Walmart (WMT) is robotic janitors in some of its stores. Walmart has purchased several Autonomous Cleaner (Auto-C) robots from Brain Corporation. An Auto-C robot looks like a Zamboni, the machine used to clean ice rinks. The robots scrub floors and clean store aisles, Sensors in the robots allow them to navigate around customers and other objects, so the robots can be used during store pperating hours. Management at Walmart has stated that the robots are to be used to free up employee time. Management reasons that if the robots do the repetitive taşks, employees will be better able to help hoppers and do other tasks. Management estimates that an employee at each store with the Auto- robot would have spent two hours per day doing the cleaning that the Auto-C will nerform

FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING
10th Edition
ISBN:9781259964947
Author:Libby
Publisher:Libby
Chapter1: Financial Statements And Business Decisions
Section: Chapter Questions
Problem 1Q
icon
Related questions
Question
Walmart (WMT) is robotic janitors in some of its stores. Walmart has purchased several Autonomous
Cleaner (Auto-C) robots from Brain Corporation. An Auto-C robot looks like a Zamboni, the machine
used to clean ice rinks. The robots scrub floors and clean store aisles, Sensors in the robots allow
them to navigate around customers and other objects, so the robots can be used during store
operating hours.
her
Management at Walmart has stated that the robots are to be used to free up employee time.
Management reasons that if the robots do the repetitive taşks, employees will be better able to help
shoppers and do other tasks. Management estimates that an employee at each store with the Auto-
C robot would have spent two hours per day doing the cleaning that the Auto-C will perform.
athe
Walmart is also using Auto-S robots in its stores, which scan shelves in the stores to help keep track
of inventory that is out of stock, mislabeled, or priced incorrectly. The Auto-S robots are three times
as fast as humans and twice as accurate.
In addition, Walmart is using conveyor belt robots that sort products from trucks as they are
unloaded. The conveyor belts cut the number of employees needed in the unloading process in half.
Approximately 50% of Walmart's workforce is part time, up from 20% in 2017 (Reuters.) Walmart
raised the minimum wage in its stores to $11 in 2018. Walmart employs more than 2 million people
worldwide.
Questions
1. Do you think that the costs of robots are mostly variable or fixed? Explain.
2. Would the cost of full-time hourly employees behave mainly as a variable cost or a fixed cost?
Does your answer change if you consider part-time hourly employees rather than full-time
httr
Transcribed Image Text:Walmart (WMT) is robotic janitors in some of its stores. Walmart has purchased several Autonomous Cleaner (Auto-C) robots from Brain Corporation. An Auto-C robot looks like a Zamboni, the machine used to clean ice rinks. The robots scrub floors and clean store aisles, Sensors in the robots allow them to navigate around customers and other objects, so the robots can be used during store operating hours. her Management at Walmart has stated that the robots are to be used to free up employee time. Management reasons that if the robots do the repetitive taşks, employees will be better able to help shoppers and do other tasks. Management estimates that an employee at each store with the Auto- C robot would have spent two hours per day doing the cleaning that the Auto-C will perform. athe Walmart is also using Auto-S robots in its stores, which scan shelves in the stores to help keep track of inventory that is out of stock, mislabeled, or priced incorrectly. The Auto-S robots are three times as fast as humans and twice as accurate. In addition, Walmart is using conveyor belt robots that sort products from trucks as they are unloaded. The conveyor belts cut the number of employees needed in the unloading process in half. Approximately 50% of Walmart's workforce is part time, up from 20% in 2017 (Reuters.) Walmart raised the minimum wage in its stores to $11 in 2018. Walmart employs more than 2 million people worldwide. Questions 1. Do you think that the costs of robots are mostly variable or fixed? Explain. 2. Would the cost of full-time hourly employees behave mainly as a variable cost or a fixed cost? Does your answer change if you consider part-time hourly employees rather than full-time httr
Expert Solution
trending now

Trending now

This is a popular solution!

steps

Step by step

Solved in 2 steps

Blurred answer
Knowledge Booster
System development life cycle (SDLC)
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
Recommended textbooks for you
FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING
FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING
Accounting
ISBN:
9781259964947
Author:
Libby
Publisher:
MCG
Accounting
Accounting
Accounting
ISBN:
9781337272094
Author:
WARREN, Carl S., Reeve, James M., Duchac, Jonathan E.
Publisher:
Cengage Learning,
Accounting Information Systems
Accounting Information Systems
Accounting
ISBN:
9781337619202
Author:
Hall, James A.
Publisher:
Cengage Learning,
Horngren's Cost Accounting: A Managerial Emphasis…
Horngren's Cost Accounting: A Managerial Emphasis…
Accounting
ISBN:
9780134475585
Author:
Srikant M. Datar, Madhav V. Rajan
Publisher:
PEARSON
Intermediate Accounting
Intermediate Accounting
Accounting
ISBN:
9781259722660
Author:
J. David Spiceland, Mark W. Nelson, Wayne M Thomas
Publisher:
McGraw-Hill Education
Financial and Managerial Accounting
Financial and Managerial Accounting
Accounting
ISBN:
9781259726705
Author:
John J Wild, Ken W. Shaw, Barbara Chiappetta Fundamental Accounting Principles
Publisher:
McGraw-Hill Education