Keith Golding has decided to purchase a personal computer. He has narrowed his choices to two: Brand A and Brand B. Both brands have the same processing speed, hard disk capacity, RAM, graphics card memory, and basic software support package. Both come from companies with good reputations. The selling price for each is identical. After some review, Keith discovers that the cost of operating and maintaining Brand A over a three-year period is estimated to be $200. For Brand B, the operating and maintenance cost is $600. The sales agent for Brand A emphasized the lower operating and maintenance cost. She claimed that it was lower than any other PC brand. The sales agent for Brand B, however, emphasized the service reputation of the product. She provided Keith with a copy of an article appearing in a PC magazine that rated service performance of various PC brands. Brand B was rated number one. Based on all the information, Keith decided to buy Brand B.
Required:
- 1. What is the total product purchased by Keith?
- 2. Is the Brand A company pursuing a cost leadership or differentiation strategy? The Brand B company? Explain.
- 3. When asked why he purchased Brand B, Keith replied, “I think Brand B offered more value than Brand A.” What are the possible sources of this greater value? If Keith’s reaction represents the majority opinion, what suggestions could you offer to help improve the strategic position of Brand A?
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Cornerstones of Cost Management (Cornerstones Series)
- Hudson Corporation is considering three options for managing its data warehouse: continuing with its own staff, hiring an outside vendor to do the managing, or using a combination of its own staff and an outside vendor. The cost of the operation depends on future demand. The annual cost of each option (in thousands of dollars) depends on demand as follows: If the demand probabilities are 0.2, 0.5, and 0.3, which decision alternative will minimize the expected cost of the data warehouse? What is the expected annual cost associated with that recommendation? Construct a risk profile for the optimal decision in part (a). What is the probability of the cost exceeding $700,000?arrow_forwardMallette Manufacturing, Inc., produces washing machines, dryers, and dishwashers. Because of increasing competition, Mallette is considering investing in an automated manufacturing system. Since competition is most keen for dishwashers, the production process for this line has been selected for initial evaluation. The automated system for the dishwasher line would replace an existing system (purchased one year ago for 6 million). Although the existing system will be fully depreciated in nine years, it is expected to last another 10 years. The automated system would also have a useful life of 10 years. The existing system is capable of producing 100,000 dishwashers per year. Sales and production data using the existing system are provided by the Accounting Department: All cash expenses with the exception of depreciation, which is 6 per unit. The existing equipment is being depreciated using straight-line with no salvage value considered. The automated system will cost 34 million to purchase, plus an estimated 20 million in software and implementation. (Assume that all investment outlays occur at the beginning of the first year.) If the automated equipment is purchased, the old equipment can be sold for 3 million. The automated system will require fewer parts for production and will produce with less waste. Because of this, the direct material cost per unit will be reduced by 25 percent. Automation will also require fewer support activities, and as a consequence, volume-related overhead will be reduced by 4 per unit and direct fixed overhead (other than depreciation) by 17 per unit. Direct labor is reduced by 60 percent. Assume, for simplicity, that the new investment will be depreciated on a pure straight-line basis for tax purposes with no salvage value. Ignore the half-life convention. The firms cost of capital is 12 percent, but management chooses to use 20 percent as the required rate of return for evaluation of investments. The combined federal and state tax rate is 40 percent. Required: 1. Compute the net present value for the old system and the automated system. Which system would the company choose? 2. Repeat the net present value analysis of Requirement 1, using 12 percent as the discount rate. 3. Upon seeing the projected sales for the old system, the marketing manager commented: Sales of 100,000 units per year cannot be maintained in the current competitive environment for more than one year unless we buy the automated system. The automated system will allow us to compete on the basis of quality and lead time. If we keep the old system, our sales will drop by 10,000 units per year. Repeat the net present value analysis, using this new information and a 12 percent discount rate. 4. An industrial engineer for Mallette noticed that salvage value for the automated equipment had not been included in the analysis. He estimated that the equipment could be sold for 4 million at the end of 10 years. He also estimated that the equipment of the old system would have no salvage value at the end of 10 years. Repeat the net present value analysis using this information, the information in Requirement 3, and a 12 percent discount rate. 5. Given the outcomes of the previous four requirements, comment on the importance of providing accurate inputs for assessing investments in automated manufacturing systems.arrow_forwardSalem 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?arrow_forward
- Jonfran Company manufactures three different models of paper shredders including the waste container, which serves as the base. While the shredder heads are different for all three models, the waste container is the same. The number of waste containers that Jonfran will need during the following years is estimated as follows: The equipment used to manufacture the waste container must be replaced because it is broken and cannot be repaired. The new equipment would have a purchase price of 945,000 with terms of 2/10, n/30; the companys policy is to take all purchase discounts. The freight on the equipment would be 11,000, and installation costs would total 22,900. The equipment would be purchased in December 20x4 and placed into service on January 1, 20x5. It would have a five-year economic life and would be treated as three-year property under MACRS. This equipment is expected to have a salvage value of 12,000 at the end of its economic life in 20x9. The new equipment would be more efficient than the old equipment, resulting in a 25 percent reduction in both direct materials and variable overhead. The savings in direct materials would result in an additional one-time decrease in working capital requirements of 2,500, resulting from a reduction in direct material inventories. This working capital reduction would be