Standard costing and variance analysis

1. CHAPTER 15 Standard costing and variance analysis

2. 15.1a • Definition • Standard costs are target costs for each operation that canbe built up to produce a product standard cost. • A budget relates to the cost for the total activity, whereasstandard relates to a cost per unit of activity.

3. 15.1b Operation of a standard costing system 1.Most suited to a series of common or repetitive organizations (this can result in the production of many different products).

4. 15.1c • Operation of a standard costing system (cont.) • Variances are traced to responsibility centres (notproducts). • Actual product costs are not required. • Comparisons after the event provide information for corrective action or highlight the need to revise thestandards.

5. 15.2 An overview of a standard costing system

6. 15.3a Establishing cost standards 1.Two approaches: (i) past historical records (ii) engineering studies 2.Engineering studies A detailed study of each operation is undertaken: • direct material standards (standard quantity × standard prices) • direct labour standards (standard quantity × standard prices) • overhead standards: • cannot be directly observed and studied and traced to units of output; • analysed into fixed and variable elements; • fixed tend not to be controllable in the short term.

7. 15.3b • Standard hours produced • Used to measure output where more than one product isproduced. • Example • Standard (target) times: X = 5 hours, Y = 2 hours, Z = 3 hours • Output = 100 units of X, 200 units of Y, 300 units of Z • Standard hours produced = (100 × 5 hours) + (200 ×2 hours) + • (300 ×3 hours) = 1 800 • If actual DLH are less than 1 800 the department will beefficient, whereas if hours exceed 1 800 the department willbe inefficient.Note: Different activity measures and other factors (besidesactivity)will influence cost behaviour.

8. 15.4 Purposes of standard costing • To provide a prediction offuture costs that can be used for decision-making. • To provide a challenging target that individuals aremotivated to achieve. • To assist in setting budgetsand evaluating performance. • To act as a control device by highlighting those activities that do not conform to plan. • To simplify the task of tracing costs to products forinventory valuation. Figure 2 Standard costs for inventory valuation and profit measurement

9. 15.5a Direct material variances 1. Can be analysed by price and quantity. 2. Material price variance • (SP – AP) × AQ (£10 – £11) x 19 000 = £19 000A (Material A) (£15 – £14) x 10 100 = £10 100F (Material B) • Possible causes • Should AQ be quantity purchased or quantity used? Example Price variance = 10 000 units purchased in period 1 at £1 over SP 2000 units per period used. Should £10 000 variance be reported in period 1 or £2 000 per period?

10. 15.5b 3.Material usage variance • (SQ –AQ) × SP (9 000 x 2 kg = 18 000 - 19 000) x £10 = £10 000A (Mat.A) (9 000 x 1 kg = 9 000 - 10 000) x £15 = £16 500A (Mat.B) • Possible causes • Speedy reporting required 4.Joint price/usage variance • It could be argued that SQ used to compute price variance and that (SP – AP) × (AQ – SQ) is reported as a joint price/usage variance. 5.Total material variance =SC – AC

11. 15.6a Direct labour and overhead variances 1. Can also be analysed into price and quantity. 2. Wage rate variance • (SR – AR) × AH (£9 – £9.60) x 28 500 = £17 100A • Possible causes 3.Labour efficiency variance • (SH –AH) × SR (9 000 x 3 hours = 27 000SHP - 28 500AH ) x £9 = 13 500A • Possible causes

12. 15.6b Direct labour and overhead variances (cont.) 4.Variable overhead expenditure variance • Flexed budget allowance (AH × SR) – Actual cost (28 500 x £2 = £57 000) – £5200 = £5 000F • Possible causes 5.Variable overhead efficiency variance • (SH – AH) × SR (9 000 x 3 hours = 27 000SHP – 28 500AH) x £2 = £3 000A • Possible causes (note similarity to labour efficiency) 6. Fixed overhead expenditure (spending) variance • BFO – AFO (£1 440 000/12 = £120 000) – £116 000 = £4000F

13. 15.7a Sales variances 1. Variances should be computed in terms of contribution profit margins rather than sales revenues. 2. Example Budgeted sales = 10 000 units ×£11 = £110 000 Standard and actual cost per unit = £7 Actual sales = 12 000 units ×£10 = £120 000 Variance in terms of sales value = £10 000F Variance in terms of contribution margin = £4 000A (Budgeted contribution margin = 10 000 × £4 = £40 000 Actual contribution margin = 12 000 × £3 = £36 000)

