Concept explainers
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 company’s 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 setups—$1,160 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?
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Chapter 17 Solutions
Cornerstones of Cost Management (Cornerstones Series)
- Box Springs. Inc., makes two sizes of box springs: queen and king. The direct material for the queen is $35 per unit and $55 is used in direct labor, while the direct material for the king is $55 per unit, and the labor cost is $70 per unit. Box Springs estimates it will make 4,300 queens and 3,000 kings in the next year. It estimates the overhead for each cost pool and cost driver activities as follows: How much does each unit cost to manufacture?arrow_forwardSalley is developing material and labor standards for her company. She finds that it costs $0.55 per pound of material per widget. Each widget requires 6 pounds of material per widget. Salley is also working with the operations manager to determine what the standard labor cost is for a widget. Upon observation, Salley notes that it takes 3 hours in the assembly department and 1 hour in the finishing department to complete one widget. All employees are paid $10.50 per hour. A. What is the standard materials cost per unit for a widget? 8. What is the standard labor cost per unit for a widget?arrow_forwardVargas, Inc., produces industrial machinery. Vargas has a machining department and a group of direct laborers called machinists. Each machinist is paid 25,000 and can machine up to 500 units per year. Vargas also hires supervisors to develop machine specification plans and to oversee production within the machining department. Given the planning and supervisory work, a supervisor can oversee three machinists, at most. Vargass accounting and production history reveal the following relationships between units produced and the costs of direct labor and supervision (measured on an annual basis): Required: 1. Prepare two graphs: one that illustrates the relationship between direct labor cost and units produced, and one that illustrates the relationship between the cost of supervision and units produced. Let cost be the vertical axis and units produced the horizontal axis. 2. How would you classify each cost? Why? 3. Suppose that the normal range of activity is between 2,400 and 2,450 units and that the exact number of machinists is currently hired to support this level of activity. Further suppose that production for the next year is expected to increase by an additional 400 units. How much will the cost of direct labor increase (and how will this increase be realized)? Cost of supervision?arrow_forward
- Evans, Inc., has a unit-based costing system. Evanss Miami plant produces 10 different electronic products. The demand for each product is about the same. Although they differ in complexity, each product uses about the same labor time and materials. The plant has used direct labor hours for years to assign overhead to products. To help design engineers understand the assumed cost relationships, the Cost Accounting Department developed the following cost equation. (The equation describes the relationship between total manufacturing costs and direct labor hours; the equation is supported by a coefficient of determination of 60 percent.) Y=5,000,000+30X,whereX=directlaborhours The variable rate of 30 is broken down as follows: Because of competitive pressures, product engineering was given the charge to redesign products to reduce the total cost of manufacturing. Using the above cost relationships, product engineering adopted the strategy of redesigning to reduce direct labor content. As each design was completed, an engineering change order was cut, triggering a series of events such as design approval, vendor selection, bill of materials update, redrawing of schematic, test runs, changes in setup procedures, development of new inspection procedures, and so on. After one year of design changes, the normal volume of direct labor was reduced from 250,000 hours to 200,000 hours, with the same number of products being produced. Although each product differs in its labor content, the redesign efforts reduced the labor content for all products. On average, the labor content per unit of product dropped from 1.25 hours per unit to one hour per unit. Fixed overhead, however, increased from 5,000,000 to 6,600,000 per year. Suppose that a consultant was hired to explain the increase in fixed overhead costs. The consultants study revealed that the 30 per hour rate captured the unit-level variable costs; however, the cost behavior of other activities was quite different. For example, setting up equipment is a step-fixed cost, where each step is 2,000 setup hours, costing 90,000. The study also revealed that the cost of receiving goods is a function of the number of different components. This activity has a variable cost of 2,000 per component type and a fixed cost that follows a step-cost pattern. The step is defined by 20 components with a cost of 50,000 per step. Assume also that the consultant indicated that the design adopted by the engineers increased the demand for setups from 20,000 setup hours to 40,000 setup hours and the number of different components from 100 to 250. The demand for other non-unit-level activities remained unchanged. The consultant also recommended that management take a look at a rejected design for its products. This rejected design increased direct labor content from 250,000 hours to 260,000 hours, decreased the demand for setups from 20,000 hours to 10,000 hours, and decreased the demand for purchasing from 100 component types to 75 component types, while the demand for all other activities remained unchanged. Required: 1. Using normal volume, compute the manufacturing cost per labor hour before the year of design changes. What is the cost per unit of an average product? 