economy-line kitchen table. During the last year, Gaston produced and sold 100,000 units for 100 per unit. Sales of the table are on a bid basis, but Gaston has always been able to win sufficient bids using the 100 price. This year, however, Gaston was losing more than its share of bids. Concerned, Larry Franklin, owner and president of the company, called a meeting of his executive committee (Megan Johnson, marketing manager; Fred Davis, quality manager; Kevin Jones, production manager; and Helen Jackson, controller). LARRY: I dont understand why were losing bids. Megan, do you have an explanation? MEGAN: Yes, as a matter of fact. Two competitors have lowered their price to 92 per unit. Thats too big a difference for most of our buyers to ignore. If we want to keep selling our 100,000 units per year, we will need to lower our price to 92. Otherwise, our sales will drop to about 20,000 to 25,000 per year. HELEN: The unit contribution margin on the table is 10. Lowering the price to 92 will cost us 8 per unit. Based on a sales volume of 100,000, wed make 200,000 in contribution margin. If we keep the price at 100, our contribution margin would be 200,000 to 250,000. If we have to lose, lets just take the lower market share. Its better than lowering our prices. MEGAN: Perhaps. But the same thing could happen to some of our other product lines. My sources tell me that these two companies are on the tail end of a major quality improvement programone that allows them significant savings. We need to rethink our whole competitive strategyat least if we want to stay in business. Ideally, we should match the price reduction and work to reduce the costs to recapture the lost contribution margin. FRED: I think I have something to offer. We are about to embark on a new quality improvement program of our own. I have brought the following estimates of the current quality costs for this economy line. As you can see, these costs run about 16 percent of current sales. Thats excessive, and we believe that they can be reduced to about 4 percent of sales over time. LARRY: This sounds good. Fred, how long will it take for you to achieve this reduction? FRED: All these costs vary with sales level, so Ill express their reduction rate in those terms. Our best guess is that we can reduce these costs by about 1 percent of sales per quarter. So it should take about 12 quarters, or three years, to achieve the full benefit. Keep in mind that this is with an improvement in quality. MEGAN: This offers us some hope. If we meet the price immediately, we can maintain our market share. Furthermore, if we can ever reach the point of reducing the price below the 92 level, then we can increase our market share. I estimate that we can increase sales by about 10,000 units for every 1 of price reduction beyond the 92 level. Kevin, how much extra capacity for this line do we have? KEVIN: We can handle an extra 30,000 or 40,000 tables per year. Required: 1. Assume that Gaston immediately reduces the bid price to 92. How long will it be before the unit contribution margin is restored to 10, assuming that quality costs are reduced as expected and that sales are maintained at 100,000 units per year (25,000 per quarter)? 2. Assume that Gaston holds the price at 92 until the 4 percent target is achieved. At this new level of quality costs, should the price be reduced? If so, by how much should the price be reduced, and what is the increase in contribution margin? Assume that price can be reduced only in 1 increments. 3. Assume that Gaston immediately reduces the price to 92 and begins the quality improvement program. Now, suppose that Gaston does not wait until the end of the three-year period before reducing prices. Instead, prices will be reduced when profitable to do so. Assume that prices can be reduced only by 1 increments. Identify when the first future price change should occur (if any). 4. Discuss the differences in viewpoints concerning the decision to decrease prices and the short-run contribution margin analysis done by Helen, the controller. Did quality cost information play an important role in the strategic decision making illustrated by the problem?Classify the following quality costs as prevention, appraisal, internal failure, or external failure. Also, label each cost as variable or fixed with respect to sales volume. 1. Quality engineering 2. Scrap 3. Product recalls 4. Returns and allowances because of quality problems 5. Sales data re-entered because of keying errors 6. Supervision of in-process inspection 7. Quality circles 8. Component inspection and testing 9. Quality training 10. Reinspection of reworked product 11. Product liability 12. Internal audit assessing the effectiveness of quality system 13. Disposal of defective product 14. Downtime attributable to quality problems 15. Quality reporting 16. Proofreading 17. Correction of typing errors 18. In-process inspection 19. Process controls 20. Pilot studiesWayne Johnson, president of Banshee Company, recently returned from a conference on quality and productivity. At the conference, he was told that many American firms have quality costs totaling 20 to 30 percent of sales. He, however, was skeptical about this statistic. But even if the quality gurus were right, he was sure that his companys quality costs were much lowerprobably less than 5 percent. On the other hand, if he was wrong, he would be passing up an opportunity to improve profits significantly and simultaneously strengthen his competitive position. The possibility was at least worth exploring. He knew that his company produced most of the information needed for quality cost reportingbut there never was a need to bother with any formal quality data gathering and analysis. This conference, however, had convinced him that a firms profitability can increase significantly by improving qualityprovided the potential for improvement exists. Thus, before committing the company to a quality improvement program, Wayne requested a preliminary estimate of the total quality costs currently being incurred. He also indicated that the costs should be classified into four categories: prevention, appraisal, internal failure, or external failure. He has asked you to prepare a summary of quality costs and to compare the total costs to sales and profits. To assist you in this task, the following information has been prepared from the past year, 20x5: a. Sales revenue, 15,000,000; net income, 1,500,000. b. During the year, customers returned 90,000 units needing repair. Repair cost averages 1 per unit. c. Four inspectors are employed, each earning an annual salary of 60,000. These four inspectors are involved only with final inspection (product acceptance). d. Total scrap is 150,000 units. Of this total, 60 percent is quality related. The cost of scrap is about 5 per unit. e. Each year, approximately 450,000 units are rejected in final inspection. Of these units, 80 percent can be recovered through rework. The cost of rework is 0.75 per unit. f. A customer cancelled an order that would have increased profits by 150,000. The customers reason for cancellation was poor product performance. g. The company employs three full-time employees in its complaint department. Each earns 40,500 a year. h. The company gave sales allowances totaling 45,000 due to substandard products being sent to the customer. i. The company requires all new employees to take its three-hour quality training program. The estimated annual cost of the program is 30,000. Required: 1. Prepare a simple quality cost report classifying costs by category. 2. Compute the quality cost-to-sales ratio. Also, compare the total quality costs with total profits. Should Wayne be concerned with the level of quality costs? 3. Prepare a pie chart for the quality costs. Discuss the distribution of quality costs among the four categories. Are they properly distributed? Explain. 4. Discuss how the company can improve its overall quality and at the same time reduce total quality costs. 5. By how much will profits increase if quality costs are reduced to 2.5 percent of sales?Recently, Ulrich Company received a report from an external consulting group on its quality costs. The consultants reported that the companys quality costs total about 21 percent of its sales revenues. Somewhat shocked by the magnitude of the costs, Rob Rustin, president of Ulrich Company, decided to launch a major quality improvement program. For the coming year, management decided to reduce quality costs to 17 percent of sales revenues. Although the amount of reduction was ambitious, most company officials believed that the goal could be realized. To improve the monitoring of the quality improvement program, Rob directed Pamela Golding, the controller, to prepare monthly performance reports comparing budgeted and actual quality costs. Budgeted costs and sales for the first two months of the year are as follows: The following actual sales and actual quality costs were reported for January: Required: 1. Reorganize the monthly budgets so that quality costs are grouped in one of four categories: appraisal, prevention, internal failure, or external failure. (Essentially, prepare a budgeted cost of quality report.) Also, identify each cost as variable (V) or fixed (F). (Assume that no costs are mixed.) 2. Prepare a performance report for January that compares actual costs with budgeted costs. Comment on the companys progress in improving quality and reducing its quality costs.In 20x5, Major Company initiated a full-scale, quality improvement program. At the end of the year, Jack Aldredge, the president, noted with some satisfaction that the defects per unit of product had dropped significantly compared to the prior year. He was also pleased that relationships with suppliers had improved and defective materials had declined. The new quality training program was also well accepted by employees. Of most interest to the president, however, was the impact of the quality improvements on profitability. To help assess the dollar impact of the quality improvements, the actual sales and the actual quality costs for 20x4 and 20x5 are as follows by quality category: All prevention costs are fixed (by discretion). Assume all other quality costs are unit-level variable. Required: 1. Compute the relative distribution of quality costs for each year and prepare a pie chart. Do you believe that the company is moving in the right direction in terms of the balance among the quality cost categories? Explain. 2. Prepare a one-year trend performance report for 20x5 (compare the actual costs of 20x5 with those of 20x4, adjusted for differences in sales volume). How much have profits increased because of the quality improvements made by Major Company? 3. Estimate the additional improvement in profits if Major Company ultimately reduces its quality costs to 2.5 percent of sales revenues (assume sales of 10 million).Paper Products Division produces paper diapers, napkins, and paper towels. The divisional manager has decided that quality costs can be minimized by distributing quality costs evenly among the four quality categories and reducing them to no more than 5 percent of sales. He has just received the following quality cost report: Assume that all prevention costs are fixed and that the remaining quality costs are variable (unit-level). Required: 1. Assume that the sales revenue for the year totaled 2 million, with sales for each product as follows: diapers, 1 million; napkins, 600,000; and paper towels, 400,000. Evaluate the distribution of costs for the division as a whole and for each product line. What recommendations do you have for the divisional manager? 2. Now, assume that total sales are 1 million and have this breakdown: diapers, 500,000; napkins, 300,000; and paper towels, 200,000. Evaluate the distribution of costs for the division as a whole and for each product line in this case. Do you think it is possible to reduce the quality costs to 5 percent of sales for each product line and for the division as a whole and, simultaneously, achieve an equal distribution of the quality costs? What recommendations do you have? 3. Assume total sales of 1 million with this breakdown: diapers, 500,000; napkins, 180,000; and paper towels, 320,000. Evaluate the distribution of quality costs. What recommendations do you have for the divisional manager? 4. Discuss the value of having quality costs reported by segment.In 2011, Milton Thayne, president of Carbondale Electronics, received a report indicating that quality costs were 31 percent of sales. Faced with increasing pressures from imported goods, Milton resolved to take measures to improve the overall quality of the companys products. After hiring a consultant in 20x0, the company began an aggressive program of total quality control. At the end of 20x5, Milton requested an analysis of the progress the company had made in reducing and controlling quality costs. The Accounting Department assembled the following data: Required: 1. Compute the quality costs as a percentage of sales by category and in total for each year. 2. Prepare a multiple-year trend graph for quality costs, both by total costs and by category. Using the graph, assess the progress made in reducing and controlling quality costs. Does the graph provide evidence that quality has improved? Explain. 