Chapter 2Basic Cost Management Concepts and Accounting for Mass Customization OperationsCopyright 2011 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.McGraw-Hill/Irwin

Learning Objective12-*

Process of ManagementManagers need cost information to perform each of these functions.2-*

What Do We Mean By a Cost?A cost is the measure of resources given up to achieve a particular purpose.2-*

Learning Objective22-*

Product Costs, Period Costs and ExpensesProduct costs are costs associated with goods for sale until the time period during which the products are sold, at which time the costs become expenses.Period costs are costs that are expensed during the time period in which they are incurred.Expenses are the consumption of assets for the purpose of generating revenue.2-*

Learning Objective32-*

Cost Classifications on Financial Statements Income Statement

Product Costs

Cost of goods sold

Period Costs

Operating expenses2-*

Cost Classifications on Financial Statements Balance Sheet

Merchandiser Current AssetsCashReceivablesPrepaid ExpensesMerchandise Inventory

Manufacturer Current AssetsCashReceivablesPrepaid ExpensesInventoriesRaw MaterialsWork in ProcessFinished Goods2-*

Cost Classifications on Financial Statements Balance Sheet

Merchandiser Current AssetsCashReceivablesPrepaid ExpensesMerchandise Inventory

Manufacturer Current AssetsCashReceivablesPrepaid ExpensesInventoriesRaw MaterialsWork in ProcessFinished GoodsThose materials waiting to be processed.2-*

Cost Classifications on Financial Statements Balance Sheet

Merchandiser Current AssetsCashReceivablesPrepaid ExpensesMerchandise Inventory

Manufacturer Current AssetsCashReceivablesPrepaid ExpensesInventoriesRaw MaterialsWork in ProcessFinished GoodsPartially complete products material to which some labor and/or overhead has been added. 2-*

Cost Classifications on Financial Statements Balance Sheet

Merchandiser Current AssetsCashReceivablesPrepaid ExpensesMerchandise Inventory

Manufacturer Current AssetsCashReceivablesPrepaid ExpensesInventoriesRaw MaterialsWork in ProcessFinished GoodsCompleted products awaiting sale. 2-*

Learning Objective42-*

Types of Production Processes2-*

Learning Objective52-*

Manufacturing CostsDirect Material2-*

Direct Material Cost of raw material that is used to make, and can be conveniently traced, to the finished product.2-*

Direct Labor Cost of salaries, wages, and fringe benefits for personnel who work directly on manufactured products.Example:Wages paid to an automobile assembly worker.2-*

Manufacturing OverheadAll other manufacturing costsMaterials used to support the production process. Examples: lubricants and cleaning supplies used in an automobile assembly plant.Indirect LaborIndirect MaterialOther Costs2-*

Manufacturing OverheadAll other manufacturing costsCost of personnel who do not work directly on the product. Examples: maintenance workers, janitors and security guards.Indirect LaborIndirect MaterialOther Costs2-*

Manufacturing OverheadAll other manufacturing costsExamples: depreciation on plant and equipment, property taxes, insurance, utilities, overtime premium, and unavoidable idle time.Indirect LaborIndirect MaterialOther Costs2-*

Classifications of Costs in Manufacturing CompaniesManufacturing costs are often combined as follows:Prime CostConversion CostDirect MaterialDirect LaborManufacturing Overhead2-*

Manufacturing Cost FlowsManufacturing OverheadDirect MaterialDirect Labor Work in Process Inventory2-*

Manufacturing Cost FlowsManufacturing OverheadDirect MaterialDirect LaborFinished Goods Inventory Work in Process Inventory2-*

Manufacturing Cost FlowsManufacturing OverheadDirect MaterialDirect LaborFinished Goods InventoryCost of Goods Sold Work in Process Inventory2-*

Learning Objective62-*

Schedule of Cost of Goods Manufactured2-*

Schedule of Cost of Goods Manufactured2-*

Schedule of Cost of Goods ManufacturedInclude all direct labor costs incurred during the current period.2-*

