Loose-Leaf for Fundamentals of Cost Accounting
5th Edition
ISBN: 9781259728914
Author: William N. Lanen Professor, Shannon Anderson Associate Professor, Michael W Maher
Publisher: McGraw-Hill Education
expand_more
expand_more
format_list_bulleted
Concept explainers
Videos
Textbook Question
Chapter 6, Problem 15CADQ
Rex Santos, a cost accountant, prepares a product profitability report for Jane Gates, the production manager. Much to Rex’s surprise, almost one-third of the company’s products are not profitable. He says, “Jane, it looks like we will have to drop one-third of our products to improve overall company profits. It’s a good thing we decided to look at profitability by product.” Do you think Jane will agree with this approach? Why?
Expert Solution & Answer
Want to see the full answer?
Check out a sample textbook solution
Students have asked these similar questions
Zane Brady, manager of XLT Manufacturing Ltd, which is a large firm that sells a unique product declares: “It is not worth the effort to conduct customer profitability analysis.” As the management accountant, argue whether you agree or disagree with Zane Brady. Provide as much detail/examples as possible.
Frank Corporation evaluates its managers based on return on investment (ROI). Hazel B and Sarah D, managers of the electronics and housewares departments respectively, have recently suffered from declining profits in their departments. Over lunch, they discuss the problem, and how they could improve performance. Most of the discussion centers around ways to increase sales. Near the end of the lunch period, however, Sarah remarks that there are two components to consider, and that they have considered only one. She wonders whether there is some way to reduce investment, and by decreasing the denominator of the ROI fraction, to improve the final result.
Back at work, Hazel continues to mull over Sarah's remarks. She decides to pursue the matter further, and before the end of the quarter she has sold quite a bit of older equipment and replaced it with equipment obtained with a short-term lease. Her performance, measured by ROI, is markedly improved, although sales continue to be…
In a strategy meeting, a manufacturing company’s president said, “If we raise the price of our product, the company’s break-even point will be lower.” Thefinancial vice president responded by saying, “Then we should raise our price. The company will be less likely to incur a loss.” Do you agree with the president? Why? Do you agree with the financial vice president? Why?
Chapter 6 Solutions
Loose-Leaf for Fundamentals of Cost Accounting
Ch. 6 - How are product costing and cost allocation...Ch. 6 - What are the three criteria for the design of cost...Ch. 6 - Why are cost flow diagrams useful in describing...Ch. 6 - What are the characteristics of the following...Ch. 6 - How are job order, process, and operation costing...Ch. 6 - Describe the predetermined overhead rate. What is...Ch. 6 - Ideally, what does an allocation base reflect...Ch. 6 - What is two-stage cost allocation?Ch. 6 - What is continuous flow processing? Give at least...Ch. 6 - What is each component of the basic cost flow...
Ch. 6 - Cost allocation is arbitrary, so there is nothing...Ch. 6 - When designing a cost system, what points should...Ch. 6 - When is the basic cost flow model used? Give an...Ch. 6 - It is your first day at a new job and you talk...Ch. 6 - Rex Santos, a cost accountant, prepares a product...Ch. 6 - Prob. 16CADQCh. 6 - Identify a particular support function in a...Ch. 6 - Prob. 18CADQCh. 6 - Cost allocation bases are ideally based on a...Ch. 6 - Prob. 20CADQCh. 6 - Why might two companies in the same industry have...Ch. 6 - Is it possible for a company to have a two-stage...Ch. 6 - Your colleague says, If a company only has one...Ch. 6 - Basic Cost Flow Model Ralphs Mini-Mart store in...Ch. 6 - Basic Cost Flow Model Assume that the following...Ch. 6 - Basic Cost Flow Model Fill in the missing items...Ch. 6 - Prob. 27ECh. 6 - Prob. 28ECh. 6 - Basic Product Costing Enviro Corporation...Ch. 6 - Basic Product Costing Saras Sodas produces a...Ch. 6 - Basic Product Costing In June, Saras Sodas...Ch. 6 - Basic Product Costing In December, Saras Sodas...Ch. 6 - Basic Product Costing Big City Bank processes the...Ch. 6 - Basic Product Costing Lukes Lubricants starts...Ch. 6 - Basic Product Costing: Ethical Issues Old Tyme...Ch. 6 - Process Costing Sanchez Company produces paints....Ch. 6 - Process Costing Graham Petroleum produces oil. On...Ch. 6 - Process Costing Joplin Corporation produces syrups...Ch. 6 - Tiger Furnishings produces two models of cabinets...Ch. 6 - Refer to the data