ACCM4100 Management Accounting Solution
QUESTION 1. [35 marks]
Fox Books is a bookstore that has a café as well as selling books and stationery. It currently allocates
Administration, Selling and Other Operating Expenses using the Cost of Goods Sold of each product
department. Fox Books wants to maximise the accurate pricing and cost management of each
department. Management is questioning whether the accounting system is providing the best
information for making cost decisions.
Fox Books – Department Information for 30 June 2024
Café Books Stationery
Revenues $1,472,432 $7,440,960 $4,630,720
Cost of Goods Sold $1,113.370 $5,313,454 $3,444,622
Café Cleaning Expense $36,500 – –
Number of Orders Placed 4,000 5,600 5,000
Number of Deliveries Received 3,200 2,800 3,400
Hours of Loading Inventory 20,000 30,000 28,000
Items Sold 736,216 372,048 347,304
The following Administration, Selling & Other Expenses are incurred:
Purchasing Department Expenses $949,000
Receiving Department Expenses $864,800
Inventory Loading Expenses $975,000
Customer Support Expenses $273,552
$3,062,352
Required:
a) Prepare an income statement for each department using Cost of Goods Sold to allocate
Administration, Selling & Other Expenses. [9 marks]
b) Identify and explain a better method for allocating Administration, Selling & Other Expenses
across the 3 departments. Use your proposed method of allocation to prepare alternative income
statements for each department and compare them with the results in a). [18 marks]
c) Write a brief report to the management of Fox Books to summarise your recommendations for
improvements to the accounting system, and how this information would be useful for
management decisions.
QUESTION 2. [25 marks]
Nice & Natural manufactures muesli bars for health food stores. The management accountant, Lionel, is
unhappy with the standard costing system used by the business. The standard and actual amounts for
Direct Materials and Direct Manufacturing Labour for May were as follows:
Standard Actual
Muesli Bars Manufactured 12,000 13,464
Direct Material Costs $60,000 $60,588
Direct Materials – Rice Flakes in Kilograms 360 410
Direct Materials – Carob in Kilograms 24 28
Direct Manufacturing Labour Costs $54,000 $55,386
Direct Manufacturing Labour Hours 3,000 3,060
The standard costs are based on an independent survey conducted by an external consultant. Lionel
had noticed that since the survey, unfavourable variances have been extremely rare. He has also
observed that workers seem to have a lot of time to enjoy work breaks at the café nearby. He is
concerned that the production manager is aware of the spare time, however, he is unwilling to reduce
the standard requirements because his performance looks better at the current standards.
Required:
a) Calculate the price and efficiency variances for Direct Materials – Rice Flakes and Carob, and
Direct Manufacturing Labour in May. [9 marks]
b) Discuss the types of actions that employees may have taken to reduce the accuracy of the
standards set by the external consultant. Why would employees take those actions? [6 marks]
c) What actions should be taken by Lionel to correct the standards currently being used? [5 marks]
d) If Lionel can obtain industry benchmarks for the estimated costs, discuss the advantages and
disadvantages of using industry information to calculate the variances in a).
QUESTION 3. [20 marks]
Darylyn Chocolate company produces Rockyroady chocolate squares which are sold in brightly
decorated canisters. Cool Canisters’ sales manager has approached Darylyn with an offer to supply
canisters at $1.50 each. Currently, Darylyn assigns the following costs to production of canisters:
Direct Material $610,000
Direct Labour 11,000 Hours @ $ per Hour $495,000
Variable Overhead $20 per Direct Labour Hour $220,000
Fixed Overhead $50 per Direct Labour Hour $550,000
Total Cost $1,875.000
Number of Canisters 750,000
A conventional make-or-buy analysis suggests that Cool Canister’s offer should be accepted, as the
cost per canister would be more than $1.50. If Darylyn decides to buy the canisters, then $1,475,000 of
total costs would be avoided, as $400,000 Fixed Overhead relates to Building Depreciation.
The management accountant has requested that further detailed analysis should be conducted before a
decision is made. The management accountant has also provided activity drivers that relate to both
Variable and Fixed Overheads in the production of canisters as follows:
Product Specs 10 $600 per Spec
Supervisory Hours 2,000 $40 per Hour
Material Handling Hours 6,000 $8 per Hour
Purchase Orders 55 $250 per Order
Inspections 30 $300 per Inspection
Setups 15 $400 per Setup
Machine Hours 70,000 $2.50 per Hour
Required:
a) Explain how the $1,475,000 of cost savings was calculated using conventional make-or-buy
analysis. [4 marks]
b) Determine the costs that will be saved by purchasing the canisters using the activity drivers.
[6 marks]
c) Finalise the make-or-buy decision using the activity data. Should Darylyn buy the canisters?
[4 marks]
d) If the conventional and activity-based analyses produced different conclusions, explain why.
[6 marks]