Auerbach Enterprise Essay

Process order cost systems are based on multiple work in process accounts and determine total manufacturing costs at the end of a time period. Multiple outsourced

Process order cost systems are based on multiple work in process accounts and determine total manufacturing costs at the end of a time period. Multiple outsourced

Wilkerson employs a Normal Cost System, which means that they use predetermined overhead rates along with actual costs for direct material and direct labor. Normal costing systems are appropriate when overhead costs are a relatively small percentage of total manufacturing costs and product diversity is limited. For Wilkerson, normal costing does not make sense. Overhead costs make up over 50 percent of total manufacturing costs and their product offering is relatively more diverse. This indicates that the current accounting system in place may be distorting costs significantly. Supporting data:

The wages of general production employees who are idled due to machine breakdown are classified as indirect costs. Direct costs are usually variable and change as production volumes change. Thus, direct materials and direct labor are typically variable costs. For special orders, some direct costs can be fixed, however. The costs (depreciation, electricity, and routine maintenance) associated with a machine dedicated to one product are direct costs of that product. Indirect costs cannot be easily and conveniently assigned to a special order. Rather, these costs are common costs, in that they are incurred to produce a variety of special orders. Maintenance costs of general purpose equipment, the supervisor’s salary, and utilities are direct costs needed to produce special orders in general, but are indirect costs for a particular special order. Moreover, general production costs, including property taxes, insurance, lawn care, cafeteria costs, and miscellaneous supplies consumed in production are indirect costs properly allocated to special orders manufactured.

Under a traditional system, overhead cost is allocated to an activity based on hours or rates for direct labor or machine usage. However, this approach does not clearly indicate how much overhead cost will be needed in order to complete a job through a particular function. ABC methodology is to be used as an alternative to traditional accounting where a business 's overhead costs (indirect costs such as electrical energy consumption for heating or cooling, or indirect cost associated with marketing) are allocated as a proportion of direct costs, to an activity. This approach is unsatisfactory because there can be cases where two activities could absorb the same direct costs

shipments x 500$ 70 nr. shipments x 500$ 220 nr. shipments x 500$ number of units per batch total overhead cost overhead cost / unit cost per unit

The above cost system was efficient during the 1980s because it split up overhead over three cost pools, adding an additional pool, which has machine hours as its cost driver. This proved efficient because “[w]ith increased usage of automated machines, direct labor run time no longer reflected the amount of processing being performed on parts, particularly when one operator was responsible for several machines.” Packet, pg. 7.

Businesses – from manufacturing, merchandising and service industries alike – take careful considerations for their costing systems. Setting-up competitive prices in the market can be a result of proper costing methods. Misallocation of costs may lead to incorrect price estimates, continuous production of unprofitable products, and ineffective processing schedules. In this case study, we will discuss the costing methods Zauner Ornaments are currently using and upon conclusion, it will enable us to distinguish the advantages and disadvantages of each costing method.

Process costing is an easier system to use when costing homogenous products compared to other cost allocation methods. Each process applies direct materials, labor and manufacturing overhead to the production cost total. Management accountants take the total number of goods leaving the process and divide the total process cost by this number. This creates a simple average cost for each item produced. Another advantage is that business owners use process costing because it creates a flexible production process. Companies needing to refine their process can simply add or remove a process as necessary. This also allows companies to lower their production cost for each good. Adding a process allows companies to produce slightly different goods or improve product quality. This flexibility ensures companies can produce at the most competitive cost in the economic marketplace. Also process costing provides an approach to allocate costs to

INTRODUCTION Businesses – from manufacturing, merchandising and service industries alike – take careful consideration in the analysis of their costing systems in order to be able to set up competitive prices in the market. Misallocation of costs may lead to incorrect price estimates, continuous production of unprofitable products, and ineffective processing schedules. In this case study, we will discuss the costing methods which Zauner Ornaments have used or is currently using and, in conclusion, be able to distinguish the advantages and disadvantages of each costing method. CASE CONTEXT The case seeks to assist Zauner’s comptroller, Yu Chia-yi, in determining the best costing method for their overhead costs. In addition we also aim to

If the Thomlin Company uses a predetermined overhead rate based on machine hours for applying overhead, as of this point in time (year to date) the overhead is over/under applied by?

To compute the predetermined overhead rate, Cristin divided her estimate of the total manufacturing overhead for the coming year. She took her computations to the division’s general manager for approval but was quite surprised when he suggested a modification in the base. Her conversation with the general manager of the Appliance Division, Lance Jusic, went like this:

The current method of apportioning production overheads based on direct labour hours can be described as a traditional approach to product costing. In a manufacturing company’s financial statements, each item produced must be allocated some of the production overheads to make the statements compliant. Sometimes the individual costs of these items can be calculated incorrectly based on overall production overhead and the system of allocating in place, however the overall financial statement can still be accurate. This traditional method of allocating the production

The engineer of company is concerned about the recovery of overheads. The company has implemented traditional system of overheads recovery based on direct labor hour and is recovering overheads at $3,000 per labor hour. The direct labor cost is only about 5% of total cost of production. The design engineer seems to be correct in his opinion that a slight variation in direct labor hour is going to affect the cost of product in great sense. If there is mistake in estimation of direct labor by half an hour it will increase the cost by $1,500. The direct labor hour is used as driver for recovery of overhead. One hour increase will lead to increase in cost of product by $3,000. The design engineer has observed that in past years there are less direct labor hours and the overhead rate keeps going up and up. This may be due to increase in overheads. The engineer is also concerned about the estimates that swing the bids of company due to recovery of overheads on the basis of direct labor hours and it is disadvantageous to the business to the business of company. The inefficiency of labor or idle time can lead to the wrong estimation of cost of product.

Process costing is consisting of three ingredients which are direct materials, direct labor and manufacturing overhead. Direct material is the raw material which needs to produce a product, for example rubber for shoes, plastics for straws and etc. direct labor is a person who work and complete the product before it is completely produce. And manufacturing over head is about the indirect materials, indirect labor, and some indirect related to the factory.