2. Using normal volume after the one year of design changes, compute the manufacturing cost per hour. What is the cost per unit of an average product? 3. Before considering the consultants study, what do you think is the most likely explanation for the failure of the design changes to reduce manufacturing costs? Now use the information from the consultants study to explain the increase in the average cost per unit of product. What changes would you suggest to improve Evanss efforts to reduce costs? 4. Explain why the consultant recommended a second look at a rejected design. Provide computational support. What does this tell you about the strategic importance of cost management?arrow_forwardOtero Fibers, Inc., specializes in the manufacture of synthetic fibers that the company uses in many products such as blankets, coats, and uniforms for police and firefighters. Otero has been in business since 1985 and has been profitable every year since 1993. The company uses a standard cost system and applies overhead on the basis of direct labor hours. Otero has recently received a request to bid on the manufacture of 800,000 blankets scheduled for delivery to several military bases. The bid must be stated at full cost per unit plus a return on full cost of no more than 10 percent after income taxes. Full cost has been defined as including all variable costs of manufacturing the product, a reasonable amount of fixed overhead, and reasonable incremental administrative costs associated with the manufacture and sale of the product. The contractor has indicated that bids in excess of 30 per blanket are not likely to be considered. In order to prepare the bid for the 800,000 blankets, Andrea Lightner, cost accountant, has gathered the following information about the costs associated with the production of the blankets. Direct machine costs consist of items such as special lubricants, replacement of needles used in stitching, and maintenance costs. These costs are not included in the normal overhead rates. Otero recently developed a new blanket fiber at a cost of 750,000. In an effort to recover this cost, Otero has instituted a policy of adding a 0.50 fee to the cost of each blanket using the new fiber. To date, the company has recovered 125,000. Lightner knows that this fee does not fit within the definition of full cost, as it is not a cost of manufacturing the product. Required: 1. Calculate the minimum price per blanket that Otero Fibers could bid without reducing the companys operating income. 2. Using the full-cost criteria and the maximum allowable return specified, calculate Otero Fibers bid price per blanket. 3. Without prejudice to your answer to Requirement 2, assume that the price per blanket that Otero Fibers calculated using the cost-plus criteria specified is greater than the maximum bid of 30 per blanket allowed. Discuss the factors that Otero Fibers should consider before deciding whether or not to submit a bid at the maximum acceptable price of 30 per blanket. (CMA adapted)arrow_forwardRulers Company is a neon sign company that estimated overhead will be $60,000, consisting of 1,500 machine hours. The cost to make Job 416 is $95 in neon, 15 hours of labor at $13 per hour, and five machine hours. During the month, it incurs $95 in indirect material cost, $130 in administrative labor, $320 in utilities, and $350 in depreciation expense. What is the predetermined overhead rate if machine hours are considered the cost driver? What is the cost of Job 416? What is the overhead incurred during the month?arrow_forward
- Geneva, Inc., makes two products, X and Y, that require allocation of indirect manufacturing costs. The following data were compiled by the accountants before making any allocations: The total cost of purchasing and receiving parts used in manufacturing is 60,000. The company uses a job-costing system with a single indirect cost rate. Under this system, allocated costs were 48,000 and 12,000 for X and Y, respectively. If an activity-based system is used, what would be the allocated costs for each product?arrow_forwardMott Company recently implemented a JIT manufacturing system. After one year of operation, Heidi Burrows, president of the company, wanted to compare product cost under the JIT system with product cost under the old system. Motts two products are weed eaters and lawn edgers. The unit prime costs under the old system are as follows: Under the old manufacturing system, the company operated three service centers and two production departments. Overhead was applied using departmental overhead rates. The direct overhead costs associated with each department for the year preceding the installation of JIT are as follows: Under the old system, the overhead costs of the service departments were allocated directly to the producing departments and then to the products passing through them. (Both products passed through each producing department.) The overhead rate for the Machining Department was based on machine hours, and the overhead rate for assembly was based on direct labor hours. During the last year of operations for the old system, the Machining Department used 80,000 machine hours, and the Assembly Department used 20,000 direct labor hours. Each weed eater required 1.0 machine hour in Machining and 0.25 direct labor hour in Assembly. Each lawn edger required 2.0 machine hours in Machining and 0.5 