Why are multiple department overhead rates more accurate for product costing than a single plantwide rate?

Gonzalez, Inc. manufactures stereo speakers in two factories; one in Vandalia, Illinois and another in Modesto, California. The Vandalia factory uses direct labor cost (DL$) for its overhead rate and the Modesto factory uses machine-hours (MHs) for its overhead rate. Information related to both plants for last year is presented below:

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Estimated total manufacturing overhead cost

$1,000,000

Estimated total amount of allocation base

(a) ______________

Predetermined overhead rate
$10 per DL$

Actual amount of allocation base (b) _____________

Actual manufacturing overhead $1,092,500

Applied manufacturing overhead $1,010,000

Under or (over)applied overhead (c) ______________

Modesto Factory
$1,600,000
200,000 MHs
(d) ______________
190,000 MHs
$1,472,500
(e) _______________
(f) _______________

A
1,000,000 / 10 = $100,000

B
1,010,000 /10 = $101,000

C
1,092,500 - 1,010,000 = $82,500 under-apply

D
1,600,000 / 200,000 = $8 per MH

E
190,000 x 8 = $1,520,000

F
1,472,500 -1,520,000 = $ 47,500

Step 1: under-applied

304,600 - 292,000 = $12,600

Step 2: Before Cost of good sold adjustment

1,054,000 / 20,000 x 7000 = $368,900

Step 3: Cost of good sold appear on the Income statement

368,900 + 12,600 = $381,500

Lupkes Inc., which uses job-order costing, has provided the following data for October:

Inventories
Beginning
Work in Process = 20,000
Finished Goods = 45,000

Ending
Work in process = 16,000
Finished Good = 39,000

Cost:
Direct materials
$21,000

Direct labor cost
$44,000

Manufacturing overhead cost applied
$55,000

Determine the unadjusted cost of goods sold (in other words, cost of goods sold before adjusting for any under-applied or over-applied overhead) for October

Step 1: Good manufactured

Direct Materials

21,000

Direct Labor Cost

44,000

Manufacturing Overhead Cost applied

55,000 +
_________________________
$120,000

Step 2:
20,000 + 120,000 = 140,000

step 3: Finish good invintory
140,000 - 16,000 = 124,000 cost manufacture

Step 4:
45,000 +124,000 = 169,000

Step 5:
169,000 - 39,000 = 130,000

What are overhead costs?

Overhead expenses are the costs incurred by a business in the course of its day-to-day operations. They are found in the selling, general and administrative (SG&A) section of the income statement, the three items combined make up the operating expenses of a business.

Rent, utilities, postage, supplies and computer equipment are all part of overhead.

“Overhead” costs are directly related to the day-to-day operation of the business. Examples include rent, insurance, utilities and office supplies.

Why departmental overhead rates might be used instead of a single plantwide overhead rate?

Using departmental overhead rates will better reflect the costs of manufacturing Product A and Product B compared to using a single, plant-wide overhead rate.

Departmental overhead rates offer the flexibility to use a different activity or cost driver for each department. Often, some departments will rely heavily on manual labor while others require more machinery. Direct labor hours can be important to certain departments but machine hours might work better for others.

What is one advantage of using a departmental rate for allocating overhead?

Easier to Manage
This allows for quicker decision-making with regards to keeping costs in line. It also makes it easier to identify trends leading to higher costs when compared to a method involving company-wide overhead rates. This flexibility can allow departments to allocate costs more accurately.

What is the typical level of overhead for a business?

Generally speaking, SG&A should be between 15% and 25% of revenues.

However, some companies may have AGCs ranging from 20% to 30% of sales. “It depends on the industry or type of business you’re in,” he adds.

On a percentage basis, labor-intensive businesses, such as restaurants and hotels, may have higher SG&A than businesses in capital-intensive industries, such as manufacturing, which produces goods.

For example, a restaurant may have a 50% cost of goods sold or cost of sales, leaving a 50% gross profit. In this case, the restaurant’s SG&A may be 30%, leaving an operating profit of 20%.

In manufacturing, cost of goods sold can be 65% to 70% of revenue, leaving 30% to 35% for AGI and operating income.

If your CPV is 70%, you have 30% left. If you have 30% left, your AGI must not exceed 20%. That leaves 10% for operating income before taxes.

Why multiple overhead rates should be used in this company rather than a single rate?

If your product mix is more complex and customized, you may use multiple overhead rates to allocate costs more accurately. If one department is machine-intensive and another is labor-intensive, for example, multiple rates may be appropriate.

When should you use a plantwide overhead rate?

Plantwide Overhead Rate Method The plantwide overhead rate method is practical when (1) overhead costs are closely related to production volume, or (2) a company produces only one product.

Which of the following is a disadvantage to using a single plantwide factory overhead rate?

Which of the following is a disadvantage to using a single plantwide factory overhead rate? The rate assumes that factory overhead costs are consumed in the same way by all products.

What are the advantages of using a single plantwide overhead rate?

Advantages: More accurate overhead cost allocation. More effective overhead cost control. Focus on relevant factors.

