Pilgrims Manufacturing, Inc.: Activity-Based Costing Versus Volume-Based Costing

Pilgrims Manufacturing, Inc. manufactures cooling and heating coils for several different industries. It has two plants, Jewett City Plant (JCP) is an older, labor intensive machine shop where skilled workers use tools to perform most of the work. Greenwich Plant (GP) is highly automated and uses computer numerically controlled (CNC) machines with a small number of highly paid workers. JCP manufactures a high tolerance coil (Pa) and finishes a second one (Pb). GP mass produces two standard coils, Pc and Pd, and performs basic operations on Pb before transferring it to JCP for finishing. Production takes place in batches. Each batch is made of one product.
The products are sold directly to manufacturers by a technical sales force. Product Pa is a customized product manufactured to order, and requires a lot of specifications and negotiation with customers. Product Pb is a modification of the standardized products Pc and Pd. It is finished to meet each customer’s specifications, and as a result has more exacting technical specifications than Pc and Pd, and is hence finished in JCP. Products Pc and Pd are standardized products produced for stock and sold off-the-shelf and do not require much sales effort in writing up orders.
Each plant has six production and service departments, receiving, cutting & assembly, heat treatment, testing, packing & shipping, and repairs & maintenance (Charts 2 and 3). Exhibit 1 includes descriptions of activities in each of these departments. In addition, there are three departments -- marketing, design & engineering support, and administration -- at the corporate level (Chart 4).
The present accounting system is a traditional financial reporting driven system. Manufacturing costs are classified as material, labor, and overhead. Overhead is charged to products based on labor hours with the two plants treated as one cost center. Marketing, design & engineering support, and administration are considered period costs and not charged to products.
The President of the Company held a meeting with senior executives including VP-Finance, VP-Manufacturing, and VP-Marketing (Chart 1) to discuss the 2006 budget (Schedules 1, 2, and 3). She was unhappy with the fact that Pa´s budgeted price of $45 is below its standard cost of $48.29. However, she was not sure if the costing system, which treats both plants as one cost center, accurately determines the costs of the different products. She pointed out that GP is a machine intensive plant while JCP is more labor intensive. Furthermore, the products are produced in different numbers of batches (Schedule 6), and affect batch-related costs (e.g. testing and heat treatment) differently. She told VP-Finance that she has heard of an alternative costing method that uses multiple cost centers/pools and different cost bases to charge indirect costs to products. She also questioned the treatment of technical support costs and marketing expenses as period costs. VP-Finance promised to investigate the President’s points and report back to the group.

Required: The VP-Finance appointed you as a team to investigate the President’s concerns. He suggested that you develop and compare several volume-based costing and activity-based costing (ABC) systems to identify and recommend the system that you deem to give the most accurate product costs.
For the traditional volume-based systems use the Overhead Allocation Menu shown at the bottom of the case to perform the following tasks:
1. Use machine hours, instead of direct labor hours, to allocate manufacturing overhead to the four products and restate the Products Budget (Schedule 1).
2. Repeat requirement 1, assuming that each plant is a separate cost center, and direct labor hours are used to allocate manufacturing overhead in both plants. Schedule 4 reports the labor hours per unit for each product.
3. Repeat requirement 2, assuming that labor hours are used to allocate manufacturing overhead in JCP and machine hours in GP. Schedule 5 reports the machine hours per unit for each product in the two plants.
4. Use an activity-based costing system to calculate new costs and profitability of each of the four products (Schedule 1) under the system.
To design the ABC systems you have visited the two plants where you interviewed plant managers, department supervisors and accountants. You also analyzed expense accounts and operations data. Based on the interviews and analyses, your team prepared descriptions of activities within each of the departments in each plant (Exhibit 1). You also decided to create plant-sustaining cost pool to which you allocated factory costs that you decided couldn’t accurately be allocated to the other departments. Finally, you prepared an analysis and description of the costs in each cost pool (Exhibit 2). And allocated the costs of the eight cost pools as shown in Schedule 9 to the different departments and to the plant-sustaining cost pool. To complete the design of the ABC system you have to make decisions on the following:
   a. Which cost driver to use for allocating the costs of each activity to each of the products? Schedules 4-5 present labor hours and machine hours per unit for each product. Schedule 6 lists the number of batches for each product. Schedule 1 lists the number of units for each product.
   b. Should you charge the design & engineering support and marketing expenses to products or treat them as firmwide costs? Schedules 7-8 present sales personnel time distribution, and design & engineering support time distribution. If you decide to treat design & engineering and marketing as product costs, use the Overhead Allocation Menu to select the cost drivers and charge the cost to the products.
5. Write a report to the President that includes your analysis in Requirements 1-4, and state which of the four you recommend and why.
6. (Optional). Create a worksheet and use the information provided in schedules 1-12 to allocate the overhead costs to the activities (Schedule 12 lists the costs, activities and rates). Select cost drivers to allocate the activities to the products and use that to prepare Schedule 1 Product Budget.


