Data Master is a computer software consulting company. Its three major functional areas
are computer programming, information systems consulting, and software training.
Cynthia Moore, a pricing analyst in the Accounting Department, has been asked to develop
total costs for the functional areas. These costs will be used as a guide in pricing a new
contract. In computing these costs, Moore is considering three different methods of
allocating overhead costs–the direct method, the step method, and the reciprocal method.
Moore assembled the following data on overhead from its two service departments, the
Information Systems Department and the Facilities Department.