Why do you consider departmentalization of overheads necessary?

The departmentalization overhead costs is important because bit allows for better planning and control if the head of each department is held accountable for costs and productivity of his department.

What will the use of departmental overhead rates generally result in?

The use of departmental overhead rates will generally result in: The use of a separate cost allocation base for each department in the shop.

What are the advantages of departmentalization of factory overhead?

What are the advantages of departmentalizing manufacturing overhead costs? The departmentalizing of manufacturing overhead costs allows for better planning and control if the head of each department is held responsible for the costs and productivity of his or her department.

What is the rationale for the use of departmental rates rather than blanket rates?

What are the benefits of using a departmental overhead rate? Using a departmental overhead rate is beneficial because it ensures that all jobs and Units of Production are charged with their fair share of overheads. This is suitable when jobs and units do not spend a similar amount of time in each department.

Why may departmental overhead rates not correctly assign overhead costs?

Departmental overhead rates will not correctly assign overhead costs in situations where a company has a range of products and complex overhead costs. This is because the departmental approach relies exclusively on volume-related allocation bases.

What is single plantwide rate?

The plantwide overhead rate is a single overhead rate that a company uses to allocate all of its manufacturing overhead costs to products or cost objects. It is most commonly used in smaller entities with simple cost structures.

Which of the following is a disadvantage of the department overhead rate method?

Which of the following is a disadvantage of the departmental overhead rate method? It may fail to accurately assign many overhead costs that are not driven by production volumn.

Which of the following is considered the most accurate method in allocating overhead costs to products?

An​ activity-based costing system is considered more complex than using a single plantwide rate to allocate​ overhead, but an ABC system is also considered a more accurate way to allocate overhead costs.

How do cost flows using activity-based costing differ from cost flows using one plantwide rate?

Chapter 3 Item #5 How do cost flows using activity-based costing differ from cost flows using one plantwide rate? Activity-Based Costing differs to plantwide because ABC uses more than cost pool, allowing the cost to allocated to each products based on activities needed to complete the product.

What are the advantages of departmentalization?

The main advantages of departmentalization can be highlighted as follows:

  • Specialization And Work Division. …
  • Improved Productivity. …
  • Fixed Authority And Responsibility. …
  • Measurement Of Performance. …
  • Resource Utilization. …
  • Better Administrative Control.

What is departmentalization overhead?

Departmentalization of overheads refers to the process of determining the overhead costs of each department involved in production.

What is known as departmentalization of overhead?

Departmentalization of overhead is known as primary distribution. Primary distribution involves apportionment or allocation of overhead to all departments in a factory on logical and rational basis. This process of apportionment is also known as departmentalisation of overhead.

What will the use of departmental overhead rates generally result in?

The use of departmental overhead rates will generally result in: The use of a separate cost allocation base for each department in the shop.

Which allocation method is best?

The best method for allocating overhead in construction is a way that’s fair. After all, the idea is to allocate (or, distribute) costs that each job shares responsibility for — meaning the job either caused or benefited from the cost. But, the costs should also be proportional to that responsibility.

Why are departmental overhead rates sometimes not accurate in assigning overhead costs to products?

Departmental overhead rates may not correctly assign overhead costs due to: a. the use of direct labor hours in allocating overhead costs to products rather than machine time or quantity of materials used.

Which is the most scientific practical and accurate method of recovery of overhead?

Answer: Machine Hour Rate: Machinery hour rate means the expenses incurred while running a machine for one hour. No doubt, it is quite logical and- scientific method for absorption of factory overheads used in production.

Which overhead absorption rate is generally used where we use more machines in the production process?

Machine hour rate method is suitable when machines are extensively used in production. Merits: (1) It is a scientific method of absorption, since time factor is taken into account.

What are the two methods of accounting for factory overhead?

Methods of Predetermined Factory Overhead Rates

  • Direct Labor Cost Method.
  • Direct Labor Hour Method.
  • Machine Hour Method.
  • Activity-Based Costing (ABC) Method.

Why are multiple departmental overhead rates more accurate for product costing than a single plantwide overhead rate?

Traditional Costing uses a single plant wide overhead rate while activity based costing uses a multiple departmental overhead rates. Multiple departmental overhead rates provide a more accurate product cost because it allocates its cost fist to the different activities that are undertaken in producing the product.

Why multiple overhead rates should be used in this company rather than a single rate?

If your product mix is more complex and customized, you may use multiple overhead rates to allocate costs more accurately. If one department is machine-intensive and another is labor-intensive, for example, multiple rates may be appropriate.

Why departmental overhead rates might be used instead of a single plantwide overhead rate?

Using departmental overhead rates will better reflect the costs of manufacturing Product A and Product B compared to using a single, plant-wide overhead rate.

Why is departmental overhead rate better?

Departmental overhead rates offer the flexibility to use a different activity or cost driver for each department. Often, some departments will rely heavily on manual labor while others require more machinery. Direct labor hours can be important to certain departments but machine hours might work better for others.