Schedule 1

2004 Products Budget

 

Pa

Pb

Pc

Pd

Total

Units

70000

100000

500000

1000000

 

Pricea

$45

$30

$4

$5

 

Standard Costs (Schedule 3)

$48.29

$19.11

$2.45

$2.45

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Revenue

$3,150,000

$3,000,000

$2,000,000

$5,000,000

$13,150,000

Manufacturing costs:

 

 

 

 

 

Direct materials

$84,000

$120,000

$600,000

$1,200,000

$2,004,000

Direct labor

$840,000

$458,750

$243,750

$487,500

$2,030,000

Manufacturing overhead

$2,470,000

$1,323,214

$382,262

$764,524

$4,940,000

Total manufacturing costs

$3,394,000

$1,901,964

$1,226,012

$2,452,024

$8,974,000

Gross Margin

($244,000)

$1,098,036

$773,988

$2,547,976

$4,176,000

Less common costs:

 

 

 

 

 

Design & engineering costs

 

 

 

 

$500,000

Marketing & sales expenses

 

 

 

 

$960,000

G&A

 

 

 

 

$650,000

Total Costs

 

 

 

 

$2,110,000

Net profit

 

 

 

 

$2,066,000

a Average estimated prices.

 

 

Schedule 2

2004 Financial Budget

 

JCP

GP

Total

Sales

 

 

$13,150,000

Products costs:

 

 

 

Direct materials

$104,000

$1,900,000

$2,004,000

Direct labor

1,280,000

750,000

2,030,000

Manufacturing overhead:

 

 

 

Power & heat

160,000

270,000

430,000

Repair & maintenance

150,000

300,000

450,000

Factory expenses

75,000

125,000

200,000

Factory support

400,000

350,000

750,000

Inspection costs

110,000

150,000

260,000

Chemicals & fuel

450,000

1,200,000

1,650,000

Depreciation-equipment

200,000

600,000

800,000

Depreciation-buildings

150,000

250,000

400,000

Total manufacturing overhead

1,695,000

3,245,000

4,940,000

Total manufacturing costs

$3,079,000

$5,895,000

$8,974,000

Gross margin

 

 

$4,176,000

Operating expenses:

 

 

 

Design & engineering costs

 

 

500,000

Marketing & sales expenses

 

 

960,000

G & A

 

 

650,000

Total operating expenses

 

 

2,110,000

Net profit

 

 

$2,066,000

a  Direct labor hours: JCP 32,000 hours @ $40 average hourly rate; GP 10,000 hours @ $75 average hourly rate.

 

 

Schedule 3

Unit Standard Cost

 

Pa

Pb

Pc

Pc

Direct materialsb

$1.200

$1.200

$1.200

$1.200

Direct labor b

12.000

4.5875

0.488

0.488

Overhead a

35.285

13.232

0.765

0.765

Total

48.486

19.019

2.453

2.453

a Overhead rate = $4,940,000¸42,000 hours = $117.62 per direct labor hour.

b Average estimated costs.

 

 

Schedule 4
Labor Hours Per Unit of Product

Plant

Pa

Pb

Pc

Pd

JCP

0.3 hours

0.11 hours

 

 

GP

 

.0025 hours

.0065 hours

.0065 hours

 

 

Schedule 5

Machine Hours per Unit of Product

Plant

Pa

Pb

Pc

Pd

JCP

0.06

0.022

 

 

GP

 

0.05

0.1

0.075

 

 

Schedule 6

Number of Batches

Plant/Product

Pa

Pb

Pc

Pd

JCP

10

5

 

 

GP

 

2

2

4

 

 

Schedule 7

Marketing & Sales Time Distribution *

Pa

Pb

Pc

Pd

35%

20%

15%

15%

*15% is not spent on any one product.