recognized at the time of equipment acquisition. The old equipment is fully depreciated and is not included in the fixed overhead. The old equipment from the plant can be sold for a salvage amount of 1,500. Rather than replace the equipment, one of Jonfrans production managers has suggested that the waste containers be purchased. One supplier has quoted a price of 27 per container. This price is 8 less than Jonfrans current manufacturing cost, which is as follows: Jonfran uses a plantwide fixed overhead rate in its operations. If the waste containers are purchased outside, the salary and benefits of one supervisor, included in fixed overhead at 45,000, would be eliminated. There would be no other changes in the other cash and noncash items included in fixed overhead except depreciation on the new equipment. Jonfran is subject to a 40 percent tax rate. Management assumes that all cash flows occur at the end of the year and uses a 12 percent after-tax discount rate. Required: 1. Prepare a schedule of cash flows for the make alternative. Calculate the NPV of the make alternative. 2. Prepare a schedule of cash flows for the buy alternative. Calculate the NPV of the buy alternative. 3. Which should Jonfran domake or buy the containers? What qualitative factors should be considered? (CMA adapted)arrow_forwardGarrison Boutique, a small novelty store, just spent $4,000 on a new software program that will help in organizing its inventory. Due to the steep learning curve required to use the new software, Garrison must decide between hiring two part-time college students or one full-time employee. Each college student would work 20 hours per week, and would earn $1 S per hour. The full-time employee would work 40 hours per week and would earn $15 per hour plus the equivalent of $2 per hour in benefits. Employees are given two polo shirts to wear as their uniform. The polo-shirts cost Garrison $10 each. What are the relevant costs, relevant revenues, sunk costs, and opportunity costs for Garrison?arrow_forwardKarens Quilts is considering the purchase of a new Long-arm Quilt Machine that will cost $17,500 and will increase her fixed costs by $119. What would happen if she purchased the new quilt machine to realize the variable cost savings of $5.00 per quilt, and what would happen if she raised her price by just $5.00? She feels confident that such a small price increase will not decrease the sales in units that will help her offset the increase in fixed costs. Given the following current prices how would the break-even in units and dollars change? Complete the monthly contribution margin income statement for each of these cases.arrow_forward
- Shonda & Shonda is a company that does land surveys and engineering consulting. They have an opportunity to purchase new computer equipment that will allow them to render their drawings and surveys much more quickly. The new equipment will cost them an additional $1.200 per month, but they will be able to increase their sales by 10% per year. Their current annual cost and break-even figures are as follows: A. What will be the impact on the break-even point if Shonda & Shonda purchases the new computer? B. What will be the impact on net operating income if Shonda & Shonda purchases the new computer? C. What would be your recommendation to Shonda & Shonda regarding this purchase?arrow_forwardIn a bio-based material recycling company, the operation managers are considering a twin-screw extruder with a price of 12,000 OMR and another 2,000 OMR will be spent for shipping and installation of the extruder. The estimated net income generated from this machine is 3,500 OMR per year. The extruder will be used for 5 years, and then it will be sold for an estimated market value of 2,500 OMR. The extruder MARCS property class is 5 years. If the effective income tax rate (t) is 40% and the after-tax MARR is 10%. (a) What is the after-tax IRR for this project? (use trial and error procedure and GDS) (b) Should this extruder be purchased by the company?arrow_forwardA large brokerage company is assessing the introduction of a new computer system to improve routing and execution of customer orders. The managing director wants to install a new Smart Routing system, whereas another director prefers the Direct Routing system. Each machine provides the same order-execution ability and can satisfy the broker’s obligation to give investors the best possible order execution. The initial cost of each system is $170,000, but because of differing software, maintenance, and processing requirements, estimates of the after-tax costs of operation differ. These are as follows: Period Smart Routing Direct Routing 1 39,000 56,000 2 48,000 61,000 3 48,000 61,000 4…arrow_forward
- You are in the mail-order business, selling computer peripherals, including high-speed Internet cables, various storage devices such as memory sticks, and wireless networking devices. You are considering upgrading your mail ordering system to make your operations more efficient and to increase sales. The computerized ordering system will cost $250,000 to install and $50,000 to operate each year. The system is expected to last eight years with no salvage value at the end of the service period. The new order system will save $120,000 in operating costs (mainly, reduction in inventory carrying cost) each year and bring in additional sales revenue in the amount of $40,000 per year for the next eight years. If your interest rate is 12%,justify your investment using the NPW method.arrow_forwardBinders-For-School Ltd is in the process of determining whether to purchase a high-capacity machine to make textbooks for the upcoming school year. The high-capacity machine will generate fixed costs of $10,000 per year versus the $2,000 fixed costs of using a low-capacity machine. The variable costs per unit when using the high-capacity machine will be $30. The company will charge $60 for each textbook and has determined that the high-capacity machine will be more economically beneficial if sales are greater than 800 books. What is the variable cost per unit under the low-capacity machine scenario? $20 $40 $60 $80arrow_forwardPolaris Industries wishes to purchase a multiple-use in-plant ‘‘road test’’ simulator that can be used for ATVs, motorcycles, and snowmobiles. It takes digital data from relatively short drives on a desired surface—from smooth to exceptionally harsh—and simulates the ride over and over while the vehicle is mounted to a test stand under load. It can run continuously if desired and provides opportunities to redesign areas of poor reliability. It costs $128,000, and its market value decreases by 30 percent each year. Operating costs are modest; however, maintenance costs can be significant due to the rugged use. O&M in the first year is expected to be $10,000, increasing by 25 percent each subsequent year. MARR is 15 percent. What is the optimum replacement interval?arrow_forward
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