Basuras Waste Disposal Company has a long-term contract with several large cities to collect garbage and trash from residential customers. To facilitate the collection, Basuras places a large plastic container with each household. Because of wear and tear, growth, and other factors, Basuras places about 200,000 new containers each year (about 20% of the total households). Several years ago, Basuras decided to manufacture its own containers as a cost-saving measure. A strategically located plant involved in this type of manufacturing was acquired. To help ensure cost efficiency, a
During the first week in January, Basuras had the following actual results:
The purchasing agent located a new source of slightly higher-quality plastic, and this material was used during the first week in January. Also, a new manufacturing process was implemented on a trial basis. The new process required a slightly higher level of skilled labor. The higher- quality material has no effect on labor utilization. However, the new manufacturing process was expected to reduce materials usage by 0.25 pound per container.
Required:
- 1. CONCEPTUAL CONNECTION Compute the materials price and usage variances. Assume that the 0.25 pound per container reduction of materials occurred as expected and that the remaining effects are all attributable to the higher-quality material. Would you recommend that the purchasing agent continue to buy this quality, or should the usual quality be purchased? Assume that the quality of the end product is not affected significantly.
- 2. CONCEPTUAL CONNECTION Compute the labor rate and efficiency variances. Assuming that the labor variances are attributable to the new manufacturing process, should it be continued or discontinued? In answering, consider the new process’s materials reduction effect as well. Explain.
- 3. CONCEPTUAL CONNECTION Refer to Requirement 2. Suppose that the industrial engineer argued that the new process should not be evaluated after only one week. His reasoning was that it would take at least a week for the workers to become efficient with the new approach. Suppose that the production is the same the second week and that the actual labor hours were 9,000 and the labor cost was $99,000. Should the new process be adopted? Assume the variances are attributable to the new process. Assuming production of 6,000 units per week, what would be the projected annual savings? (Include the materials reduction effect.)
1.
Calculate the value of material price variance and material usage variance. Identify whether the plant manger could continue to purchase this quality product or purchase the usual quality.
Explanation of Solution
Variance:
The amount obtained when actual cost is deducted from budgeted cost is known as variance. Variance is calculated to find whether the cost is over applied or under applied.
Use the following formula to calculate material price variance:
Substitute $3.55 for actual price, 69,000 units for actual quantity and $3.50 for standard price in the above formula.
Therefore, the material price variance is $3,450 (U).
Use the following formula to calculate material usage variance with the help of columnar approach:
Substitute $3.50 for standard price, 69,000 units for actual quantity and 72,000 for standard quantity in the above formula.
Therefore, the material usage variance is $10,500 (F).
The new process helps in saving the cost of $5,250
Working Note:
1. Calculation of standard quantity:
2.
Calculate the value of labor rate variance and labor efficiency variance. Identify whether the labor variances are attributable to the new manufacturing process should be continued or discontinued.
Explanation of Solution
Use the following formula to calculate labor rate variance:
Substitute $118,800 for actual rate and actual hours, 10,800 hours for actual hours and $11 for standard rate in the above formula.
Therefore, the labor rate variance is $0.
Use the following formula to calculate labor efficiency variance:
Substitute $11.00 for standard rate, 10,800 hours for actual hours and 10,200 hours for standard hours in the above formula.
Therefore, the labor efficiency variance is $6,600 (U).
The new process helps in material usage in saving the cost of $5,250 and losses the cost in labor variance of $6,600, which giving a net loss of $1,350
Working Note:
1. Calculation of standard hours:
3.
Calculate the value of labor rate variance and labor efficiency variance. Identify whether the new process be adopted or not.
Explanation of Solution
Use the following formula to calculate labor rate variance:
Substitute $99,000 for actual rate and actual hours, 9,000 hours for actual hours and $11 for standard rate in the above formula.
Therefore, the labor rate variance is $0.
Use the following formula to calculate labor efficiency variance:
Substitute $11.00 for standard rate, 9,000 hours for actual hours and 10,200 hours for standard hours in the above formula.
Therefore, the labor efficiency variance is $13,200(F).
The new process helps in material usage in saving the cost of $959,400
Working Note:
1. Calculation of standard hours:
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Chapter 10 Solutions
Managerial Accounting
- Bienestar, Inc., has two plants that manufacture a line of wheelchairs. One is located in Kansas City, and the other in Tulsa. Each plant is set up as a profit center. During the past year, both plants sold their tilt wheelchair model for 1,620. Sales volume averages 20,000 units per year in each plant. Recently, the Kansas City plant reduced the price of the tilt model to 1,440. Discussion with the Kansas City manager revealed that the price reduction was possible because the plant had reduced its manufacturing and selling costs by reducing what was called non-value-added costs. The Kansas City manufacturing and selling costs for the tilt model were 1,260 per unit. The Kansas City manager offered to loan the Tulsa plant his cost accounting manager to help it achieve similar results. The Tulsa plant manager readily agreed, knowing that his plant must keep pacenot only with the Kansas City plant but also with competitors. A local competitor had also reduced its price on a similar model, and Tulsas marketing manager had indicated that the price must be matched or sales would drop dramatically. In fact, the marketing manager suggested that if the price were dropped to 1,404 by the end of the year, the plant could expand its share of the market by 20 percent. The plant manager agreed but insisted that the current profit per unit must be maintained. He also wants to know if the plant can at least match the 1,260 per-unit cost of the Kansas City plant and if the plant can achieve the cost reduction using the approach of the Kansas City plant. The plant controller and the Kansas City cost accounting manager have assembled the following data for the most recent year. The actual cost of inputs, their value-added (ideal) quantity levels, and the actual quantity levels are provided (for production of 20,000 units). Assume there is no difference between actual prices of activity units and standard prices. Required: 1. Calculate the target cost for expanding the Tulsa plants market share by 20 percent, assuming that the per-unit profitability is maintained as requested by the plant manager. 2. Calculate the non-value-added cost per unit. Assuming that non-value-added costs can be reduced to zero, can the Tulsa plant match the Kansas City per-unit cost? Can the target cost for expanding market share be achieved? What actions would you take if you were the plant manager? 3. Describe the role that benchmarking played in the effort of the Tulsa plant to protect and improve its competitive position.arrow_forwardHome Builder Supply, a retailer in the home improvement industry, currently operates seven retail outlets in Georgia and South Carolina. Management is contemplating building an eighth retail store across town from its most successful retail outlet. The company already owns the land for this store, which currently has an abandoned warehouse located on it. Last month, the marketing department spent $10,000 on market research to determine the extent of customer demand for the new store. Now Home Builder Supply must decide whether to build and open the new store. Which of the following should be included as part of the incremental earnings for the proposed new retail store?arrow_forwardHome Builder Supply, a retailer in the home improvement industry, currently operates seven retail outlets in Georgia and South Carolina. Management is contemplating building an eighth retail store across town from its most successful retail outlet. The company already owns the land for this store, which currently has an abandoned warehouse located on it. Last month, the marketing department spent $15,000 on market research to determine the extent of customer demand for the new store. Now Home Builder Supply must decide whether to build and open the new store. Which of the following should be included as part of the incremental earnings for the proposed new retail store? a. The original purchase price of the land where the store will be located. b. The cost of demolishing the abandoned warehouse and clearing the lot. c. The loss of sales in the existing retail outlet, if customers who previously drove across town to shop at the existing outlet become customers of the new store instead.…arrow_forward
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