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Schedule of Cost of Goods ManufacturedBeginning work-in-process inventory is carried over from the prior period.Ending work-in-process inventory contains the cost of unfinished goods, and is reported in the current assets section of the balance sheet.2-*

Income Statement for a Manufacturer2-*

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Learning Objective72-*

Activities that cause costs to be incurred are called COST DRIVERS:2-*

Learning Objective82-*

Cost Classifications Cost behavior means how a cost will react to changes in the level of business activity.Total variable costs change when activity changes.Total fixed costs remain unchanged when activity changes.2-*

Total Variable Cost Example Your total cable pay-per-view bill is based on how many movies you watch.Pay-Per-View Movies WatchedTotal Pay-Per-View Bill2-*

Variable Cost Per Unit Example The cost per movie watched is constant. For example, $4.00 per movie.Movies WatchedPer Movie Charge2-*

Total Fixed Cost Example Your monthly cable bill probably does not change when you watch movies on channels that you have elected to be paid on a monthly basis (HBO). Number of HBO Movies WatchedMonthly Charge for HBO Bill2-*

Fixed Cost Per Unit ExampleThe average cost per HBO movie decreases as more HBO movies are watched.Number of HBO Movies Watched Monthly HBO Bill per Movie Watched2-*

Cost Classifications2-*

Learning Objective92-*

Direct and Indirect CostsDirect costsCosts that can be easily and conveniently traced to a product or department.Example: cost of paint in the paint department of an automobile assembly plant.Indirect costsCosts that must be allocated in order to be assigned to a product or department. Example: cost of national advertising for an airline is indirect to a particular flight.2-*

Controllable andUncontrollable Costs A cost that can be significantly influenced by a manager is a controllable cost.2-*

Learning Objective102-*

Opportunity CostThe potential benefit that is given up when one alternative is selected over another.Example: If you were not attending college, you could be earning $20,000 per year. Your opportunity cost of attending college for one year is $20,000.2-*

Sunk CostsAll costs incurred in the past that cannot be changed by any decision made now or in the future are sunk costs. Sunk costs should not be considered in decisions. Example: You bought an automobile that cost $12,000 two years ago. The $12,000 cost is sunk because whether you drive it, park it, trade it, or sell it, you cannot change the $12,000 cost.2-*

Differential CostsCosts that differ between alternatives. Example: You can earn $1,500 per month in your hometown or $2,000 per month in a nearby city. Your commuting costs are $50 per month in your hometown and $300 per month to the city.What is your differential cost? $300 - $50 = $2502-*

Marginal Costs and Average CostsThe extra cost incurred to produce one additional unit.The total cost to produce a quantity divided by the quantity produced.Marginal and average costs are largely a function of cost behavior -- variable and fixed costs.2-*

Costs and Benefits of InformationMore information does not mean more benefits if information overload results.2-*

End of Chapter 22-*

Chapter 2: Basic Cost Management Concepts and Accounting for Mass Customization OperationsLearning Objective 1. Explain what is meant by the word cost. The process of management involves formulating strategy, planning, control, decision making and directing operational activities. Management accounting information helps managers perform each of these functionsmore effectively. (LO1)At the most basic level, a cost may be defined as the sacrifice made, usually measured by the resources given up, to achieve a particular purpose. (LO1)Learning Objective 2. Distinguish among product costs, period costs, and expenses.A product cost is a cost assigned to goods that were either purchased or manufactured for resale. Another term for product cost is inventoriable cost, since a product cost is stored as the cost of inventory until the goods are sold. In the period of the sale, the product costs are recognized as an expense called cost of goods sold. Period costs are all costs that are not product costs. They are expensed in the period they are incurred.An expense is the cost incurred when an asset is used up or sold for the purpose of generating revenue. (LO2)

Learning Objective 3. Describe the role of costs on published financial statements.Product costs appear on the income statement as cost of goods sold in the period in which the products were sold. This is true for merchandising and manufacturing companies.