in Exercise 6-39. Compute the...Ch. 6 - Refer to the data in Exercise 6-39. Compute the...Ch. 6 - Refer to the data in Exercise 6-39. Draw the cost...Ch. 6 - Operations Costing Howrley-David, Inc.,...Ch. 6 - Operations Costing S. Lee Enterprises produces two...Ch. 6 - Operations Costing Organic Grounds produces two...Ch. 6 - Refer to the data in Exercise 6-39. Compute the...Ch. 6 - Refer to the data in Exercise 6-39. Compute the...Ch. 6 - Refer to the data in Exercise 6-39. The president...Ch. 6 - Donovan Parents produces soccer shorts and...Ch. 6 - Owl-Eye Radiologists (OR) does various types of...Ch. 6 - Operations Costing Vermont Instruments...Ch. 6 - Operation Costing DiDonato Supplies manufactures...Ch. 6 - Account Analysis, Two-Stage Allocation, and...Ch. 6 - Product Costing, Cost Estimation, and Decision...
Knowledge Booster
Learn more about
Need a deep-dive on the concept behind this application? Look no further. Learn more about this topic, accounting and related others by exploring similar questions and additional content below.Similar questions
- The manager of Sunshine bakery is disappointed with the reported net income for the period. The bakery recorded a loss for the period. The manager does not understand how demand can be so high for baked goods but profits low. Suggest reasons why the bakery high demand may not lead to profit. Recommend the type of analysis that should be done to pinpoint the problem.arrow_forwardThe chief executive officer (CEO) of Cobalt Inc. just read an article written by a business professor at Harvard University describing the benefits of the lean philosophy. The CEO issued the following statement after reading the article: This company will become a lean manufacturing company. Presently, we have too much inventory. To become lean, we need to eliminate the excess inventory. Therefore, I want all employees to begin reducing inventories until we make products “just in time. ” Thank you for your cooperation. How would you respond to the CEO’s statement?arrow_forwardIn a strategy meeting, the computer manufacturing company's president said, "If we raised the price of our product, the company's break-even point will be lower." The financial vice president responded by saying, "The company will also be less likely to incur a loss." As a management accountant would you agree or disagree with these statements and why?arrow_forward
- Consider the following conversation between Gary Means, manager of a division that produces industrial machinery, and his controller, Donna Simpson, a certified management accountant and certified public accountant: Gary: Donna, we have a real problem. Our operating cash is too low, and we are in desperate need of a loan. As you know, our financial position is marginal, and we need to show as much income as possibleand our assets need bolstering as well. Donna: I understand the problem, but I dont see what can be done at this point. This is the last week of the fiscal year, and it looks like well report income just slightly above breakeven. Gary: I know all this. What we need is some creative accounting. I have an idea that might help us, and I wanted to see if you would go along with it. We have 200 partially finished machines in process, about 20% complete. That compares with the 1,000 units that we completed and sold during the year. When you computed the per-unit cost, you used 1,040 equivalent units, giving us a manufacturing cost of 1,500 per unit. That per-unit cost gives us cost of goods sold equal to 1.5 million and ending work in process worth 60,000. The presence of the work in process gives us a chance to improve our financial position. If we report the units in work in process as 80% complete, this will increase our equivalent units to 1,160. This, in turn, will decrease our unit cost to about 1,345 and cost of goods sold to 1.345 million. The value of our work in process will increase to 215,200. With those financial stats, the loan would be a cinch. Donna: Gary, I dont know. What youre suggesting is risky. It wouldnt take much auditing skill to catch this one. Gary: You dont have to worry about that. The auditors wont be here for at least 6 to 8 more weeks. By that time, we can have those partially completed units completed and sold. I can bury the labor cost by having some of our more loyal workers work overtime for some bonuses. The overtime will never be reported. And, as you know, bonuses come out of the corporate budget and are assigned to overheadnext years overhead. Donna, this will work. If we look good and get the loan to boot, corporate headquarters will treat us well. If we dont do this, we could lose our jobs. Required: 1. Should Donna agree to Garys proposal? Why or why not? To assist in deciding, review the corporate code of ethics standards described in Chapter 1. Do any apply? 