Concept explainers
Variance interpretation
Vanadium Audio Inc. is a small manufacturer of electronic musical Instruments. The plant manager received the following variable factory
Actual units produced: 15,000 (90% of practical capacity)
The plant manager is not pleased with the $12,320 unfavorable variable factory overhead controllable variance and has come to discuss the matter with the controller. The following discussion occurred;
Plant Manager: I just received this factory report for the latest month of operator. I'm not very pleased with these figures. Before these numbers go to headquarters, you and I will need to reach an understanding.
Controller Go ahead, what's the problem?
Plant Manager: What's the problem? Well, everything. Look at the variance. It’s too large. If I understand the accounting approach being used here, you are assuming that my costs are variable to the units produced. Thus, as the production volume declines, so should these costs. Well I don't believe that these costs are variable at all. I think they are fixed costs. As a result when we operate below capacity, the costs really don't go down at all. I'm being penalized for costs I have no control over at all I need this report to be redone to reflect this fact, if anything, the difference between actual and budget is essentially a volume variance. Listen. I know that you're a tear-payer. You really need to reconsider your assumptions on this one.
If you were in the controller’s position, how would you respond to the plant manager?
Want to see the full answer?
Check out a sample textbook solutionChapter 22 Solutions
Financial & Managerial Accounting
- H1.arrow_forwardThe director of cost management for Odessa Company uses a statistical control chart to help management determine when to investigate variances. The critical value is 1 standard deviation. The company incurred the following direct-labor efficiency variances during the first six months of the current year. January February March April May June $ 300 F 850 U 750 U 950 U 1,100 U 1,480 U The standard direct-labor cost during each of these months was $24,000. The controller has estimated that the firm's monthly direct- labor variances have a standard deviation of $1,000. Required: 2-a. Determine the cutoff value for investigation if the controller's rule of thumb is to investigate all variances equal to or greater than 6 percent of standard cost. 2-b. Based on the cutoff value, which month will have its direct-labor efficiency variance investigated? Complete this question by entering your answers in the tabs below. Req 2A Reg 2B Determine the cutoff value for investigation if the…arrow_forwardBrandt Gardner, the owner-manager of a small firm that manufactures feed processing equipment and round-hay bailers, is unhappy with the latest report on financial performance in the Kansas City, Missouri, plant. The company had recently installed a standard cost system in the Kansas City plant with the objective of controlling manufacturing costs. The performance report for the year ended revealed that the variances for materials, labor, and variable overhead were all within the desired ranges, but the fixed overhead spending and volume variances were both significantly unfavorable. Brandt wanted an explanation of the fixed overhead variances and a recommendation. Which do you think is more important for control of fixed overhead costs: the spending variance or the volume variance? Explain.arrow_forward
- Dharmesharrow_forwardPlease do not give solution in image formate thanku. The following five unrelated situations affect one or more standard cost variances for materials, labor (assembly), and overhead: 1. At the beginning of the month, a supplier of a component used in our product notified us that, because of a minor design improvement, the price will be increased by 15 percent above the current standard price of $100 per unit. As a result of the improved design, we expect the number of defective components to decrease by 80 units per month. On average, 1,200 units of the component are purchased each month. Defective units are identified prior to use and are not returnable. 2. In an effort to meet a deadline on a rush order in Department A, the plant manager reassigned several higher-skilled workers from Department B, for a total of 300 labor hours. The average salary of the Department B workers was $2.05 more than the standard $7.25 per hour rate of the Department A workers. Since they were not…arrow_forwardCritiquing a Variance Report; Preparing a Performance Report Several years ago, Westmont Corporation developed a comprehensive budgeting system for planning and control purposes. While departmental supervisors have been happy with the system, the factory manager has expressed considerable dissatisfaction with the information being generated by the system. A report for the company’s Assembly department for the month of march follows: After receiving a copy of this cost report, the supervisor of the assembly department started, “These reports are super. It makes me feel really good to see how well things are going in my department. I can’t understand why those people upstairs complain so much about the reports.” For the last several years, the company’s marketing department has chronically failed to meet the sales goals expressed in the company’s monthly budgets. Required: 1. The company’s president is uneasy about the cost reports and would like you to evaluate their usefulness to the…arrow_forward