hour in Assembly. Bases for allocation of the service costs are as follows: Upon implementing JIT, a manufacturing cell for each product was created to replace the departmental structure. Each cell occupied 40,000 square feet. Maintenance and materials handling were both decentralized to the cell level. Essentially, cell workers were trained to operate the machines in each cell, assemble the components, maintain the machines, and move the partially completed units from one point to the next within the cell. During the first year of the JIT system, the company produced and sold 20,000 weed eaters and 30,000 lawn edgers. This output was identical to that for the last year of operations under the old system. The following costs have been assigned to the manufacturing cells: Required: 1. Compute the unit cost for each product under the old manufacturing system. 2. Compute the unit cost for each product under the JIT system. 3. Which of the unit costs is more accurate? Explain. Include in your explanation a discussion of how the computational approaches differ. 4. Calculate the decrease in overhead costs under JIT, and provide some possible reasons that explain the decrease.arrow_forwardStacks manufactures two different levels of hockey sticks: the Standard and the Slap Shot. The total overhead of $600,000 has traditionally been allocated by direct labor hours, with 400,000 hours for the Standard and 200.000 hours for the Slap Shot. After analyzing and assigning costs to two cost pools, it was determined that machine hours is estimated to have $450.000 of overhead, with 30,000 hours used on the Standard product and 15,000 hours used on the Slap Shot product. It was also estimated that the inspection cost pool would have $150,000 of overhead, with 25,000 hours for the Standard and 5,000 hours for the Slap Shot. What is the overhead rate per product, under traditional and under ABC costing?arrow_forward
- San Mateo Optics, Inc., specializes in manufacturing lenses for large telescopes and cameras used in space exploration. As the specifications for the lenses are determined by the customer and vary considerably, the company uses a job-order costing system. Manufacturing overhead is applied to jobs on the basis of direct labor hours, utilizing the absorption- or full-costing method. San Mateos predetermined overhead rates for 20x1 and 20x2 were based on the following estimates. Jim Cimino, San Mateos controller, would like to use variable (direct) costing for internal reporting purposes as he believes statements prepared using variable costing are more appropriate for making product decisions. In order to explain the benefits of variable costing to the other members of San Mateos management team, Cimino plans to convert the companys income statement from absorption costing to variable costing. He has gathered the following information for this purpose, along with a copy of San Mateos 20x1 and 20x2 comparative income statement. San Mateo Optics, Inc. Comparative Income Statement For the Years 20x1 and 20x2 San Mateos actual manufacturing data for the two years are as follows: The companys actual inventory balances were as follows: For both years, all administrative expenses were fixed, while a portion of the selling expenses resulting from an 8 percent commission on net sales was variable. San Mateo reports any over-or underapplied overhead as an adjustment to the cost of goods sold. Required: 1. For the year ended December 31, 20x2, prepare the revised income statement for San Mateo Optics, Inc., utilizing the variable-costing method. Be sure to include the contribution margin on the revised income statement. 2. Describe two advantages of using variable costing rather than absorption costing. (CMA adapted)arrow_forwardCozy, Inc., manufactures small and large blankets. It estimates $950,000 in overhead during the manufacturing of 360,000 small blankets and 120,000 large blankets. What is the predetermined overhead rate if a small blanket takes 2 hours of direct labor and a large blanket takes 3 hours of direct labor?arrow_forwardHawkins Manufacturing Company produces connecting rods for 4- and 6-cylindcr automobile engines using the same production line. The cost required to set up the production line to produce the 4-cylinder connecting rods is 2,000, and the cost required to set up the production line for the 6-cylinder connecting rods is 3,500. Manufacturing costs are 15 for each 4-cylinder connecting rod and 18 for each 6-cylinder connecting rod. There is no production on weekends, so on Friday the line is disassembled and cleaned. On Monday, the line must be set up to run whichever product will be produced that week. Once the line has been set up, the weekly production capacities are 6,000 6-cylinder connecting rods and 8,000 4-cylinder connecting rods. Let x4 = the number of 4-cylinder connecting rods produced next week x6 = the number of 6-cylinder connecting rods produced next week s4 = 1 if the production line is set up to produce the 4-cylinder connecting rods; 0 if otherwise s6 = 1 if the production line is set up to produce the 6-cylinder connecting rods; 0 if otherwise a. Using the decision variables x4 and s4, write a constraint that sets next weeks maximum production of the 4-cylinder connecting rods to either 0 or 8,000 units. b. Using the decision variables x6 and s6, write a constraint that sets next weeks maximum production of the 6-cylinder connecting rods to either 0 or 6,000 units. c. Write a constraint that requires that production be set up for exactly one of the two rods. d. Write the cost function to be minimized.arrow_forward
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