3. Using the 20x1 quality cost relationships (assume all costs are variable), calculate the quality costs that would have prevailed in 20x4. By how much did profits increase in 20x4 because of the quality improvement program? Repeat for 20x5.Iona Company, a large printing company, is in its fourth year of a five-year, quality improvement program. The program began in 20x0 with an internal study that revealed the quality costs being incurred. In that year, a five-year plan was developed to lower quality costs to 10 percent of sales by the end of 20x5. Sales and quality costs for each year are as follows: Budgeted figures. Quality costs by category are expressed as a percentage of sales as follows: The detail of the 20x5 budget for quality costs is also provided. All prevention costs are fixed; all other quality costs are variable. During 20x5, the company had 12 million in sales. Actual quality costs for 20x4 and 20x5 are as follows: Required: 1. Prepare an interim quality cost performance report for 20x5 that compares actual quality costs with budgeted quality costs. Comment on the firms ability to achieve its quality goals for the year. 2. Prepare a one-period quality performance report for 20x5 that compares the actual quality costs of 20x4 with the actual costs of 20x5. How much did profits change because of improved quality? 3. Prepare a graph that shows the trend in total quality costs as a percentage of sales since the inception of the quality improvement program. 4. Prepare a graph that shows the trend for all four quality cost categories for 20x1 through 20x5. How does this graph help management know that the reduction in total quality costs is attributable to quality improvements? 5. Assume that the company is preparing a second five-year plan to reduce quality costs to 2.5 percent of sales. Prepare a long-range quality cost performance report assuming sales of 15 million at the end of five years. Assume that the final planned relative distribution of quality costs is as follows: proofreading, 50 percent; other inspection, 13 percent; quality training, 30 percent; and quality reporting, 7 percent.40PThe following items are listed in an environmental financial statement (issued as part of an environmental progress report): Environmental benefits (savings, income, and cost avoidance): Ozone-depleting substances cost reductions Hazardous waste disposal cost reductions Hazardous waste material cost reductions Nonhazardous waste disposal cost reductions Nonhazardous waste material cost reductions Recycling income Energy conservation cost savings Packaging cost reductions Environmental costs: Corporate-level administrative costs Auditor fees Environmental engineering Facility professionals and programs Packaging professionals and programs for packaging reductions Pollution controls: Operations and maintenance Pollution controls: Depreciation Attorney fees for cleanup claims, and notices of violations (NOVs) Settlements of government claims Waste disposal Environmental taxes for packaging Remediation/cleanup: On-site Remediation/cleanup: Off-site Required: 1. Classify each item in the statement as prevention, detection, internal failure, or external failure. In classifying the items listed in the environmental benefits category, first classify the underlying cost item (e.g., the cost of hazardous waste disposal). Next, think of how you would classify the cost of the activities that led to the cost reduction. That is, how would you classify the macro activity: reducing hazardous waste cost disposal? 2. Assuming ecoefficiency, what relationship over time would you expect to observe between the environmental benefits category and the environmental costs category?Refer to Problem 14.41. In the environmental benefits section of the report, three types of benefits are listed: income, savings, and cost avoidance. Now, consider the following data for selected items for a four-year period: The engineering design costs were incurred to redesign the production processes and products. Redesign of the product allowed the substitution of a material that produced less ozone-depleting substances. Modifications in the design of the processes also accomplished the same objective. Because of the improvements, the company was able to reduce the demand for pollution control equipment (with its attendant depreciation and operating costs) and avoid fines and litigation costs. All of the savings generated in a given year represent costs avoided for future years. The engineering costs are investments in design projects. Once the results of the project are realized, design costs can be reduced to lower levels. However, since some ongoing design activity is required for maintaining the system and improving it as needed, the environmental engineering cost will not be reduced lower than the 90,000 reported in 20x5. Required: 1. Prepare a partial environmental financial statement, divided into benefit and cost sections for 20x3, 20x4, and 20x5. 2. Evaluate and explain the outcomes. Does this result support or challenge ecoefficiency? Explain.The following environmental cost reports for 20x3, 20x4, and 20x5 (year end December 31) are for the Communications Products Division of Kartel, a telecommunications company. In 2011, Kartel committed itself to a continuous environmental improvement program, which was implemented throughout the company. At the beginning of 20x5, Kartel began a new program of recycling nonhazardous scrap. The effort produced recycling income totaling 25,000. The marketing vice president and the environmental manager estimated that sales revenue had increased by 200,000 per year since 20x3 because of an improved public image relative to environmental performance. The companys Finance Department also estimated that Kartel saved 80,000 in 20x5 because of reduced finance and insurance costs, all attributable to improved environmental performance. All reductions in environmental costs from 20x3 to 20x5 are attributable to improvement efforts. Furthermore, any reductions represent ongoing savings. Required: 1. Prepare an environmental financial statement for 20x5 (for the Products Division). In the cost section, classify environmental costs by category (prevention, detection, etc.). 2. Evaluate the changes in environmental performance.Refer to Problem 14.43. In 20x3, Jack Carter, president of Kartel, requested that environmental costs be assigned to the two major products produced by the company. He felt that knowledge of the environmental product costs would help guide the design decisions that would be necessary to improve environmental performance. The products represent two different models of a cellular phone (Model XA2 and Model KZ3). The models use different processes and materials. To assign the costs, the following data were gathered for 20x3: During 20x3, Kartels division produced 200,000 units of Model XA2 and 300,000 units of Model KZ3. Required: 1. Using the activity data, calculate the environmental cost per unit for each model. How will this information be useful? 2. Upon examining the cost data produced in Requirement 1, an environmental engineer made the following suggestions: (1) substitute a new plastic for a material that appeared to be the source of much of the hazardous waste (the new material actually cost less than the contaminating material it would replace), and (2) redesign the processes to reduce the amount of air contaminants produced. As a result of the first suggestion, by 20x5, the amount of hazardous waste produced had diminished to 50 tons, 10 tons for Model XA2 and 40 tons for Model KZ3. The second suggestion reduced the contaminants released by 50 percent by 20x5 (15 tons for Model XA2 and 110 tons for Model KZ3). The need for pollution equipment also diminished, and the hours required for operating this equipment for Model XA2 and Model KZ3 were reduced to 60,000 and 200,000, respectively. Calculate the unit cost reductions for the two models associated with the actions and outcomes described (assume the same production as in 20x3). Do you think the efforts to reduce the environmental cost per unit were economically justified? Explain.1DQWhat are the five principles of lean thinking?3DQ4DQExplain how lean manufacturing is able to produce small batches (low-volume products) of differing products (high variety).What role does a demand-pull system have on lean manufacturing?7DQ8DQWhat is the purpose of assigning facility costs to value streams, using a fixed price?Why are units shipped used to calculate the value-stream product cost?When will the average unit cost be useful for value streams?Explain why changes in value-stream profitability may be better information than individual product cost for certain decisions.13DQ14DQWhat is productivity measurement?16DQ17DQDiscuss the advantages and disadvantages of partial measures of productivity.19DQ20DQWhat is profit-linked productivity measurement and analysis?22DQWhat is the price-recovery component?Anderson Company has the following departmental manufacturing structure for one of its products: After some study, the production manager of Anderson recommended the following revised cellular manufacturing approach: Required: 1. Calculate the total time it takes to produce a batch of 20 units using Andersons traditional departmental structure. 2. Using cellular manufacturing, how much time is saved producing the same batch of 20 units? Assuming the cell operates continuously, what is the production rate? Which process controls this production rate? 3. What if the processing times of molding, welding, and assembly are all reduced to six minutes each? What is the production rate now, and how long will it take to produce a batch of 20 units?During the week of June 12, Harrison Manufacturing produced and shipped 15,000 units of its aluminum wheels: 3,000 units of Model A and 12,000 units of Model B. The following costs were incurred: Required: 1. Assume initially that the value-stream costs and total units shipped apply only to one model (a single-product value stream). Calculate the unit cost, and comment on its accuracy. 2. Calculate the unit cost for Models A and B, and comment on its accuracy. Explain the rationale for using units shipped instead of units produced in the calculation. 3. What if Model A is responsible for 40 percent of the materials cost? Show how the unit cost would be adjusted for this condition.In 20x2, Choctaw Company implements a new process affecting labor and materials. The following reported data are provided to evaluate the effect on the companys productivity: Required: 1. Calculate the productivity profile for 20x1. 2. Calculate the productivity profile for 20x2, and comment on the effect of the new production and assembly process. 3. What if the labor hours used in 20x2 were 112,500? What does comparison of the 20x1 and 20x2 profiles now communicate?Refer to Cornerstone Exercise 15.3. Choctaw Company provides the following additional information so that total productivity can be valued: Required: 1. Calculate the cost of inputs in 20x2, assuming no productivity change from 20x1 to 20x2. 2. Calculate the actual cost of inputs for 20x2. What is the net value of the productivity changes? How much profit change is attributable to each inputs productivity change? 3. What if a manager wants to know how much of the total profit change from 20x1 to 20x2 is attributable to price recovery? Calculate the price-recovery component, and comment on its meaning.5EBienestar Inc., has the following departmental structure for producing a well-known multivitamin: A consultant designed the following cellular manufacturing structure for the same product: The times above the processes represent the time required to process one unit of product. Required: 1. Calculate the time required to produce a batch of 15 bottles using a batch-processing departmental structure. 2. Calculate the time to process 15 units using cellular manufacturing. 3. How much manufacturing time will the cellular manufacturing structure save for a batch of 15 units?Bienestar, Inc., implemented cellular manufacturing as recommended by a consultant. The production flow improved dramatically. However, the company was still faced with the competitive need to improve its cycle time so that the production rate is one bottle every four minutes (15 bottles per hour). The cell structure is shown below; the times above the process represent the time required to process one unit. Required: 1. How many units can the cell produce per hour (on a continuous running basis)? 2. How long does it take the cell to produce one unit, assuming the cell is producing on a continuous basis? 3. What must happen so that the cell can produce one bottle every four minutes or 15 per hour, assuming the cell produces on a continuous basis?Henderson, Inc., has just created five order fulfillment value streams, two focused and three that produce multiple products. The size of the plant in which the value streams are located is 100,000 square feet. The facility costs total 1,000,000 per year. One of the focused value streams produces a basic MP3 product. The MP3 value stream occupies 20,000 square feet. Not counting facility costs, the MP3 value-stream costs total 1,800,000. There are 25,000 MP3 units produced annually. There were not sufficient quality personnel for each value stream; thus, the MP3 stream had to share a quality engineer who spends 40 percent of his time with the MP3 value stream and the other 60 percent with two other value streams. While 40 percent of the time is not sufficient time for the value streams, the contribution will be workable until other arrangements can be made. His salary is 75,000 per year. Vivian Olsen, an industrial engineer, is one of two employees assigned completely to the value stream from production planning. Vivian has not been with the company as long as the other production engineer. Because of the demand-pull nature of the new value stream, only one production planner is needed. Required: 1. Explain how the value-stream costs of 1,800,000 were most likely assigned to the MP3 value stream. Explain how facility costs will be treated and why. 2. How many employees are likely to be located within the MP3 value stream? 