 

 

Schedule 8

Design & Engineering Time Distribution

Pa

Pb

Pc

Pd

Basic R&D

35%

20%

10%

10%

25%

 

 

Schedule 9

Allocation of Costs to Departments and Activities

Jewett City (JCP):

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Expenses

 

Receiving

Cutting & Assembly

Heat Treat.

Testing

Pack. & ship.

Plant Sustaining

Power

160000

10000

60000

20000

35000

15000

20000

Repairs

150000

15000

55000

18000

40000

10000

12000

Factory Expenses

75000

0

0

0

0

0

75000

Factory Support

400000

0

0

0

0

0

400000

Inspection

110000

0

0

0

0

0

110000

Chemicals & fuel

450000

0

0

450000

0

0

0

Deprec-Equip

200000

20000

50000

60000

50000

10000

10000

Deprec-Bldg

150000

0

0

0

0

0

150000

Total Overhead

1695000

45000

165000

548000

125000

35000

777000

Labor Hours

32000

2000

18000

3000

3000

6000

 

Machine Hours

6400

 

5600

 

800

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Greenwich (GP):

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Expenses

 

Receiving

Cutting, Machining

 & Assembly

Heat treat.

Testing

Pack. & ship.

Plant Sustaining

Power

270000

25000

120000

15000

70000

20000

20000

Repairs

300000

30000

160000

20000

50000

20000

20000

Factory Expenses

125000

0

0

0

0

0

125000

Factory Support

350000

0

0

0

0

0

350000

Inspection

150000

0

0

0

0

0

150000

Chemicals & fuel

1200000

0

0

1200000

0

0

0

Deprec-Equip

600000

35000

250000

80000

200000

25000

10000

Deprec-Bldg

250000

0

0

0

0

0

250000

Total Overhead

3245000

90000

530000

1315000

320000

65000

925000

Labor Hours

10000

3000

3000

1000

1000

2000

 

Machine Hours

130000

 

90000

 

20000

20000

 

 

 

Schedule 10

Labor and Machine Hours Per Department

Jewett City:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Receiving

Cutting & Assembly

Heat Treat

Testing

Packing & Shipping

Labor Hours

2000

18000

3000

3000

6000

Machine Hours

 

5600

 

800

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Greenwich:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Receiving

Cutting & Assembly

Heat Treat

Testing

Packing & Shipping

Labor Hours

3000

3000

1000

1000

2000

Machine Hours

 

90000

 

20000

20000

 

 

Schedule 11

Departmental Labor & Machine Hours per Product

Jewett City:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Receiving

Cutting & Assembly

Heat Treat.

Testing

Pack. & shipping

Total

 

Labor hours

 

2000

18000

3000

3000

6000

32000

 

Pa

 

1312.5

11812.5

1968.75

1968.75

3937.5

21000

 

Pb

 

687.5

6187.5

1031.25

1031.25

2062.5

11000

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Machin hours

 

0

5600

 

800

0

6400

 

Pa

 

0

3675

 

525

0

4200

 

Pb

 

 

1925

 

275

 

2200

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Greenwich:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Receiving

Cutting & Assembly

Heat Treat.

Testing

Pack. & shipping

Total

 

Labor hours

 

3000

3000

1000

1000

2000

10000

 

Pb

 

75

75

25

25

50

250

 

Pc

 

975

975

325

325

650

3250

 

Pd

 

1950

1950

650

650

1300

6500

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Machine hours

 

 

90000

 

20000

20000

130000

 

Pb

 

 

3462

 

769

769

5000

 

Pc

 

 

34615

 

7692

7692

50000

 

Pd

 

 

51923

 

11538

11538

75000

 

 

 

Schedule 12

Allocation Rates of Overhead costs to Departments/Activities

Jewett City:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Expenses

 

Receiving

Cutting & Assembly

Heat Treat.

Testing

Pack. & ship.