- Anders Painting Service specializes in painting tall office buildings. During a recent month, the company worked on three painting projects (the Arrow Building, the Besler Building and the Cartrwright Building). The company is interested in controlling the materials costs, namely the paint, used for these painting contracts. In order to provide management with useful cost control information, the company uses standard costs and prepares monthly variance reports. Analysis reveals that the purchasing agent mistakenly purchased poor-quality paint for the Arrow Building project. The Besler Building project, however, received higher-than-standard-quality paint that was on sale. The Cartwright Building project received standard-quality paint. However, the price had increased and a new employee was used to paint the building. Shown below are quantity and cost data for each project. Actual Project Arrow Building Besler Building Cartwright Building 4,500 Total variance Quantity 3,750 gallons…arrow_forwardGigil Company has asked you to reconstruct their record after a fire. You were given the following variances: Favorable Spending variance, P400,000; Unfavorable varaible effieciency variance, P200,000; Favorable Volume variance P40,000. Total fixed overhead is P200,000 at normal capacity. The company's standard variable overhead is P40 per direct labor hour. In the given period, the company incurred a total overhead cost of P2,400,000. Compute for the standard factory overhead rate.arrow_forwardKmuarrow_forward
- Vaiarrow_forwardLily Painting Service specializes in painting tall office buildings. During a recent month, the company worked on three painting projects (the Arrow Building, the Besler Building and the Cartrwright Building). The company is interested in controlling the materials costs, namely the paint, used for these painting contracts. In order to provide management with useful cost control information, the company uses standard costs and prepares monthly variance reports. Analysis reveals that the purchasing agent mistakenly purchased poor-quality paint for the Arrow Building project. The Besler Building project, however, received higher-than-standard-quality paint that was on sale. The Cartwright Building project received standard-quality paint. However, the price had increased and a new employee was used to paint the building. Shown below are quantity and cost data for each project. Project Arrow Building Besler Building Total variance (a) Cartwright Building 4,540 Project Arrow Building Besler…arrow_forwardLily Painting Service specializes in painting tall office buildings. During a recent month, the company worked on three painting projects (the Arrow Building, the Besler Building and the Cartrwright Building). The company is interested in controlling the materials costs, namely the paint, used for these painting contracts. In order to provide management with useful cost control information, the company uses standard costs and prepares monthly variance reports. Analysis reveals that the purchasing agent mistakenly purchased poor-quality paint for the Arrow Building project. The Besler Building project, however, received higher-than-standard-quality paint that was on sale. The Cartwright Building project received standard-quality paint. However, the price had increased and a new employee was used to paint the building. Shown below are quantity and cost data for each project. Project Arrow Building Costs 3,720 gallons $275,280 3,500 gallons $273,000 bring $290,320 4,000 $363,200 4,220…arrow_forward
- Managerial AccountingAccountingISBN:9781337912020Author:Carl Warren, Ph.d. Cma William B. TaylerPublisher:South-Western College PubFinancial And Managerial AccountingAccountingISBN:9781337902663Author:WARREN, Carl S.Publisher:Cengage Learning,Managerial Accounting: The Cornerstone of Busines...AccountingISBN:9781337115773Author:Maryanne M. Mowen, Don R. Hansen, Dan L. HeitgerPublisher:Cengage Learning
- Cornerstones of Cost Management (Cornerstones Ser...AccountingISBN:9781305970663Author:Don R. Hansen, Maryanne M. MowenPublisher:Cengage LearningPrinciples of Accounting Volume 2AccountingISBN:9781947172609Author:OpenStaxPublisher:OpenStax College