3. Given that only one production planner is needed, what should the company do with its extra engineer (Vivian Olsen)? 4. Calculate the unit product cost for the MP3 value stream. Comment on the accuracy of this cost and its value for monitoring value-stream performance.9EShorts Manufacturing, Inc., has implemented lean manufacturing in its Kansas City plant as a pilot program. One of its value streams produces a family of small electric tools. The value-stream team managers were quite excited about the results, as some of their efforts to eliminate waste were proving to be effective. During the most recent three weeks, the following data pertaining to the electric tool value stream were collected: Week 1: Demand = 90 units @ 40 Beginning inventory = 10 units @ 20 (5 materials and 15 conversion) Production = 90 units using 450 of material and 1,350 of conversion cost Week 2: Demand = 100 units @ 40 Beginning inventory = 10 units @ 20 (5 materials and 15 conversion) Production = 90 units using 450 of material and 1,350 of conversion cost Week 3: Demand = 90 units @ 40 Beginning inventory = 0 Production = 100 units using 500 of material and 1,500 of conversion cost Required: 1. Prepare a traditional income statement for each week. 2. Calculate the average value-stream product cost for each week. What does this cost signal, if anything? 3. Prepare a value-stream income statement for each week. Assume that any increase in inventory is valued at average cost. Comment on the financial performance of the value stream and its relationship to traditional income measurement.The following Box Scorecard was prepared for a value stream: Required: 1. How many nonfinancial measures are used to evaluate performance? Why are nonfinancial measures used? 2. Classify the operational measures as time-based, quality-based, or efficiency-based. Discuss the significance of each category for lean manufacturing. 3. What is the role of the Planned Future State column? 4. Discuss the capacity category and explain the meaning of each measure and its significance. 5. Discuss the relationship between the financial measures and the measures in the operational and capacity categories.12ECarsen Company produces handcrafted pottery that uses two inputs: materials and labor. During the past quarter, 24,000 units were produced, requiring 96,000 pounds of materials and 48,000 hours of labor. An engineering efficiency study commissioned by the local university revealed that Carsen can produce the same 24,000 units of output using either of the following two combinations of inputs: The cost of materials is 8 per pound; the cost of labor is 12 per hour. Required: 1. Compute the output-input ratio for each input of Combination F1. Does this represent a productivity improvement over the current use of inputs? What is the total dollar value of the improvement? Classify this as a technical or an allocative efficiency improvement. 2. Compute the output-input ratio for each input of Combination F2. Does this represent a productivity improvement over the current use of inputs? Now, compare these ratios to those of Combination F1. What has happened? 3. Compute the cost of producing 24,000 units of output using Combination F1. Compare this cost to the cost using Combination F2. Does moving from Combination F1 to Combination F2 represent a productivity improvement? Explain.Helena Company needs to increase its profits and so has embarked on a program to increase its overall productivity. After one year of operation, Kent Olson, manager of the Columbus plant, reported the following results for the base period and its most recent year of operations: Required: Compute the productivity profiles for each year. Did productivity improve? Explain.Helena Company needs to increase its profits and so has embarked on a program to increase its overall productivity. After one year of operation, Kent Olson, manager of the Columbus plant, reported the following results for the base period and its most recent year of operations: Suppose the following input prices are provided for each year: Required: 1. Compute the profit-linked productivity measure. By how much did profits increase due to productivity? 2. Calculate the price-recovery component for 20x2. Explain its meaning.16ELean manufacturing is characterized by all but one of the following: a. Employee empowerment b. Total quality management c. Inventories of goods awaiting further processing or consumption d. Elimination of wasteLean manufacturing uses value streams to produce a family of products that require the same manufacturing sequence. Value-stream costing is an approach often used to determine the unit product costs in a lean manufacturing environment. Which of the following best describes how unit costs are calculated using value-stream costing? a. Value stream costs divided by units shipped b. Value stream costs divided by units produced c. (Total prime costs + overhead costs assigned to the value stream using a plantwide rate) divided by units produced d. Activity-based costing assignments within the value streamA manufacturing cell within a value stream is structured with four processes and associated processing times (for one unit): Molding: 6 minutes Grinding: 5 minutes Polishing: 5 minutes Finishing: 4 minutes How many units can the cell produce per hour (on a continuous running basis)? a. 3 units per hour b. 12 units per hour c. 15 units per hour d. 10 units per hourTotal productive efficiency is achieved when both technical efficiency and allocative efficiency are achieved. For a given mix of inputs that produce a given output, which of the following is consistent with improving technical efficiency (using the given input-output mix as the benchmark)? a. More output is produced using more inputs. b. More output is produced with the same inputs. c. More inputs are used to produce the same output. d. The least costly technically efficient input combination is chosen.The following information is given for a manufacturing firm: Which of the following correctly describes the change in productive efficiency from Year 1 to Year 2? a. Material and labor productivity both increased. b. Material and labor productivity both decreased. c. Material productivity decreased and labor productivity increased. d. Material productivity increased and labor productivity decreased.Sixty employees (all CPAs) of a local public accounting firm eat lunch at least twice weekly at a very popular pizza restaurant. The pizza restaurant recently began offering discounts for groups of 15 or more. Groups would be seated in a separate room, served individual bowls of salad costing 2 each, pitchers of root beer costing 3 each (each pitcher has a five-glass capacity), and medium, two-topping pizzas for 10 (10 slices each). The food would have to be ordered in advance. Thirty of the CPAs commit to eating three slices of pizza, three glasses of root beer, and one bowl of salad [a consumption pattern of (3,3,1)]. The other 30 are more hearty eaters and commit to seven slices of pizza, two glasses of root beer, and one bowl of salad [a consumption pattern of (7,2,1)]. Each member of the group must pay an assessed amount for the lunch. Required: 1. Determine the total number of pizzas, pitchers of root beer, and salads that must be ordered for the 60 employees. 2. One of the CPAs offered to determine the amount that each should pay. He suggested that the easiest way is to assign the average cost to each person eating in the group. Based on this suggestion, how much would each CPA pay for lunch? 3. One CPA objected to using average cost, noting that half of the CPAs are much lighter eaters than the other half. Based on the large differences in consumption behaviors, he suggested forming two groups: one for the light eaters and one for the heavier eaters. Calculate the lunch cost for each CPA for each group. Discuss the analogy to formation of focused value streams in a manufacturing environment. Calculate the cost that would be assigned using ABC. What does this tell you?Sixty employees (all CPAs) of a local public accounting firm eat lunch at least twice weekly at a very popular pizza restaurant. The pizza restaurant recently began offering discounts for groups of 15 or more. Groups would be seated in a separate room, served individual bowls of salad costing 2 each, pitchers of root beer costing 3 each (each pitcher has a five-glass capacity), and medium, two-topping pizzas for 10 (10 slices each). The food would have to be ordered in advance. Thirty of the CPAs commit to eating three slices of pizza, three glasses of root beer, and one bowl of salad [a consumption pattern of (3,3,1)]. The other 30 are more hearty eaters and commit to seven slices of pizza, two glasses of root beer, and one bowl of salad [a consumption pattern of (7,2,1)]. Each member of the group must pay an assessed amount for the lunch. After some detailed polling among the 60, four types of eaters were identified: two types of light eaters and two types of heavy eaters. The consumption patterns for each group are given (slices of pizza, glasses of root beer, and bowls of salad): Light Eaters (Group A): A1 = (2,2,1) and A2 = (3,3,1); Heavy Eaters (Group B): B1 = (6,3,1) and B2 = (7,2,1). There are an equal number of CPAs in each of the four groups. Required: 1. Calculate the average lunch cost for each CPA in each of the two groups, A and B. Compare this to the ABC cost assignments. Discuss the merits of grouping based on similarity. Discuss the analogy to multiple-product value streams. 2. Suppose that members of the heavy-eating group (Group B) decided that they were eating more than necessary for their health and well-being and decided to reduce their total calories. They therefore agreed to reduce consumption of pizza by one slice and consumption of root beer by one glass for each member of the group. Relative to the original order, how much extra capacity exists? If the excess capacity is eliminated by reducing the order, what is the new average cost? Suppose that the decision is to use the extra capacity to invite four guests (two of Type B1 and two of Type B2) to lunch (at the cost of the CPAs). If the original order is used as the benchmark cost, what is the extra cost of the guest program? Comment on the conceptual significance of this for manufacturing firms.Bradford Company, a manufacturer of small tools, implemented lean manufacturing at the end of 20x1. The companys goal for the year was to increase the ROS to 40 percent of sales. A value-stream team was established and began to work on lean improvements. During the year, the team was able to achieve significant results on several fronts. The Box Scorecard below reflects the performance measures at the beginning of the year, midyear, and end of year. Although the team members were pleased with their progress, they were disappointed in the financial results. They were still far from the targeted ROS of 40 percent. They were also puzzled as to why the improvements made did not translate into significantly improved financial performance. Required: 1. From the scorecard, what was the focus of the value-stream team for the first six months? The second six months? What are the implications of these changes? 2. Using information from the scorecard, offer an explanation for why the financial results were not as good as expected. 3. Suppose that on December 31, 20x2, a potential customer offered to purchase an order of goods that would increase weekly revenues in January by 100,000 and material cost by 30,000. Using the old standard cost system, the projected conversion cost of the order would be 60,000. Would you recommend that the order be accepted or rejected? Explain.Continuous improvement is the governing principle of a lean accounting system. Following are several performance measures. Some of these measures would be associated with a traditional standard-costing accounting system, and some would be associated with a lean accounting system. a. Materials price variances b. Cycle time c. Comparison of actual product costs with target costs d. Materials quantity or efficiency variances e. Comparison of actual product costs over time (trend reports) f. Comparison of actual overhead costs, item by item, with the corresponding budgeted costs g. Comparison of product costs with competitors product costs h. Percentage of on-time deliveries i. First-time through j. Reports of value- and non-value-added costs k. Labor efficiency variances l. Days of inventory m. Downtime n. Manufacturing cycle efficiency (MCE) o. Unused (available) capacity variance p. Labor rate variance q. Using a sister plants best practices as a performance standard Required: 1. Classify each measure as lean or traditional (standard costing). If traditional, discuss the measures limitations for a lean environment. If it is a lean measure, describe how the measure supports the objectives of lean manufacturing. 2. Classify the measures into operational (nonfinancial) and financial categories. Explain why operational measures are better for control at the shop level (production floor) than financial measures. Should any financial measures be used at the operational level? 3. Suggest some additional measures that you would like to see added to the list that would be supportive of lean objectives.26PJadlow Company produces handcrafted leather purses. Virtually all of the manufacturing cost consists of materials and labor. Over the past several years, profits have been declining because the cost of the two major inputs has been increasing. Janice Jadlow, the president of the company, has indicated that the price of the purses cannot be increased; thus, the only way to improve or at least stabilize profits is to increase overall productivity. At the beginning of 20x2, Janice implemented a new cutting and assembly process that promised less materials waste and a faster production time. At the end of 20x2, Janice wants to know how much profits have changed from the prior year because of the new process. In order to provide this information to Janice, the controller of the company gathered the following data: Required: 1. Compute the productivity profile for each year. Comment on the effectiveness of the new production process. 