Period costs appear on the income statement in the period in which they were incurred. Selling and administrative expenses are an example of period costs. (LO3)Since retailers, wholesalers, and manufacturers sell inventoriable products, their balance sheets are also affected by product costs. Merchandisers, such as Wal-Mart, list the product cost as merchandise inventories on the balance sheet in the current assets section. (LO3)Manufacturers have three types of inventory. Raw-material inventory includes all materials before they are placed into production. (LO3)

Work-in-process inventory refers to manufactured products that are only partially completed at the date when the balance sheet is prepared. (LO3)Finished-goods inventory refers to manufactured goods that are complete and ready for sale. The values of the work-in-process and finished-goods inventories are measured by their product costs. (LO3)

Learning Objective 4. List five types of manufacturing operations and describe mass customization.Production processes can be classified into five generic types. The nature of the manufacturing process can affect the manufacturing costs incurred. The management team is in a better position to control these costs if the relationship of the production process to the types of costs incurred is understood. (LO4)Learning Objective 5. Give examples of three types of manufacturing costs.Managerial accountants classify costs by the functional area of the organization to which costs relate. Some examples of functional areas are manufacturing, marketing, administration, and research and development. Manufacturing costs are further classified into the following three categories: direct material, direct labor, and manufacturing overhead. (LO5)

Raw material that is consumed in the manufacturing process, is physically incorporated in the finished product, and can be traced to products conveniently is called direct material. (LO5)

The cost of salaries, wages, and fringe benefits for personnel who work directly on the manufactured products is classified as direct-labor cost. (LO5)

All other costs of manufacturing are classified as manufacturing overhead, which includes three types of costs: indirect material, indirect labor, and other manufacturing costs. The cost of materials that are required for the production process but do not become an integral part of the finished product are classified as indirect material costs. Materials that do become an integral part of the finished product but are insignificant in cost are also often classified as indirect material. (LO5)The costs of personnel who do not work directly on the product, but whose services are necessary for the manufacturing process, are classified as indirect labor. (LO5)

All other manufacturing costs that are neither material nor labor costs are classified as manufacturing overhead. (LO5)

Direct material and direct labor are often referred to as prime costs. Direct labor and overhead are often called conversion costs, since they are the costs of converting raw material into finished products. (LO5)As direct material is consumed in production, its cost is added to work-in-process inventory. Similarly, the costs of direct labor and manufacturing overhead are accumulated in work in process. (LO5)When products are finished, their costs are transferred from work-in-process inventory to finished-goods inventory. The total cost of direct material, direct labor, and manufacturing overhead transferred from work-in-process inventory to finished-goods inventory is called the cost of goods manufactured. (LO5)The costs then are stored in finished goods until the time period when the products are sold. At that time, the product costs are transferred from finished goods to cost of goods sold, which is an expense ofthe period when the sale is made.Learning Objective 6. Prepare a schedule of cost goods manufactured, a schedule of cost of goods sold, and an income statement for a manufacturer. Manufacturers generally prepare a schedule of cost of goods manufactured and a schedule of cost of goods sold to summarize the flow of manufacturing costs during an accounting period. Lets take a look at the schedule of cost of goods manufactured for Comet Computer Corporation. (LO6)

Raw materials used in production is calculated by adding raw materials purchases for the period to the beginning raw materials inventory. This is the value of the raw materials that were available for use during the period. The raw materials at the end of the period is subtracted from raw materials available to arrive at the raw materials used in production during the period. (LO6)All direct labor costs incurred during the period is added to raw materials used. (LO6)Costs incurred during the period that fall into the category of manufacturing overhead are totaled and then added to raw materials used and direct labor to arrive at total manufacturing costs. (LO6)The value of the work-in-process inventory at the beginning of the period is added to the total manufacturing costs. (LO6)

The value of the ending work-in-process inventory is subtracted from the subtotal to arrive at cost of goods manufactured for the period. (LO6)Now lets look at the income statement for Comet. Remember, cost of goods sold is the expense measured by the cost of the finished goods sold during a period of time. (LO6)

