Accounting for materials costs
In papermaking operations for companies such as International Paper Company, wet pulp is fed into paper machines, which press and dry pulp into a continuous sheet of paper. The paper is formed at very high speeds (60 mph). Once the paper is formed, the paper is rolled onto a reel at the hack end of the paper machine. One of the characteristics of papermaking is the creation of “broke” paper. Broke is paper that fails to satisfy quality standards and is therefore rejected for final shipment to customers. Broke is recycled back to the beginning of the process by combining the recycled paper with virgin (new) pulp material. The combination of virgin pulp and recycled broke is sent to the paper machine for papermaking. Broke is fed into this recycle process continuously from all over the facility.
In this industry, it is typical to charge the papermaking operation with the cost of direct materials, which is a mixture of virgin materials and broke. Broke has a much lower cost than does virgin pulp. Therefore, the more broke in the mixture, the lower the average cost of direct materials to the department. Papermaking managers will frequently comment on the importance of broke for keeping their direct materials costs down.
a. How do you react to this accounting procedure?
b. What “hidden costs” are not considered when accounting for broke as described?
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Chapter 18 Solutions
EBK FINANCIAL & MANAGERIAL ACCOUNTING
- LaCroix Company produces handbags from leather of moderate quality. It distributes the product through outlet stores and department store chains. At LaCroix’s facility in northeast Ohio, direct materials (primarily leather hides) are added at the beginning of the process, while conversion costs are added evenly during the process. Given the importance of minimizing product returns, spoiled units are detected upon inspection at the end of the process and are discarded at a net disposal value of zero. LaCroix uses the weighted-average method of process costing. Summary data for April 2017 are as follows: Q.For each cost category, calculate equivalent units. Show physical units in the first column of your schedule.arrow_forwardLaCroix Company produces handbags from leather of moderate quality. It distributes the product through outlet stores and department store chains. At LaCroix’s facility in northeast Ohio, direct materials (primarily leather hides) are added at the beginning of the process, while conversion costs are added evenly during the process. Given the importance of minimizing product returns, spoiled units are detected upon inspection at the end of the process and are discarded at a net disposal value of zero. LaCroix uses the weighted-average method of process costing. Summary data for April 2017 are as follows: Q.Summarize the total costs to account for; calculate the cost per equivalent unit for each cost category; and assign costs to units completed and transferred out (including normal spoilage), to abnormal spoilage, and to units in ending work in process.arrow_forwardLogicCO is a fast-growing manufacturer of computer chips. Direct materials are added at the start of the production process. Conversion costs are added evenly during the process. Some units of this product are spoiled as a result of defects not detectable before inspection of finished goods. Spoiled units are disposed of at zero net disposal value. uses the FIFO method of process costing. Summary data and weighted-average data for are as follows: Requirements : 1. For each cost category, compute equivalent units. Show physical units in the first column. 2. Summarize total costs to account for; calculate cost per equivalent unit for each cost category; and assign costs to units completed and transferred out (including normal spoilage), to abnormal spoilage, and to units in ending work in process. 3. Should 's managers choose the weighted-average method or the FIFO method? Explain.arrow_forward
- Amber Company produces custom framing. For one job, the trainee assigned to cut the mat set the mat dimensions incorrectly into the computer. The mat was unusable and had to be discarded; another mat was cut to the correct dimensions. How is the cost of the spoiled mat handled? What additional costs can occur with the spoiled mat? What about retraining for the employee or punishment costs?arrow_forward'Brisbane Refinery Ltd' (BRL) processes canola oil for the Supermarket Chain G-Mart. It is involved in continuous processing to produce canola oil and uses FIFO process costing to account for its production costs. The FIFO is suitable for BRL as costs are quite unstable due to the volatile price of the canola seeds it uses in production. The canola seeds are processed through one department. Overhead is applied based on direct labour costs, and the application rate has not changed over the period covered by the problem. The Work-in-Process Inventory account showed the following balances at the start of the current period. Direct materials $195,500 Direct labour 390,000 Overhead applied 487,500 These costs were related to 78,000 litres that were in process at the start of the period. During the period, 90,000 litres were transferred to finished goods inventory. Of the litres finished during this period, 80 percent were sold. After litres have been transferred to finished goods…arrow_forwardJT Engineering makes widgets. Widgets first go through Smelting and then go through Polishing. JT has decided to do away with the polishing step, electing to sell unpolished widgets to its customers. How will this process modification impact JT's manufacturing costs and flow of costs? O It will decrease manufacturing costs and eliminate the need for Work in Process accounts. O It will increase manufacturing costs and eliminate the need for Work in Process accounts. O It will decrease manufacturing costs and eliminate the need for a Work in Process-Polishing account. O It will increase manufacturing costs and eliminate the need for a Work in Process-Polishing account.arrow_forward