2. Compute the increase in profits attributable to increased productivity. 3. Calculate the price-recovery component, and comment on its meaning.28P1DQDescribe the difference between the units-sold approach to CVP analysis and the sales-revenue approach.Define the term break-even point.Explain why contribution margin per unit becomes profit per unit above the break-even point.A restaurant owner who had yet to earn a monthly profit said, The busier we are, the more we lose. What do you think is happening in terms of contribution margin?What is the variable cost ratio? The contribution margin ratio? How are the two ratios related?7DQSuppose a firm with a contribution margin ratio of 0.3 increased its advertising expenses by 10,000 and found that sales increased by 30,000. Was it a good decision to increase advertising expenses? Why is this simple problem an important one for businesspeople to understand?9DQExplain how CVP analysis developed for single products can be used in a multiple-product setting.11DQHow do income taxes affect the break-even point and CVP analysis?Explain how a change in sales mix can change a companys break-even point.Explain how a change in sales mix can change a companys break-even point.15DQ1CE2CEHealth-Temp Company is a placement agency for temporary nurses. It serves hospitals and clinics throughout the metropolitan area. Health-Temp Company believes it will place temporary nurses for a total of 23,500 hours next year. Health-Temp charges the hospitals and clinics 90 per hour and has variable costs of 75.60 per hour (this includes the payment to the nurse). Total fixed costs equal 321,000. Required: 1. Calculate the contribution margin per unit and the contribution margin ratio. 2. Calculate the sales revenue needed to break even. 3. Calculate the sales revenue needed to achieve a target profit of 100,000. 4. What if Health-Temp had target operating income (profit) of 110,000? Would sales revenue be larger or smaller than the one calculated in Requirement 3? Why? By how much?Olivian Company wants to earn 420,000 in net (after-tax) income next year. Its product is priced at 275 per unit. Product costs include: Variable selling expense is 14 per unit; fixed selling and administrative expense totals 290,000. Olivian has a tax rate of 40 percent. Required: 1. Calculate the before-tax profit needed to achieve an after-tax target of 420,000. 2. Calculate the number of units that will yield operating income calculated in Requirement 1 above. (Round to the nearest unit.) 3. Prepare an income statement for Olivian Company for the coming year based on the number of units computed in Requirement 2. 4. What if Olivian had a 35 percent tax rate? Would the units sold to reach a 420,000 target net income be higher or lower than the units calculated in Requirement 3? Calculate the number of units needed at the new tax rate. (Round dollar amounts to the nearest dollar and unit amounts to the nearest unit.)Vandenberg, Inc., produces and sells two products: a ceiling fan and a table fan. Vandenberg plans to sell 30,000 ceiling fans and 70,000 table fans in the coming year. Product price and cost information includes: Common fixed selling and administrative expenses total 85,000. Required: 1. What is the sales mix estimated for next year (calculated to the lowest whole number for each product)? 2. Using the sales mix from Requirement 1, form a package of ceiling fans and table fans. How many ceiling fans and table fans are sold at break-even? 3. Prepare a contribution-margin-based income statement for Vandenberg, Inc., based on the unit sales calculated in Requirement 2. 4. What if Vandenberg, Inc., wanted to earn operating income equal to 14,400? Calculate the number of ceiling fans and table fans that must be sold to earn this level of operating income. (Hint: Remember to form a package of ceiling fans and table fans based on the sales mix and to first calculate the number of packages to earn an operating income of 14,400.)6CE7CE8EGelbart Company manufactures gas grills. Fixed costs amount to 16,335,000 per year. Variable costs per gas grill are 225, and the average price per gas grill is 600. Required: 1. How many gas grills must Gelbart Company sell to break even? 2. If Gelbart Company sells 46,775 gas grills in a year, what is the operating income? 3. If Gelbart Companys variable costs increase to 240 per grill while the price and fixed costs remain unchanged, what is the new break-even point?Schylar Pharmaceuticals, Inc., plans to sell 130,000 units of antibiotic at an average price of 22 each in the coming year. Total variable costs equal 1,086,800. Total fixed costs equal 8,000,000. (Round all ratios to four significant digits, and round all dollar amounts to the nearest dollar.) Required: 1. What is the contribution margin per unit? What is the contribution margin ratio? 2. Calculate the sales revenue needed to break even. 3. Calculate the sales revenue needed to achieve a target profit of 245,000. 4. What if the average price per unit increased to 23.50? Recalculate: a. Contribution margin per unit b. Contribution margin ratio (rounded to four decimal places) c. Sales revenue needed to break even d. Sales revenue needed to achieve a target profit of 245,00011E12EBig Red Motors, Inc., employs 15 sales personnel to market its line of luxury automobiles. The average car sells for 75,000, and a 6 percent commission is paid to the salesperson. Big Red Motors is considering a change to the commission arrangement where the company would pay each salesperson a salary of 1,600 per month plus a commission of 2 percent of the sales made by that salesperson. What is the amount of total monthly car sales at which Big Red Motors would be indifferent as to which plan to select? (CMA adapted)Sports-Reps, Inc., represents professional athletes and movie and television stars. The agency had revenue of 12,345,000 last year, with total variable costs of 5,678,700 and fixed costs of 2,192,400. Required: 1. What is the contribution margin ratio for Sports-Reps based on last years data? What is the break-even point in sales revenue? 2. What was the margin of safety for Sports-Reps last year? 3. One of Sports-Repss agents proposed that the firm begin cultivating high school sports stars around the nation. This proposal is expected to increase revenue by 230,000 per year, with increased fixed costs of 122,500. Is this proposal a good idea? Explain.Campbell Company manufactures and sells adjustable canopies that attach to motor homes and trailers. The market covers both new unit purchases as well as replacement canopies. Campbell developed its business plan for the year based on the assumption that canopies would sell at a price of 400 each. The variable costs for each canopy were projected at 200, and the annual fixed costs were budgeted at 120,000. Campbells after-tax profit objective was 225,000; the companys effective tax rate is 40 percent. While Campbells sales usually rise during the second quarter, the May financial statements reported that sales were not meeting expectations. For the first five months of the year, only 350 units had been sold at the established price, with variable costs as planned, and it was clear that the after-tax profit projection for the year would not be reached unless some actions were taken. Campbells president assigned a management committee to analyze the situation and develop several alternative courses of action. The following mutually exclusive alternatives, labeled A, B, and C, were presented to the president: A. Lower the variable costs per unit by 25 through the use of less expensive materials and slightly modified manufacturing techniques. The sales price will also be reduced by 30, and sales of 2,200 units for the remainder of the year are forecast. B. Reduce the sales price by 40. The sales organization forecasts that with the significantly reduced sales price, 2,700 units can be sold during the remainder of the year. Total fixed and variable unit costs will stay as budgeted. C. Cut fixed costs by 10,000, and lower the sales price by 5 percent. Variable costs per unit will be unchanged. Sales of 2,000 units are expected for the remainder of the year. Required: 1. Determine the number of units that Campbell Company must sell in order to break even assuming no changes are made to the selling price and cost structure. 2. Determine the number of units that Campbell Company must sell in order to achieve its after-tax profit objective. 3. Determine which one of the alternatives Campbell Company should select to achieve its annual after-tax profit objective. Be sure to support your selection with appropriate calculations. 4. The precision and reliability of CVP analysis are limited by several underlying assumptions. Identify at least four of these assumptions. (CMA adapted)16ESara Pacheco is a sophomore in college and earns a little extra money by making beaded key ring accessories. She sells them on Saturday mornings at the local flea market. Sara charges 5 per unit and has unit variable costs (beads, wire rings, etc.) of 2. Her fixed costs consist of small pliers, a glue gun, etc., which cost her 90. Required: 1. Calculate Saras break-even units. 2. Prepare a profit-volume graph for Sara. 3. Prepare a cost-volume-profit graph for Sara.Carmichael Corporation is in the process of preparing next years budget. The pro forma income statement for the current year is as follows: Required: 1. What is the break-even sales revenue (rounded to the nearest dollar) for Carmichael Corporation for the current year? 2. For the coming year, the management of Carmichael Corporation anticipates an 8 percent increase in variable costs and a 60,000 increase in fixed expenses. What is the break-even point in dollars for next year? (CMA adapted)Choose the best answer for each of the following multiple-choice questions. 1. Cost-volume-profit analysis includes some simplifying assumptions. Which of the following is not one of these assumptions? a. Cost and revenues are predictable. b. Cost and revenues are linear over the relevant range. c. Changes in beginning and ending inventory levels are insignificant in amount. d. Sales mix changes are irrelevant. 2. The term relevant range, as used in cost accounting, means the range a. over which costs may fluctuate b. over which cost relationships are valid c. of probable production d. over which production has occurred in the past 10 years 3. How would the following be used in calculating the number of units that must be sold to earn a targeted operating income? 4. Information concerning Korian Corporations product is as follows: Assuming that Korian increased sales of the product by 20 percent, what should the operating income be? a. 20,000 b. 24,000 c. 32,000 d. 80,000 5. The following data apply to McNally Company for last year: McNally wants to sell an additional 50,000 units at the same selling price and contribution margin. By how much can fixed costs increase to generate additional profit equal to 10 percent of the sales value of the additional 50,000 units to be sold? a. 50,000 b. 57,500 c. 67,500 d. 125,000 6. Bryan Companys break-even point is 8,500 units. Variable cost per unit is 140, and total fixed costs are 297,500 per year. What price does Bryan charge? a. 140 b. 35 c. 175 d. Cannot be determined from the above data20EIncome statements for two different companies in the same industry are as follows: Required: 1. Compute the degree of operating leverage for each company. 2. Compute the break-even point for each company. Explain why the break-even point for Quintex, Inc., is higher. 3. Suppose that both companies experience a 50 percent increase in revenues. Compute the percentage change in profits for each company. Explain why the percentage increase in Quintexs profits is so much greater than that of Trimax.22E23EBusy-Bee Baking Company produces a variety of breads. The average price of a loaf of bread is 1. Costs are as follows: Other data: Required: 1. Compute the break-even point in units using conventional analysis. 2. Compute the break-even point in units using activity-based analysis. 3. Suppose that Busy-Bee could reduce the setup cost by 100 per setup and could reduce the number of maintenance hours needed to 1,000. How many units must be sold to break even in this case? (Round answer up to whole units.)25EJester Company had unit contribution margin on 3.60 and fixed costs of 29,664. Income was 2,520. What was the margin of safety in units? a. 630 b. 700 c. 8,940 d. 7,540Loessing Company produced and sold 12,000 units last year with sales price of 45 per unit and unit variable cost of 20. Fixed costs totaled 250,000. In the coming year, Loessing expects price to decrease by ten percent. Neither unit variable cost nor fixed costs can be changed. If Loessing wants to maintain the same level of income, what will the new level of production need to be? a. 12,6000 units b. 16,000 units c. 12,195 units d. 14,634 unitsJunior Company has a breakeven point of 34,600 units and is selling 35,000 units. If unit variable costs increase, the margin of safety will a. increase b. decrease c. remain the same d. it is impossible to tell29EIf a companys variable cost per unit increases, which of the following is true? a. The margin of safety will increase. b. The breakeven point in units will decrease. c. The contribution margin ratio will decrease. d. Operating income will increase.31PMore-Power Company has projected sales of 75,000 regular sanders and 30,000 mini-sanders for next year. The projected income statement is as follows: Required: 1. Set up the given income statement on a spreadsheet (e.g., ExcelTM). Then, substitute the following sales mixes, and calculate operating income. Be sure to print the results for each sales mix (a through d). 