14. 15.7b 3.Objective is to maximize profits (not sales value). 4.Total sales margin variance Example Actual sales (9 000 × £90) = £810 000 StandardVC of sales (9 000 × £68) = £612 000 £198 000 Budgeted contribution margin: 10 000 × £20 £200 000 Variance = £2 000 A

15. 15.8 Sales variances (cont.) 5.Total sales contribution variance can be analysed further: Sales margin price =(AP –BP)× AQ or (AM –BM)× AQ Sales margin volume =(AQ – BQ) × SM Therefore, Sales margin price= (£90 –£88) × 9 000 =£18 000 F Sales margin volume = (9 000 – 10 000)× £20 = £20 000 A £2 000 A Reconciliation of budgeted and actual profit (see slide 9).

16. 15.9 Reconciliation of budgeted and actual profit £ £ £ Budgeted net profit 80 000 Sales variances: Sales margin price 18 000 F Sales margin volume 20 000 A 2 000 A Direct cost variances: Material: Price 8 900 A Usage 26 500 A 35 400 A Labour: Rate 17 100 A Efficiency 13 500 A 30 600 A Manufacturing overhead variances: Fixed overhead expenditure 4 000 F Variable overhead expenditure 5 000 F Variable overhead efficiency 3 000 A6 000 F 62 000 A Actual profit 18 000

17. 15.10a Standard absorption costing 1. For financial accounting (stock valuation) fixed overheads must beallocated to products. This results in a volume variance. 2.Fixed overhead rate = budgeted fixed overhead= £12 per unit budgeted activity (10 000 units) or £120 000 /30 000 hours = £4 per standard hour = £12 per unit (3 ×£4). 3. If actual production is different from budgeted production,avolume variance will arise: Actual production = 9 000 units or 27 000 SHP Budgeted production = 10 000 units or 30 000 SHP Volume variance = 1 000 units × £12 or (3 000 SHP ×£4) = £12 000A Volume variance = (AP – BP) × SR

18. 15.10b 4. Volume variances are not useful for cost control since FCare sunk costs. 5. Sometimes analysed into two sub-variances (capacity andefficiency): (A) Budgeted hours of input and output = 30 000 (B) Actual hours of input = 28 500 (C) Actual hours of output = 27 000 Volume variance = A – C = 3 000 hours (£12 000) Capacity variance = A – B = 1 500 hours (£6 000) Efficiency variance = B – C = 1 500 hours (£6 000)

19. 15.11a Reconciliation of budgeted and actual profit (absorption costing) To reconcile the budget and actual profit with an absorptioncosting system, the sales volume margin variance is measured at the standardprofit margin (and not the contribution margin),i.e.1 000 units × £8 = £8 000.

20. 15.11b

21. 15.12a Recording standards costs in the accounts 1. Purchase of materials (Material A) Dr Stores ledger control account (AQ × SP) 190 000 Dr Materials price variance 19 000 Cr Creditors control 209 000 2. Issue of materials (Material A) Dr Work in progress (SQ ×SP) 180 000 Dr Material usage variance 10 000 Cr Stores ledger control account (AQ × SP) 190 000

22. 15.12b 3.Recording of wages due Dr Wages control account (actual cost) 273 600 Cr Wages accrued account 273 600 The wages control account is cleared as follows: Dr Work in Progress (SQ ×SP) 243 000 Cr Wages control account 243 000 Dr Wage rate variance 17 100 Dr Labour efficiency variance 13 500 Cr Wages control account 30 600

23. 15.12c 4. Manufacturing overhead cost incurred Dr Factory variable overhead control account 52 000 Dr Factory fixed overhead control account 116 000 Cr Expense creditors 168 000 5. Absorption of fixed manufacturing overhead Dr Work in progress (SQ ×SP) 108 000 Dr Volume variance 12 000 Cr Factory fixed overhead control account 120 000 Dr Factory fixed overhead control account 4 000 Cr Fixed overhead expenditure variance 4 000

24. 15.12d 6.Variable manufacturing overhead Dr Work in progress (SQ ×SP) 54 000 Dr Variable overhead efficiency variance 3 000 Cr Factory variable overhead control account 57 000 Dr Factory variable overhead control account 5 000 Cr Variable overhead expenditure variance account 5 000 7. Completion of production Dr Finished stock account 720 000 Cr Work in progress 720 000 Note that the variances are transferred to the profit and lossaccount at the end of the period.