2. Assume that Donna refuses to cooperate and that Gary accepts this decision and drops the matter. Does Donna have any obligation to report the divisional managers behavior to a superior? Explain. 3. Assume that Donna refuses to cooperate; however, Gary insists that the changes be made. Now what should she do? What would you do? 4. Suppose that Donna is 63 and that the prospects for employment elsewhere are bleak. Assume again that Gary insists that the changes be made. Donna also knows that his supervisor, the owner of the company, is his father-in-law. Under these circumstances, would your recommendations for Donna differ?arrow_forwardConsider the following conversation between Leonard Bryner, president and manager of a firm engaged in job manufacturing, and Chuck Davis, certified management accountant, the firms controller. Leonard: Chuck, as you know, our firm has been losing market share over the past 3 years. We have been losing more and more bids, and I dont understand why. At first, I thought that other firms were undercutting simply to gain business, but after examining some of the public financial reports, I believe that they are making a reasonable rate of return. I am beginning to believe that our costs and costing methods are at fault. Chuck: I cant agree with that. We have good control over our costs. Like most firms in our industry, we use a normal job-costing system. I really dont see any significant waste in the plant. Leonard: After talking with some other managers at a recent industrial convention, Im not so sure that waste by itself is the issue. They talked about activity-based management, activity-based costing, and continuous improvement. They mentioned the use of something called activity drivers to assign overhead. They claimed that these new procedures can help to produce more efficiency in manufacturing, better control of overhead, and more accurate product costing. A big deal was made of eliminating activities that added no value. Maybe our bids are too high because these other firms have found ways to decrease their overhead costs and to increase the accuracy of their product costing. Chuck: I doubt it. For one thing, I dont see how we can increase product-costing accuracy. So many of our costs are indirect costs. Furthermore, everyone uses some measure of production activity to assign overhead costs. I imagine that what they are calling activity drivers is just some new buzzword for measures of production volume. Fads in costing come and go. I wouldnt worry about it. Ill bet that our problems with decreasing sales are temporary. You might recall that we experienced a similar problem about 12 years agoit was 2 years before it straightened out. Required: 1. Do you agree or disagree with Chuck Davis and the advice that he gave Leonard Bryner? Explain. 2. Was there anything wrong or unethical in the behavior that Chuck Davis displayed? Explain your reasoning. 3. Do you think that Chuck was well informedthat he was aware of the accounting implications of ABC and that he knew what was meant by cost drivers? Should he have been well informed? Review (in Chapter 1) the first category of the Statement of Ethical Professional Practice for management accountants. Do any of these standards apply in Chucks case?arrow_forwardYou work for Alphabet Holdings Plc as a junior management accountant. The board of directors are considering ways to improve the suboptimal performance of an investment in a manufacturing company called DEF products Ltd. As you can see from the table below the directors are considering closing products Bozon and Carbon in an effort to improve overall profitability. You spot that marginal costing would show the results differently and may affect the directors’ decision. Requirements for Question 2 Use your knowledge of management accounting and marginal costing to calculate the contribution of each product Use your findings from part (a) and appropriate academic references to explain whether the company should stop making product Bozon Use your findings from part (a) and appropriate academic references to explain whether the company should stop making product Carbon Discuss how and why marginal costing calculates contribution to pay overheads and why this is…arrow_forward