2. Calculate the break-even units for each product for each of the preceding sales mixes.Consider the following information on four independent companies. Required: Calculate the correct amount for each question mark. Be sure to round any fractional break-even units up to the next whole number.Hammond Company runs a driving range and golf shop. The budgeted income statement for the coming year is as follows. Required: 1. What is Hammonds variable cost ratio? Its contribution margin ratio? 2. Suppose Hammonds actual revenues are 200,000 greater than budgeted. By how much will before-tax profits increase? Give the answer without preparing a new income statement. 3. How much sales revenue must Hammond earn in order to break even? What is the expected margin of safety? (Round your answers to the nearest dollar.) 4. How much sales revenue must Hammond generate to earn a before-tax profit of 130,000? An after-tax profit of 90,000? (Round your answers to the nearest dollar.) Prepare a contribution margin income statement to verify the accuracy of your last answer.35PFaldo Company produces a single product. The projected income statement for the coming year, based on sales of 200,000 units, is as follows: Required: 1. Compute the unit contribution margin and the units that must be sold to break even. Suppose that 30,000 units are sold above the break-even point. What is the profit? 2. Compute the contribution margin ratio and the break-even point in dollars. Suppose that revenues are 200,000 greater than expected. What would the total profit be? 3. Compute the margin of safety in sales revenue. 4. Compute the operating leverage. Compute the new profit level if sales are 20 percent higher than expected. 5. How many units must be sold to earn a profit equal to 10 percent of sales? 6. Assume the income tax rate is 40 percent. How many units must be sold to earn an after-tax profit of 180,000?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?38P39P40PSalem Electronics currently produces two products: a programmable calculator and a tape recorder. A recent marketing study indicated that consumers would react favorably to a radio with the Salem brand name. Owner Kenneth Booth was interested in the possibility. Before any commitment was made, however, Kenneth wanted to know what the incremental fixed costs would be and how many radios must be sold to cover these costs. In response, Betty Johnson, the marketing manager, gathered data for the current products to help in projecting overhead costs for the new product. The overhead costs based on 30,000 direct labor hours follow. (The high-low method using direct labor hours as the independent variable was used to determine the fixed and variable costs.) All depreciation. The following activity data were also gathered: Betty was told that a plantwide overhead rate was used to assign overhead costs based on direct labor hours. She was also informed by engineering that if 20,000 radios were produced and sold (her projection based on her marketing study), they would have the same activity data as the recorders (use the same direct labor hours, machine hours, setups, and so on). Engineering also provided the following additional estimates for the proposed product line: Upon receiving these estimates, Betty did some quick calculations and became quite excited. With a selling price of 26 and just 18,000 of additional fixed costs, only 4,500 units had to be sold to break even. Since Betty was confident that 20,000 units could be sold, she was prepared to strongly recommend the new product line. Required: 1. Reproduce Bettys break-even calculation using conventional cost assignments. How much additional profit would be expected under this scenario, assuming that 20,000 radios are sold? 2. Use an activity-based costing approach, and calculate the break-even point and the incremental profit that would be earned on sales of 20,000 units. 3. Explain why the CVP analysis done in Requirement 2 is more accurate than the analysis done in Requirement 1. What recommendation would you make?Good Scent, Inc., produces two colognes: Rose and Violet. Of the two, Rose is more popular. Data concerning the two products follow: The company uses a conventional costing system and assigns overhead costs to products using direct labor hours. Annual overhead costs follow. They are classified as fixed or variable with respect to direct labor hours. Required: 1. Using the conventional approach, compute the number of cases of Rose and the number of cases of Violet that must be sold for the company to break even. 2. Using an activity-based approach, compute the number of cases of each product that must be sold for the company to break even.What is tactical decision making?Tactical decisions are often small-scale decisions that serve a larger purpose. Explain what this means.What is tactical cost analysis? What steps in the tactical decision-making model correspond to tactical cost analysis?What is a relevant cost? Explain why depreciation on an existing asset is always irrelevant.Give an example of a future cost that is not relevant.7DQCan direct materials ever be irrelevant in a make-or-buy decision? Explain. Give an example of a fixed cost that is relevant.What role do past costs play in tactical cost analysis?When will flexible resources be relevant to a decision?11DQ12DQ13DQ14DQWhy would a firm ever offer a price on a product that is below its full cost?Each year, Basu Company produces 18,000 units of a component used in microwave ovens. An outside supplier has offered to supply the part for 1.38. The unit cost is: Required: 1. What are the alternatives for Basu Company? 2. Assume that none of the fixed cost is avoidable. List the relevant cost(s) of internal production and of external purchase. 3. Which alternative is more cost effective and by how much? 4. What if 18,540 of fixed overhead is rental of equipment used only in production of the component that can be avoided if the component is purchased? Which alternative is more cost effective and by how much?Reshier Company makes three types of rug shampooers. Model 1 is the basic model rented through hardware stores and supermarkets. Model 2 is a more advanced model with both dry-and wet-vacuuming capabilities. Model 3 is the heavy-duty riding shampooer sold to hotels and convention centers. A segmented income statement is shown below. While all models have positive contribution margins, Reshier Company is concerned because operating income is less than 10 percent of sales and is low for this type of company. The companys controller gathered additional information on fixed costs to see why they were so high. The following information on activities and drivers was gathered: In addition, Model 1 requires the rental of specialized equipment costing 20,000 per year. Required: 1. Reformulate the segmented income statement using the additional information on activities. 2. Using your answer to Requirement 1, assume that Reshier Company is considering dropping any model with a negative product margin. What are the alternatives? Which alternative is more cost effective and by how much? (Assume that any traceable fixed costs can be avoided.) 3. What if Reshier Company can only avoid 175 hours of engineering time and 5,000 hours of setup time that are attributable to Model 1? How does that affect the alternatives presented in Requirement 2? Which alternative is more cost effective and by how much?Sequoia Paper Products, Inc., manufactures boxed stationery for sale to specialty shops. Currently, the company is operating at 90 percent of capacity. A chain of drugstores has offered to buy 30,000 boxes of Sequoias blue-bordered thank-you notes as long as the box can be customized with the drugstore chains logo. While the normal selling price is 6.00 per box, the chain has offered just 3.10 per box. Sequoia can accommodate the special order without affecting current sales. Unit cost information for a box of thank-you notes follows: Fixed overhead is 420,000 per year and will not be affected by the special order. Normally, there is a commission of 5 percent of price; this will not be paid on the special order since the drugstore chain is dealing directly with the company. The special order will require additional fixed costs of 14,300 for the design and setup of the machinery to stamp the drugstore chains logo on each box. Required: 1. List the alternatives being considered. List the relevant benefits and costs for each alternative. 2. Which alternative is more cost effective and by how much? 3. What if Sequoia Paper Products was operating at capacity and accepting the special order would require rejecting an equivalent number of boxes sold to existing customers? Which alternative would be better?Betram Chemicals Company processes a number of chemical compounds used in producing industrial cleaning products. One compound is decomposed into two chemicals: anderine and dofinol. The cost of processing one batch of compound is 74,000, and the result is 6,000 gallons of anderine and 8,000 gallons of dofinol. Betram Chemicals can sell the anderine at split-off for 11 per gallon and the dofinol for 6.75 per gallon. Alternatively, the anderine can be processed further at a cost of 8 per gallon (of anderine) into cermine. It takes 3 gallons of anderine for every gallon of cermine. A gallon of cermine sells for 60. Required: 1. List the alternatives being considered. 2. List the relevant benefits and costs for each alternative. 3. Which alternative is more cost effective and by how much? 4. What if the production of anderine into cermine required additional purchasing and quality inspection activity? Every 500 gallons of anderine that undergo further processing require 20 more purchase orders at 10 each and 15 more quality inspection hours at 25 each. Which alternative would be better and by how much?5EElliott, Inc., has four salaried clerks to process purchase orders. Each clerk is paid a salary of 25,750 and is capable of processing as many as 6,500 purchase orders per year. Each clerk uses a PC and laser printer in processing orders. Time available on each PC system is sufficient to process 6,500 orders per year. The cost of each PC system is 1,100 per year. In addition to the salaries, Elliott spends 27,560 for forms, postage, and other supplies (assuming 26,000 purchase orders are processed). During the year, 25,350 orders were processed. Required: 1. Classify the resources associated with purchasing as (1) flexible or (2) committed. 2. Compute the total activity availability, and break this into activity usage and unused activity. 3. Calculate the total cost of resources supplied (activity cost), and break this into the cost of activity used and the cost of unused activity. 4. (a) Suppose that a large special order will cause an additional 500 purchase orders. What purchasing costs are relevant? By how much will purchasing costs increase if the order is accepted? (b) Suppose that the special order causes 700 additional purchase orders. How will your answer to (a) change?7EFeinan Sports, Inc., manufactures sporting equipment, including weight-lifting gloves. A national sporting goods chain recently submitted a special order for 4,600 pairs of weight-lifting gloves. Feinan Sports was not operating at capacity and could use the extra business. Unfortunately, the orders offering price of 12.80 per pair was below the cost to produce them. The controller was opposed to taking a loss on the deal. However, the personnel manager argued in favor of accepting the order even though a loss would be incurred; it would avoid the problem of layoffs and would help maintain the community image of the company. The full cost to produce a pair of weight-lifting gloves is presented below. No variable selling or administrative expenses would be associated with the order. Non-unit-level activity costs are a small percentage of total costs and are therefore not considered. Required: 1. Assume that the company would accept the order only if it increased total profits. Should the company accept or reject the order? Provide supporting computations. 2. Suppose that Feinan Sports has negotiated with the potential customer, and has determined that it can substitute cheaper materials, reducing direct materials cost by 0.95 per unit. In addition, the companys engineers have found a way to reduce direct labor cost by 0.50 per unit. Should the company accept or reject the order? Provide supporting computations. 3. Consider the personnel managers concerns. Discuss the merits of accepting the order even if it decreases total profits.Wehner Company is currently manufacturing Part ABS-43, producing 55,000 units annually. The part is used in the production of several products made by Wehner. The cost per unit for ABS-43 is as follows: Of the total fixed overhead assigned to ABS-43, 15,400 is direct fixed overhead (the annual lease cost of machinery used to manufacture Part ABS-43), and the remainder is common fixed overhead. An outside supplier has offered to sell the part to Wehner for 58. There is no alternative use for the facilities currently used to produce the part. No significant non-unit-based overhead costs are incurred. Required: 1. Should Wehner Company make or buy Part ABS-43? 