Plant Sustaining

Power

160000

0.06

0.38

0.13

0.22

0.09

0.13

Repairs

150000

0.1

0.4

0.1

0.3

0.1

0.1

Factory Expenses

75000

0

0

0

0

0

1

Factory Support

400000

0

0

0

0

0

1

Inspection

110000

0

0

0

0

0

1

Chemicals & fuel

450000

0

0

1

0

0

0

Deprec-Equip

200000

0.1

0.25

0.3

0.25

0.05

0.05

Deprec-Bldg

150000

0

0

0

0

0

1

Total Overhead

1695000

 

 

 

 

 

 

Labor Hours

32000

2000

18000

3000

3000

6000

 

Machine Hours

6400

 

5600

 

800

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Greenwich:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Expenses

 

Receiving

Cutting, Machining

& Assembly

Heat treat.

Testing

Pack. & ship.

Plant Sustaining.

Power

270000

0.09

0.44

0.06

0.26

0.07

0.07

Repairs

300000

0.1

0.5

0.1

0.2

0.1

0.1

Factory Expenses

125000

0

0

0

0

0

1

Factory Support

350000

0

0

0

0

0

1

Inspection

150000

0

0

0

0

0

1

Chemicals & fuel

1200000

0

0

1

0

0

0

Deprec-Equip

600000

0.06

0.42

0.13

0.33

0.04

0.02

Deprec-Bldg

250000

0

0

0

0

0

1

Total Overhead

3245000

 

 

 

 

 

 

Labor Hours

10000

3000

3000

1000

1000

2000

 

Machine Hours

130000

 

90000

 

20000

20000

 

 

 

Exhibit 1

Description of Departments

Receiving where materials and supplies are ordered, received and forwarded to the plant floor.

Cutting & Assembly (JCP) where skilled workers cut the sheet metal, inspect it for quality and precision, and assemble product Pa. Product Pb is finished in this process.

Cutting, Machining & Molding (GP) where computer numerically controlled (CNC) machines are used to cut, mold and finish products Pc & Pd. Product Pb is sent unfinished to JCP.

Heat Treatment where products are immersed in chemicals at high temperature for hardening.

Testing where 100% of the products are tested for quality and performance.

Packing & Shipping where goods are packed and shipped to customers.

Repairs & Maintenance maintains machines, equipments and buildings.

 

 

Exhibit 2

Description of Costs

Direct materials consist of sheet metals and welding material. The quantity for each of the four products is specified.

Direct labor includes wages and benefits. Workers are assigned to processes. Machine set-up time costs are also included.

Power & heat includes the cost of power consumed by the machines as well as for heating and lighting.

Repair & maintenance include costs associated with repairing and maintenance of machines and equipment.

Factory expenses include property taxes, building up keep and sanitary costs.

Factory support includes salaries & wages and benefits of non-direct labor such as plant managers, supervisors, etc.

Inspection costs includes salaries and benefits of quality-inspectors who roam throughout each plant inspecting parts and machines.

Chemicals & fuel includes the costs of chemicals, fuel and labor costs

Depreciation-equipment depreciation costs of machines, tools and other equipment.

Depreciation-buildings depreciation expenses for the two plants. The JCP also house the administrative offices.

Design & engineering costs include salaries & benefits of engineers, and other costs of the Design & Engineering department. The department works on product, and factory machines development

Marketing & sales expenses include salaries & benefits of sales staff, and promotions and other marketing costs.

General and administrative costs include top management, accounting, personnel, and legal counsel.

 

 

Exhibit 3

Potential Overhead Allocation Bases

Budgeted units of output

Budgeted direct labor hours

Budgeted machine hours

Number of batches

 

 

Chart 1

Pilgrims Manufacturing, Inc. Organization Chart

 

 

 

Chart 2

JCP Layout

 

 

Chart 3

Greenwich Plant

 

 

 

Chart 4

Services and Products

 

 


 

 

 

 

 


Overhead Allocation Menu

Traditional costing

Cost center is:

Allocation base of firm or Jewett City Plant:

Allocation base of Greenwich Plant:


Activity-based costing

Non-manufacturing costs:

design engr cost

mkt expense

Allocation bases of the Jewett City Plant cost pools:

receiving

cut &Assem

heat treat

testing

pack &ship

plant sustain

Allocation bases of Greenwich Plant cost pools:

receiving

cut &Assem

heat treat

testing

pack &ship

plant sustain