Cost Accounting: A Managerial Emphasis, 6e
Chapter 2 – An Introduction to Cost Terms and Purposes
10) Things are not going well for the widget industry this year. The well-known cyclical nature of widget
sales is in a downturn and your plant has been ordered to cut costs by its American parent corporation.
The plant manager explains that he has shown the lead by negotiating a $1.50 hourly wage decrease with
the production workers, based on a formula that pegs a $1.50 per hour wage increase/decrease to sales
volume, and since sales are down this year, so are hourly wage costs. In the quarterly management
meeting, the sales manager complained that sales could have been higher, but that somehow costs had
increased, at least that’s what the reports out of your office in management accounting, indicated. The
Purchasing manager assured everyone that she was able to obtain raw materials at the same price as last
year, and unfortunately, you as the management accountant, were not in attendance at the meeting. Your
assistant, a new employee attended in your place, and promised at the meeting to redo the reports and
find the errors. Your assistant has come to you as he cannot find any errors in the reports. Consequently,
the plant manager wants you to redo the reports, find the error reports produced by your department for
the last quarter and to explain to your boss, the plant manager, why average costs have increased.
Required:
Assuming there are no errors in the cost reports, explain to the plant manager how direct labour costs
could be decreased and direct materials costs could be the same as last year, and yet the selling price
cannot be lowered without sacrificing net income for the plant.