2. What is the maximum amount per unit that Wehner would be willing to pay to an outside supplier?Brees, Inc., a manufacturer of golf carts, has just received an offer from a supplier to provide 2,600 units of a component used in its main product. The component is a track assembly that is currently produced internally. The supplier has offered to sell the track assembly for 66 per unit. Brees is currently using a traditional, unit-based costing system that assigns overhead to jobs on the basis of direct labor hours. The estimated traditional full cost of producing the track assembly is as follows: Prior to making a decision, the companys CEO commissioned a special study to see whether there would be any decrease in the fixed overhead costs. The results of the study revealed the following: 3 setups1,160 each (The setups would be avoided, and total spending could be reduced by 1,160 per setup.) One half-time inspector is needed. The company already uses part-time inspectors hired through a temporary employment agency. The yearly cost of the part-time inspectors for the track assembly operation is 12,300 and could be totally avoided if the part were purchased. Engineering work: 470 hours, 45/hour. (Although the work decreases by 470 hours, the engineer assigned to the track assembly line also spends time on other products, and there would be no reduction in his salary.) 75 fewer material moves at 30 per move. Required: 1. Ignore the special study, and determine whether the track assembly should be produced internally or purchased from the supplier. 2. Now, using the special study data, repeat the analysis. 3. Discuss the qualitative factors that would affect the decision, including strategic implications. 4. After reviewing the special study, the controller made the following remark: This study ignores the additional activity demands that purchasing would cause. For example, although the demand for inspecting the part on the production floor decreases, we may need to inspect the incoming parts in the receiving area. Will we actually save any inspection costs? Is the controller right?11ENutterco, Inc., produces two types of nut butter: peanut butter and cashew butter. Of the two, peanut butter is the more popular. Cashew butter is a specialty line using smaller jars and fewer jars per case. Data concerning the two products follow: aPractical capacity less expected usage (all unused capacity is permanent). bIn some cases, activity capacity must be purchased in steps (whole units). These steps are provided as necessary. The cost per step is the fixed activity rate multiplied by the step units. The fixed activity rate is the expected fixed activity costs divided by practical activity capacity. Annual overhead costs are listed below. These costs are classified as fixed or variable with respect to the appropriate activity driver. aCosts associated with practical activity capacity. The machine fixed costs are all depreciation with direct labor hours as the driver. bThese costs are for the actual levels of the cost driver. Required: 1. Prepare a traditional segmented income statement, using a unit-level overhead rate based on direct labor hours. Using this approach, determine whether the cashew butter product line should be kept or dropped. 2. Prepare an activity-based segmented income statement. Repeat the keep-or-drop analysis using an ABC approach.Carleigh, Inc., is a pork processor. Its plants, located in the Midwest, produce several products from a common process: sirloin roasts, chops, spare ribs, and the residual. The roasts, chops, and spare ribs are packaged, branded, and sold to supermarkets. The residual consists of organ meats and leftover pieces that are sold to sausage and hot dog processors. The joint costs for a typical week are as follows: The revenues from each product are as follows: sirloin roasts, 68,000; chops, 71,000; spare ribs, 33,000; and residual, 9,800. Carleighs management has learned that certain organ meats are a prized delicacy in Asia. They are considering separating those from the residual and selling them abroad for 52,000. This would bring the value of the residual down to 2,650. In addition, the organ meats would need to be packaged and then air freighted to Asia. Further processing cost per week is estimated to be 27,500 (the cost of renting additional packaging equipment, purchasing materials, and hiring additional direct labor). Transportation cost would be 12,100 per week. Finally, resource spending would need to be expanded for other activities as well (purchasing, receiving, and internal shipping). The increase in resource spending for these activities is estimated to be 3,120 per week. Required: 1. What is the gross profit earned by the original mix of products for one week? 2. Should the company separate the organ meats for shipment overseas or continue to sell them at split-off? What is the effect of the decision on weekly gross profit?Global Reach, Inc., is considering opening a new warehouse to serve the Southwest region. Darnell Moore, controller for Global Reach, has been reading about the advantages of foreign trade zones. He wonders if locating in one would be of benefit to his company, which imports about 90 percent of its merchandise (e.g., chess sets from the Philippines, jewelry from Thailand, pottery from Mexico, etc.). Darnell estimates that the new warehouse will store imported merchandise costing about 16.78 million per year. Inventory shrinkage at the warehouse (due to breakage and mishandling) is about 8 percent of the total. The average tariff rate on these imports is 5.5 percent. Required: 1. If Global Reach locates the warehouse in a foreign trade zone, how much will be saved in tariffs? Why? (Round your answer to the nearest dollar.) 2. Suppose that, on average, the merchandise stays in a Global Reach warehouse for nine months before shipment to retailers. Carrying cost for Global Reach is 6 percent per year. If Global Reach locates the warehouse in a foreign trade zone, how much will be saved in carrying costs? What will the total tariff-related savings be? (Round your answers to the nearest dollar.) 3. Suppose that the shifting economic situation leads to a new tariff rate of 13 percent, and a new carrying cost of 6.5 percent per year. To combat these increases, Global Reach has instituted a total quality program emphasizing reducing shrinkage. The new shrinkage rate is 7 percent. Given this new information, if Global Reach locates the warehouse in a foreign trade zone, how much will be saved in carrying costs? What will the total tariff-related savings be? (Round your answers to the nearest dollar.)Tony and Tina Roselli own and run TNTs Pizza Restaurant. Tony is responsible for managing the day-to-day aspects, hiring workers, and overseeing the kitchen, building, and grounds. He is the chief cook and handles all purchasing. Tina is the hostess and manages the front of the house (restaurant talk for the dining area). She schedules the wait staff, ensures that customers are well taken care of, and pitches in to bus tables and refill drinks as needed. Tina also handles the financial aspects of the business and is responsible for bookkeeping and tax compliance. Two years ago, Tony and Tina became parents of a baby boy, Joseph, nicknamed LJ for Little Joe. Tina brings LJ to work each day, and both Rosellis as well as the restaurant staff help out watching him. Recently, the restaurant has grown busier, so Tony and Tina expanded the hours of operation. As a result, the staff rarely has any free time and Tina feels she has too much to handle. Tony and Tina are considering outsourcing their bookkeeping and tax-filing needs to a local accountant. Typically, Tina spends 15 hours per month on bookkeeping and taxes. This increases to 40 hours in April. She uses a room off the kitchen as her office (a room that is sorely needed for additional food storage given the expansion). If Tina continues to do the financial work, the restaurant will need to make up for 75 percent of her time by hiring additional help at 10 per hour (hourly wage plus the restaurants cost of Social Security, Medicare, and unemployment insurance taxes). The local accountant will charge 25 per hour for bookkeeping services; he expects this service to average eight hours per month. Taxes are filed quarterly for labor as well as state and local income taxes. These tax forms should cost about 75 per quarter. The annual income tax filing is estimated to cost 350, payable at the time of filing in April. Required: 1. Given the information, determine whether Tina should do the bookkeeping and tax work in house or outsource it to the accountant. 2. Discuss the qualitative factors that would affect the decision, including strategic implications.Jason Rogers works full-time for UPS and runs a lawn-mowing service part-time after work during the warm months of April through October. Jason has three men working with him, each of whom is paid 6 per lawn mowing. Jason has 30 residential customers who contract with him for once-weekly lawn mowing during the months of May through September, and twice-per-month mowings during April and October. On average, Jason charges 40 per lawn mowed. Recently, LStar Property Management Services asked Jason to mow the lawn at each of its 20 rental houses every two weeks during the months of May through September. LStar has offered to pay 20 per lawn mowing, and would forego the lawn edging that normally takes Jasons team about half of its regular mowing time. If Jason accepts the job, he can assign a two-man team to mow the rental house yards, and will have to buy an additional power lawn mower for about 350 used. Fuel to run the additional mower will be about 0.50 per yard. Required: 1. If Jason accepts the special order, by how much will his income increase or decrease? 2. What are some of the qualitative reasons why Jason might want to accept or decline the special order?17EA company is considering a special order for 1,000 units to be priced at 8.90 (the normal price would be 11.50). The order would require specialized materials costing 4.00 per unit. Direct labor and variable factory overhead would cost 2.15 per unit. Fixed factory overhead is 1.20 per unit. However, the company has excess capacity, and acceptance of the order would not raise total fixed factory overhead. The warehouse, however, would have to add capacity costing 1,300. Which of the following is relevant to the special order? a. 11.50 b. 1.20 c. 7.35 d. 8.90Walloon Company produced 150 defective units last month at a unit manufacturing cost of 30. The defective units were discovered before leaving the plant. Walloon can sell them as is for 20 or can rework them at a cost of 15 and sell them at the regular price of 50. What is the total relevant cost of reworking the defective units? a. 2,250 b. 3,000 c. 4,500 d. 6,750Pasha Company produced 50 defective units last month at a unit manufacturing cost of 30. The defective units were discovered before leaving the plant. Pasha can sell them as is for 20 or can rework them at a cost of 15 and sell them at the regular price of 50. Which of the following is not relevant to the sell-or-rework decision? a. 30 b. 20 c. 15 d. 50Future costs that differ across alternatives are: a. Opportunity costs b. Sunk costs c. Relevant costs d. Variable costsThaler Company bought 26,000 of raw materials a year ago in anticipation of producing 5,000 units of a deluxe version of its product to be priced at 75 each. Now the price of the deluxe version has dropped to 35 each, and Thaler is now deciding whether to produce 1,500 units of the deluxe version at a cost of 48,000 or to scrap the project. What is the opportunity cost of this decision? a. 175,000 b. 375,000 c. 48,000 d. 26,000Norton Products, Inc., manufactures potentiometers. (A potentiometer is a device that adjusts electrical resistance.) Currently, all parts necessary for the assembly of products are produced internally. Norton has a single plant located in Wichita, Kansas. The facilities for the manufacture of potentiometers are leased, with five years remaining on the lease. All equipment is owned by the company. Because of increases in demand, production has been expanded significantly over the five years of operation, straining the capacity of the leased facilities. Currently, the company needs more warehousing and office space, as well as more space for the production of plastic moldings. The current output of these moldings, used to make potentiometers, needs to be expanded to accommodate the increased demand for the main product. Leo Tidwell, owner and president of Norton Products, has asked his vice president of marketing, John Tidwell, and his vice president of finance, Linda Thayn, to meet and discuss the problem of limited capacity. This is the second meeting the three have had concerning the problem. In the first meeting, Leo rejected Lindas proposal to build the companys own plant. He believed it was too risky to invest the capital necessary to build a plant at this stage of the companys development. The combination of leasing a larger facility and subleasing the current plant was also considered but was rejected; subleasing would be difficult, if not impossible. At the end of the first meeting, Leo asked John to explore the possibility of leasing another facility comparable to the current one. He also assigned Linda the task of identifying other possible solutions. As the second meeting began, Leo asked John to give a report on the leasing alternative. JOHN: After some careful research, Im afraid that the idea of leasing an additional plant is not a very good one. Although we have some space problems, our current level of production doesnt justify another plant. In fact, I expect it will be at least five years before we need to be concerned about expanding into another facility like the one we have now. My market studies reveal a modest growth in sales over the next five years. All this growth can be absorbed by our current production capacity. The large increases in demand that we experienced the past five years are not likely to be repeated. Leasing another plant would be an overkill solution. LEO: Even modest growth will aggravate our current space problems. As you both know, we are already operating three production shifts. But, John, you are rightexcept for plastic moldings, we could expand production, particularly during the graveyard shift. Linda, I hope that you have been successful in identifying some other possible solutions. Some fairly quick action is needed. LINDA: Fortunately, I believe that I have two feasible alternatives. One is to rent an additional building to be used for warehousing. By transferring our warehousing needs to the new building, we will free up internal space for offices and for expanding the production of plastic moldings. I have located a building within two miles of our plant that we could use. It has the capacity to handle our current needs and the modest growth that John mentioned. The second alternative may be even more attractive. We currently produce all the parts that we use to manufacture potentiometers, including shafts and bushings. In the last several months, the market has been flooded with these two parts. Prices have tumbled as a result. It might be better to buy shafts and bushings instead of making them. If we stop internal production of shafts and bushings, this would free up the space we need. Well, Leo, what do you think? Are these alternatives feasible? Or should I continue my search for additional solutions? LEO: I like both alternatives. In fact, they are exactly the types of solutions we need to consider. All we have to do now is choose the one best for our company. Required: 1. Define the problem facing Norton Products. 