The cost of goods sold amount can be obtained from the cost of goods sold schedule. This schedule starts with the finished goods inventory value at the beginning of the period. Cost of goods manufactured from the cost of goods manufactured schedule is added to arrive at cost of goods available for sale. The value of the finished goods inventory at the end of the period is deducted to determine the cost of goods sold amount for the period. (LO6)Learning Objective 7. Understand the importance of identifying an organizations cost drivers. The phrase different costs for different purposes is often used to convey the notion that different characteristics of costs can be important to understand in a variety of managerial situations. One of the most important cost classifications involves the way a cost changes in relation to changes in the activity of the organization. Activity refers to a measure of the organizations output of products or services. The activities that cause costs to be incurred are also called cost drivers. (LO7)

Learning Objective 8. Describe the behavior of variable and fixed costs, in total and on a per-unit basis.After identifying costs and cost drivers, management should examine the relationship of various costs to the activities performed. Such a relationship is referred to as cost behavior. (LO8)

Costs are classified into two types of cost behavior: variable and fixed costs. A variable cost changes in total in direct proportion to a change in the level of activity (or cost driver). A fixed cost remains unchanged in total as the level of activity (or cost driver) varies. (LO8)

For example, your Pay-per-view movie costs are classified as variable costs. If you watch zero movies, your pay-per-view movie cost will be zero. (LO8)But the cost per movie is constant, regardless of the number of movies watched. (LO8)Your monthly cable bill (in which you have elected to include HBO) is the same every month, regardless of the number of HBO movies that you watch. This is classified as a fixed cost. It does not change when activity changes. (LO8)The cost of your HBO cable bill can be divided by the number of HBO movies watched to arrive at the average cost per HBO movie. The more HBO movies that you watch, the average cost per HBO movie decreases. (LO8)In summary, the total variable cost changes as activity changes. But the cost per unit of variable costs stays the same, regardless of the level of activity. On the other hand, total fixed costs stay the same, regardless of the level of activity. The fixed cost per unit changes as the level of activity changes. (LO8)Learning Objective 9. Distinguish among direct, indirect, controllable, and uncontrollable costs.An entity, such as a particular product, service, or department, to which a cost is assigned is called a cost object. A cost that can be traced to a particular cost object is called a direct cost of that cost object. A cost that is not directly traceable to a particular cost object is called an indirect cost of that cost object. (LO9)

Whether a cost is a direct cost or an indirect cost of a department often depends on which department is under consideration. A cost can be a direct cost of one department or subunit in the organization but an indirect cost of other departments. While the salary of a General Electric Company plant manager is an indirect cost of the plants departments, the managers salary is a direct cost of the plant. An important objective of a cost management system is to trace as many costs as possible directly to the activities that cause them to be incurred. Sometimes called activity accounting, this process is vital to managements objective of eliminating non-value-added costs. These are costs of activities that can be eliminated without deterioration of product quality, performance, or perceived value. (LO9)

If a manager can control or heavily influence the level of a cost, then that cost is classified as a controllable cost of that manager. Costs that a manager cannot influence significantly are classified as uncontrollable costs of that manager. Many costs are not completely under the control of any individual. In classifying costs as controllable or uncontrollable, managerial accountants generally focus on a managers ability to influence costs. The question is not, Who controls the cost? but, Who is in the best position to influence the level of a cost item? (LO9)Learning Objective 10. Define and give examples of an opportunity cost, an out-of-pocket cost, a sunk cost, a differential cost, a marginal cost, and an average cost.

An opportunity cost is defined as the benefit that is sacrificed when the choice of one action precludes taking an alternative course of action. (LO10)Sunk costs are costs that have been incurred in the past. Consequently, they do not affect future costs and cannot be changed by any current or future action. (LO10)A differential cost is the amount by which the cost differs under two alternative actions. (LO10)A special case of the differential-cost concept is the marginal cost, which is the extra cost incurred when one additional unit is produced. Marginal costs typically differ across different ranges of production quantities because the efficiency of the production process changes. (LO10)Another important task of the managerial accountant is to weigh the benefits of providing information against the costs of generating, communicating, and using that information. When managers receive more data than they can utilize effectively, information overload occurs. In deciding how much and what type of information to provide, managerial accountants should consider these human limitations. (LO10)