- ABC Corporation has recently completed a project to reduce total production costs by 5%. Net income has risen as a result, but the stock price has suffered from recent public disclosures about faulty products. The vice president for manufacturing and the controller are concerned that their successful cost-cutting efforts have resulted in lower market valuation. They are beginning to understand that product quality has a cost component and they have asked you, a CMA, to explain the concept of “cost of quality'" to them. A. Define, categorize, and give examples of the "cost of quality." B. What is value chain analysis and how could this impact the company's evaluation of costs? C. What other business process improvement tools may benefit the company?arrow_forwardThe problem statement here is that in recent months, the cost accounting reports have been somewhat disturbing to management. It seems that some of the finished products are costing more than they should, even to the point of approaching their retail value. It has been noted by the accounting manager that this problem began when the company started buying ore from different parts of the world, some of which require difficult extraction methods. Explain how the company might change its accounting system to reflect the reporting problems better.arrow_forwardYou are the new cost accountant for ABX Corporation. After careful review of the company’s operations you have been tasked to determine the company’s break-even point in units and dollars, the numbers sold to meet the company’s target profit and contribution income statement for both outcomes.Management has also asked that you discuss the risk, uncertainty, changing variables and margin of safety regarding Cost Volume Profit Analysis. Based on your discussion and calculations what would be your recommendation if the company wanted to increase variable cost by 20% and sales price by 5%? Support your recommendation. ABX Corporation sold it's product for $600/unit. Fixed cost are $725,000 per year. Variable costs are $455 per unit. ABX Corporation desires a target profit of $1,250,000 per year.arrow_forward
- You are the new cost accountant for ABX Corporation. After careful review of the company's operation you have been tasked to determine the company's break-even point in units and dollars, the numbers sold to meet the company's target profit and contribution income statement for both outcomes. Management has also asked that you discuss the risk, uncertainty, changing variables and margin of safety regarding Cost Volume Profit Analysis. Based on your discussion and calculations what would be your recommendation if the company wanted to increase variable cost by 20% and sales price by 5%? Support your recommendation. Company's Data: ABX Corporation sold it's production for %600/unit. Fixed cost are $725,000 per year. Variable costs are $455 per unit. ABX Corporation desires a target profit of $1,250,000 per year.arrow_forwardEllie Ice-cream’s owner is disturbed by the poor profit performance of his ice cream counter. He has prepared the following profit analyses for the year just ended: The owner is thinking the elimination of this counter. If it is eliminated then: Depreciation of counter equipment is avoidable The supervisory salaries is avoidable The insurance expense is unavoidable The depreciation of building unavoidable The general overhead is unavoidable Required:a) Should the company eliminate the counter or not? Fill in the table and justify your answer. b) Mention at least three relevant costs.arrow_forwardInternal production supervisors of a company’s product line would be MOST likely to ask which of the following questions? Select answer from the options below 1.How much profit can the company expect to earn this year? 2.What can the company afford to pay its employees this year? 3.Which product line is the least profitable and should be eliminated? 4.How much should the company charge for its products to maximize its profit?arrow_forward
arrow_back_ios
SEE MORE QUESTIONS
arrow_forward_ios
Recommended textbooks for you
Principles of Cost AccountingAccountingISBN:9781305087408Author:Edward J. Vanderbeck, Maria R. MitchellPublisher:Cengage Learning
Managerial Accounting: The Cornerstone of Busines...AccountingISBN:9781337115773Author:Maryanne M. Mowen, Don R. Hansen, Dan L. HeitgerPublisher:Cengage Learning
Principles of Cost Accounting
Accounting
ISBN:9781305087408
Author:Edward J. Vanderbeck, Maria R. Mitchell
Publisher:Cengage Learning
Managerial Accounting: The Cornerstone of Busines...
Accounting
ISBN:9781337115773
Author:Maryanne M. Mowen, Don R. Hansen, Dan L. Heitger
Publisher:Cengage Learning
Cost-Volume-Profit (CVP) Analysis and Break-Even Analysis Step-by-Step, by Mike Werner; Author: Accounting Step by Step;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0MOfse9OWk;License: Standard Youtube License