2. Identify all the alternatives that were considered by Norton Products. Which ones were classified as not feasible? Why? Now identify the feasible alternatives. 3. For the feasible alternatives, what are some potential costs and benefits associated with each alternative? Of the costs that you have identified, which do you think are relevant to the decision?24PFiorello Company manufactures two types of cold-pressed olive oil, Refined Oil and Top Quality Oil, out of a joint process. The joint (common) costs incurred are 92,500 for a standard production run that generates 30,000 gallons of Refined Oil and 15,000 gallons of Top Quality Oil. Additional processing costs beyond the split-off point are 2.40 per gallon for Refined Oil and 1.95 per gallon for Top Quality Oil. Refined Oil sells for 4.25 per gallon, while Top Quality Oil sells for 8.30 per gallon. MangiareBuono, a supermarket chain, has asked Fiorello to supply it with 30,000 gallons of Top Quality Oil at a price of 8 per gallon. MangiareBuono plans to have the oil bottled in 16- ounce bottles with its own MangiareBuono label. If Fiorello accepts the order, it will save 0.23 per gallon in packaging of Top Quality Oil. There is sufficient excess capacity for the order. However, the market for Refined Oil is saturated, and any additional sales of Refined Oil would take place at a price of 3.10 per gallon. Assume that no significant non-unit-level activity costs are incurred. Required: 1. What is the profit normally earned on one production run of Refined Oil and Top Quality Oil? 2. Should Fiorello accept the special order? Explain. (CMA adapted)St. Johns Medical Center (SJMC) has five medical technicians who are responsible for conducting cardiac catheterization testing in SJMCs Cath Lab. Each technician is paid a salary of 36,000 and is capable of conducting 1,000 procedures per year. The cardiac catheterization equipment is one year old and was purchased for 250,000. It is expected to last five years. The equipments capacity is 25,000 procedures over its life. Depreciation is computed on a straight-line basis, with no salvage value expected. The reading of the catheterization results is conducted by an outside physician whose fee is 120 per test. The technicians report with the outside physicians note of results is sent to the referring physician. In addition to the salaries and equipment, SJMC spends 50,000 for supplies and other costs needed to operate the equipment (assuming 5,000 procedures are conducted). When SJMC purchased the equipment, it fully expected to perform 5,000 procedures per year. In fact, during its first year of operation, 5,000 procedures were run. However, a larger hospital has established a clinic in the city and will siphon off some of SJMCs business. During the coming years, SJMC expects to run only 4,200 cath procedures yearly. SJMC has been charging 850 for the procedureenough to cover the direct costs of the procedure plus an assignment of general overhead (e.g., depreciation on the hospital building, lighting and heating, and janitorial services). At the beginning of the second year, an HMO from a neighboring community approached SJMC and offered to send its clients to SJMC for cardiac catheterization provided that the charge per procedure would be 550. The HMO estimates that it can provide about 500 patients per year. The HMO has indicated that the arrangement is temporaryfor one year only. The HMO expects to have its own testing capabilities within one year. Required: 1. Classify the resources associated with the cardiac catheterization activity into one of the following: (1) committed resources, or (2) flexible resources. 2. Calculate the activity rate for the cardiac catheterization activity. Break the activity rate into fixed and variable components. Now, classify each activity resource as relevant or irrelevant with respect to the following alternatives: (1) accept the HMO offer, or (2) reject the HMO offer. Explain your reasoning. 3. Assume that SJMC will accept the HMO offer if it reduces the hospitals operating costs. Should the HMO offer be accepted? 4. Jerold Bosserman, SJMCs hospital controller, argued against accepting the HMOs offer. Instead, he argued that the hospital should be increasing the charge per procedure rather than accepting business that doesnt even cover full costs. He also was concerned about local physician reaction if word got out that the HMO was receiving procedures for 550. Discuss the merits of Jerolds position. Include in your discussion an assessment of the price increase that would be needed if the objective is to maintain total revenues from cardiac catheterizations experienced in the first year of operation. 5. Chandra Denton, SJMCs administrator, has been informed that one of the Cath Lab technicians is leaving for an opportunity at a larger hospital. She met with the other technicians, and they agreed to increase their hours to pick up the slack so that SJMC wont need to hire another technician. By working a couple hours extra every week, each remaining technician can perform 1,050 procedures per year. They agreed to do this for an increase in salary of 2,000 per year. How does this outcome affect the analysis of the HMO offer? 6. Assuming that SJMC wants to bring in the same revenues earned in the cardiac catheterization activitys first year less the reduction in resource spending attributable to using only four technicians, how much must SJMC charge for a procedure?Brandy Dees recently bought Nievo Enterprises, a company that manufactures ice skates. Brandy decided to assume management responsibilities for the company and appointed herself president shortly after the purchase was completed. When she bought the company, Brandys investigation revealed that with the exception of the blades, all parts of the skates are produced internally. The investigation also revealed that Nievo once produced the blades internally and still owned the equipment. The equipment was in good condition and was stored in a local warehouse. Nievos former owner had decided three years earlier to purchase the blades from external suppliers. Brandy Dees is seriously considering making the blades instead of buying them from external suppliers. The blades are purchased in sets of two and cost 8 per set. Currently, 100,000 sets of blades are purchased annually. Skates are produced in batches, according to shoe size. Production equipment must be reconfigured for each batch. The blades could be produced using an available area within the plant. Prime costs will average 5.00 per set. There is enough equipment to set up three lines of production, each capable of producing 80,000 sets of blades. A supervisor would need to be hired for each line. Each supervisor would be paid a salary of 40,000. Additionally, it would cost 1.50 per machine hour for power, oil, and other operating expenses. Since three types of blades would be produced, additional demands would be made on the setup activity. Other overhead activities affected include purchasing, inspection, and materials handling. The companys ABC system provides the following information about the current status of the overhead activities that would be affected. (The lumpy quantity indicates how much capacity must be purchased should any expansion of activity supply be neededthe units of purchase. The purchase cost per unit is the fixed activity rate. The variable rate is the cost per unit of resources acquired as needed for each activity.) The demands that the production of blades places on the overhead activities are as follows: If the blades are made, the purchase of the blades from outside suppliers will cease. Therefore, purchase orders will decrease by 6,500 (the number associated with their purchase). Similarly, the moves for the handling of incoming blades will decrease by 400. Any unused activity capacity is viewed as permanent. Required: 1. Should Nievo make or buy the blades? 2. Explain how the ABC resource usage model helped in the analysis. Also, comment on how a conventional approach would have differed.Apollonia Dental Services is part of an HMO that operates in a large metropolitan area. Currently, Apollonia has its own dental laboratory to produce two varieties of porcelain crownsall porcelain and porcelain fused to metal. The unit costs to produce the crowns are as follows: Fixed overhead is detailed as follows: Overhead is applied on the basis of direct labor hours. The rates above were computed using 8,000 direct labor hours. No significant non-unit-level overhead costs are incurred. A local dental laboratory has offered to supply Apollonia all the crowns it needs. Its price is 265 for all-porcelain crowns and 145 for porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns; however, the offer is conditional on supplying both types of crownsit will not supply just one type for the price indicated. If the offer is accepted, the equipment used by Apollonias laboratory would be scrapped (it is old and has no market value), and the lab facility would be closed. Apollonia uses 2,500 all-porcelain crowns and 1,000 porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns per year. Required: 1. Should Apollonia continue to make its own crowns, or should they be purchased from the external supplier? What is the dollar effect of purchasing? 2. What qualitative factors should Apollonia consider in making this decision? 3. Suppose that the lab facility is owned rather than rented and that the 22,000 is depreciation rather than rent. What effect does this have on the analysis in Requirement 1? 4. Refer to the original data. Assume that the volume of crowns is 5,000 all porcelain and 2,000 porcelain fused to metal. Should Apollonia make or buy the crowns? Explain the outcome.Pharmaco Corporation buys three chemicals that are processed to produce two popular ingredients for liquid pain relievers. The three chemicals are in liquid form. The purchased chemicals are blended for two to three hours and then heated for 15 minutes. The results of the process are two separate ingredients, PR1 and PR2. For every 4,300 gallons of chemicals used, 2,000 gallons of each pain reliever are produced. The pain relievers are sold to companies that process them into their final form. The selling prices are 34 per gallon for PR1 and 45 per gallon for PR2. The costs to produce one batch (containing 2,000 gallons of each chemical) are as follows: The pain relievers are bottled in five-gallon plastic containers and shipped. The cost of each container is 2.10. The costs of shipping are 0.50 per container. Pharmaco Corporation could process PR1 further by mixing it with inert powders and flavoring to form tablets. The tablets can be sold directly to retail drug stores as a generic brand. If this route is taken, the revenue received per case of tablets would be 13.50, with eight cases produced by every gallon of PR 1. The costs of processing into tablets total 11.00 per gallon of PR1. Packaging costs 5.16 per case. Shipping costs are 1.68 per case. Required: 1. Should Pharmaco sell PR1 at split-off, or should PR1 be processed and sold as tablets? 