- Bristol Fabricators, Inc., produces air purifiers in batches. To manufacture a batch of the purifiers, Bristol Fabricators, Inc., must set up the machines and assembly line tooling. Setup costs are batch-level costs because they are associated with batches rather than individual units of products. A separate Setup Department is responsible for setting up machines and tooling for different models of the air purifiers. Setup overhead costs consist of some costs that are variable and some costs that are fixed with respect to the number of setup-hours. The following information pertains to June 2020: E (Click the icon to view the information for June 2020.) Calculate the production-volume variance for fixed overhead setup costs. (Round all intermediary calculations to two decimal places and your final answer to the nearest whole number.) O A. $2,478 unfavorable O B. $2,478 favorable i Data Table C. $363 favorable O D. $363 unfavorable Budget Amounts Actual Amounts Units produced and sold…arrow_forwardIn a manufacturing company, overhead allocations are made for three reasons: (1) to determine the full cost of a product; (2) to encourage efficient resource usage; and (3) to compare alternative courses of action for management purposes. 1. Why must overhead be considered a product cost under generally accepted accounting principles? 2. Ayam Company makes plastic dog carriers. The manufacturing process is highly automated and the machine time needed to make any size crate is approximately the same. Ayam’s management decides to begin producing plastic lawn furniture and, to do so, two additional pieces of automated equipment are acquired. Annual depreciation on the new pieces of equipment is P38,000. Should the new overhead cost be allocated over all products manufactured by Ayam? Explain.arrow_forwardWojtek Nakowski has prepared the following list of statements about process cost accounting. Identify each statement as true or false. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. Process cost systems are used to apply costs to similar products that are mass-produced in a continuous fashion. A process cost system is used when each finished unit is indistinguishable from another. Companies that produce soft drinks, motion pictures, and computer chips would all use process cost accounting. In a process cost system, costs are tracked by individual jobs. Job-order costing and process costing track different manufacturing cost components. Both job-order costing and process costing account for direct materials, direct labour, and manufacturing overhead. Costs flow through the accounts in the same basic way for both job-order costing and process costing. In a process cost system, only one work in process inventory account is used. In a process cost system, costs are summarized in a job cost sheet. In a…arrow_forward
- Destin Company produces water control valves, made of brass, that it sells primarily to builders for use in commercial real estate construction. These valves must meet rigid specifications (i.e., the quality tolerance is small). Valves that, upon inspection, get rejected are returned to the Casting Department; that is, they are returned to stage 1 of the four-stage manufacturing process. Rejected items are melted and then recast. As such, no new materials in Casting are required to rework these items. However, new materials must be added in the Finishing Department for all reworked valves. As the cost accountant for the company, you have prepared the following cost data regarding the production of a typical valve: Cost Direct materials Direct labor Casting $ 220 Finishing $ 15 Inspection $ 0 Packing $ 10 Total $ 245 125 135 25 25 310 Variable manufacturing overhead Allocated fixed overhead 150 165 20 20 355 85 95 120 90 390 $ 580 2$ $ 410 $ 165 $ 145 $ 1,300 The company, spurred by…arrow_forwardDestin Company produces water control valves, made of brass, that it sells primarily to builders for use in commercial real estate construction. These valves must meet rigid specifications (i.e., the quality tolerance is small). Valves that, upon inspection, get rejected are returned to the Casting Department; that is, they are returned to stage 1 of the four-stage manufacturing process. Rejected items are melted and then recast. As such, no new materials in Casting are required to rework these items. However, new materials must be added in the Finishing Department for all reworked valves. As the cost accountant for the company, you have prepared the following cost data regarding the production of a typical valve: Casting $ 220 Finishing $ 10 Inspection $ 0 Packing $ 10 Cost Total Direct materials $ 240 Direct labor 120 130 30 30 310 Variable manufacturing overhead 120 160 30 30 340 Allocated fixed overhead 80 90 50 20 240 $ 540 $ 390 $ 110 $ 90 $ 1,130 The company, spurred by intense…arrow_forwardCompany B produces custom framing. For this job, the dimensions of the picture weresuch that the computer-controlled, mat-cutting device could not be used. Company Bwarned the customer that this was a particularly difficult job, and its normal price wouldbe increased to reflect its difficulty. Company B cut the mat by hand, but the cut was notas straight as it should have been. So the first mat was thrown and cut another one. Howis the cost of the spoiled mat handled?arrow_forward
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