2. If Pharmaco normally sells 26,000 gallons of PR1 per year, what will be the difference in profits if PR1 is processed further?KarlAuto Corporation manufactures automobiles, vans, and trucks. Among the various KarlAuto plants around the United States is the Bloomington plant, where vinyl covers and upholstery fabric are sewn. These are used to cover interior seating and other surfaces of KarlAuto products. Pam Teegin is the plant manager for the Bloomington cover plantthe first KarlAuto plant in the region. As other area plants were opened, Teegin, in recognition of her management ability, was given the responsibility to manage them. Teegin functions as a regional manager, although the budget for her and her staff is charged to the Bloomington plant. Teegin has just received a report indicating that KarlAuto could purchase the entire annual output of the Bloomington cover plant from outside suppliers for 32 million. Teegin was astonished at the low outside price, because the budget for the Bloomington plants operating costs was set at 56.45 million. Teegin believes that the Bloomington plant will have to close down operations in order to realize the 24.45 million in annual cost savings. The budget (in thousands) for the Bloomington plants operating costs for the coming year follows: Additional facts regarding the plants operations are as follows: Due to the Bloomington plants commitment to use high-quality fabrics in all of its products, the Purchasing Department was instructed to place blanket orders with major suppliers to ensure the receipt of sufficient materials for the coming year. If these orders are canceled as a consequence of the plant closing, termination charges would amount to 18 percent of the cost of direct materials. Approximately 600 plant employees will lose their jobs if the plant is closed. This includes all direct laborers and supervisors as well as the plumbers, electricians, and other skilled workers classified as indirect plant workers. Some would be able to find new jobs, but many others would have difficulty. All employees would have difficulty matching the Bloomington plants base pay of 29.40 per hour, the highest in the area. A clause in the Bloomington plants contract with the union may help some employees; the company must provide employment assistance to its former employees for 12 months after a plant closing. The estimated cost to administer this service would be 1 million for the year. Some employees would probably elect early retirement because the company has an excellent pension plan. In fact, 4.6 million of next years pension expense would continue whether or not the plant is open. Teegin and her staff would not be affected by the closing of the Bloomington plant. They would still be responsible for administering three other area plants. Equipment depreciation for the plant is considered to be a variable cost and the units-of-production method is used to depreciate equipment; the Bloomington plant is the only KarlAuto plant to use this depreciation method. However, it uses the customary straight-line method to depreciate its building. Required: 1. Prepare a quantitative analysis to help in deciding whether or not to close the Bloomington plant. Explain how you treated the nonrecurring relevant costs. 2. Consider the analysis in Requirement 1, and add to it the qualitative factors that you believe are important to the decision. What is your decision? Would you close the plant? Explain. (CMA adapted)Morrill Company produces two different types of gauges: a density gauge and a thickness gauge. The segmented income statement for a typical quarter follows. Includes depreciation. The density gauge uses a subassembly that is purchased from an external supplier for 25 per unit. Each quarter, 2,000 subassemblies are purchased. All units produced are sold, and there are no ending inventories of subassemblies. Morrill is considering making the subassembly rather than buying it. Unit-level variable manufacturing costs are as follows: No significant non-unit-level costs are incurred. Morrill is considering two alternatives to supply the productive capacity for the subassembly. 1. Lease the needed space and equipment at a cost of 27,000 per quarter for the space and 10,000 per quarter for a supervisor. There are no other fixed expenses. 2. Drop the thickness gauge. The equipment could be adapted with virtually no cost and the existing space utilized to produce the subassembly. The direct fixed expenses, including supervision, would be 38,000, 8,000 of which is depreciation on equipment. If the thickness gauge is dropped, sales of the density gauge will not be affected. Required: 1. Should Morrill Company make or buy the subassembly? If it makes the subassembly, which alternative should be chosen? Explain and provide supporting computations. 2. Suppose that dropping the thickness gauge will decrease sales of the density gauge by 10 percent. What effect does this have on the decision? 3. Assume that dropping the thickness gauge decreases sales of the density gauge by 10 percent and that 2,800 subassemblies are required per quarter. As before, assume that there are no ending inventories of subassemblies and that all units produced are sold. Assume also that the per-unit sales price and variable costs are the same as in Requirement 1. Include the leasing alternative in your consideration. Now, what is the correct decision?Paladin Company manufactures plain-paper fax machines in a small factory in Minnesota. Sales have increased by 50 percent in each of the past three years, as Paladin has expanded its market from the United States to Canada and Mexico. As a result, the Minnesota factory is at capacity. Beryl Adams, president of Paladin, has examined the situation and developed the following alternatives. 1. Add a permanent second shift at the plant. However, the semiskilled workers who assemble the fax machines are in short supply, and the wage rate of 15 per hour would probably have to be increased across the board to 18 per hour in order to attract sufficient workers from out of town. The total wage increase (including fringe benefits) would amount to 125,000. The heavier use of plant facilities would lead to increased plant maintenance and small tool cost. 2. Open a new plant and locate it in Mexico. Wages (including fringe benefits) would average 3.50 per hour. Investment in plant and equipment would amount to 300,000. 3. Open a new plant and locate it in a foreign trade zone, possibly in Dallas. Wages would be somewhat lower than in Minnesota, but higher than in Mexico. The advantages of postponing tariff payments on parts imported from Asia could amount to 50,000 per year. Required: Advise Beryl of the advantages and disadvantages of each of her alternatives.Define price elasticity of demand. Give an example of a product with relatively elastic demand and an example of a product with relatively inelastic demand. (Give examples not given in the text.)What are the features of a perfectly competitive market? Give two examples of competitive markets. How could a firm in such a market move to a less competitive market?How do you calculate the markup on cost of goods sold? Is the markup pure profit? Explain.4DQ5DQ6DQWhat is price discrimination? Is it legal?8DQ9DQSuppose that Alpha Company has four product lines, three of which are profitable and one (lets call it Loser) of which generally incurs a loss. Give several reasons why Alpha Company may choose not to drop the Loser product line.How does absorption costing differ from variable costing? When will absorption-costing operating income exceed variable-costing operating income?What are some advantages and disadvantages of using net income as a measure of profitability?13DQ14DQDescribe the product life cycle. How do unit-level costs behave in relation to the product life cycle? Batch-level costs? Product-level costs? Facility-level costs?Ventana Window and Wall Treatments Company provides draperies, shades, and various window treatments. Ventana works with the customer to design the appropriate window treatment, places the order, and installs the finished product. Direct materials and direct labor costs are easy to trace to the jobs. Ventanas income statement for last year is as follows: Ventana wants to find a markup on cost of goods sold that will allow them to earn about the same amount of profit on each job as was earned last year. Required: 1. What is the markup on cost of goods sold (COGS) that will maintain the same profit as last year? (Round the percentage to two significant digits.) 2. A customer orders draperies and shades for a remodeling job. The job will have the following costs: What is the price that Ventana will quote given the markup percentage calculated in Requirement 1? (Round the price to the nearest dollar.) 3. What if Ventana wants to calculate a markup on direct materials cost, since it is the largest cost of doing business? What is the markup on direct materials cost that will maintain the same profit as last year? (Round the percentage to two significant digits.) What is the bid price Ventana will use for the job given in Requirement 2 if the markup percentage is calculated on the basis of direct materials cost? (Round to the nearest dollar.)Kaune Food Products Company manufactures canned mixed nuts with an average manufacturing cost of 52 per case (a case contains 24 cans of nuts). Kaune sold 150,000 cases last year to the following three classes of customer: The supermarkets require special labeling on each can costing 0.04 per can. They order through electronic data interchange (EDI), which costs Kaune about 61,000 annually in operating expenses and depreciation. Kaune delivers the nuts to the stores and stocks them on the shelves. This distribution costs 45,000 per year. The small grocers order in smaller lots that require special picking and packing in the factory; the special handling adds 25 to the cost of each case sold. Sales commissions to the independent jobbers who sell Kaune products to the grocers average 8 percent of sales. Bad debts expense amounts to 9 percent of sales. Convenience stores also require special handling that costs 30 per case. In addition, Kaune is required to co-pay advertising costs with the convenience stores at a cost of 15,000 per year. Frequent stops are made to each convenience store by Kaune delivery trucks at a cost of 30,000 per year. Required: 1. Calculate the total cost per case for each of the three customer classes. (Round unit costs to four significant digits.) 2. Using the costs from Requirement 1, calculate the profit per case per customer class. Does the cost analysis support the charging of different prices? Why or why not? 3. What if Kaune charged the average price per case to all customer classes? How would that affect the profit percentages?Pattison Products, Inc., began operations in October and manufactured 40,000 units during the month with the following unit costs: Fixed overhead per unit = 280,000/40,000 units produced = 7. Total fixed factory overhead is 280,000 per month. During October, 38,400 units were sold at a price of 24, and fixed marketing and administrative expenses were 130,500. Required: 1. Calculate the cost of each unit using absorption costing. 2. How many units remain in ending inventory? What is the cost of ending inventory using absorption costing? 3. Prepare an absorption-costing income statement for Pattison Products, Inc., for the month of October. 4. What if November production was 40,000 units, costs were stable, and sales were 41,000 units? What is the cost of ending inventory? What is operating income for November?Refer to Cornerstone Exercise 18.3. Required: 1. Calculate the cost of each unit using variable costing. 2. How many units remain in ending inventory? What is the cost of ending inventory using variable costing? 3. Prepare a variable-costing income statement for Pattison Products, Inc., for the month of October. 4. What if November production was 40,000 units, costs were stable, and sales were 41,000 units? What is the cost of ending inventory? What is operating income for November?Saginaw Company is a garden products wholesale firm. In December, Saginaw Company expects to sell 30,000 bags of vegetable fertilizer at an average price of 5.30 per bag. Actual results are 30,600 bags sold at an average price of 5.20 per bag. Required: 1. Calculate the sales price variance for December. 2. Calculate the sales volume variance for December. 3. Calculate the overall sales variance for December. Explain why it is favorable or unfavorable. 4. What if December sales were actually 29,800 bags? How would that affect the sales price variance? The sales volume variance? The overall sales variance?Iliff, Inc., produces and sells two types of countertop ovensthe toaster oven and the convection oven. Budgeted and actual data for the two models are shown below. Budgeted Amounts: Actual Amounts: Required: 1. Calculate the contribution margin variance. 2. What if actual units sold of the convection oven decreased? How would that affect the contribution margin variance? What if actual units sold of the convection oven increased? How would that affect the contribution margin variance?Iliff, Inc., produces and sells two types of countertop ovensthe toaster oven and the convection oven. Budgeted and actual data for the two models are shown below. Budgeted Amounts: Actual Amounts: Required: 1. Calculate the budgeted average unit contribution margin. 2. Calculate the contribution margin variance. 3. What if actual units sold of the convection oven decreased? How would that affect the contribution margin variance? What if actual units sold of the convection oven increased? How would that affect the contribution margin variance?Refer to Cornerstone Exercise 18.6. Required: 1. Calculate the sales mix variance. 2. What if actual units sold of the toaster oven increased? How would that affect the sales mix variance? What if actual units sold of the convection oven increased? How would that affect the sales mix variance?Budgeted unit sales for the entire countertop oven industry were 2,500,000 (of all model types), and actual unit sales for the industry were 2,550,000. Recall from Cornerstone Exercise 18.6 that Iliff, Inc., provided the following information: Required: 1. Calculate the market share variance (take percentages out to four significant digits). 2. Calculate the market size variance. 3. What if Iliff actually sold a total of 41,000 units (in total of the two models)? How would that affect the market share variance? The market size variance?10E11E12E13E