Question

"Blast it!" said David Wilson, president of Teledex Company. "We've just lost the bid on the Koopers job by $3,000. It seems we're either too high to get the job or too low to make any money on half the jobs we bid." Teledex Company manufactures products to customers' specifications and uses a job-order costing system. The company uses a plantwide predetermined overhead rate based on direct labor cost to apply its manufacturing overhead (assumed to be all fixed) to jobs. The following estimates were made at the beginning of the year: Department Fabricating Machining $ 379,750 $ 434,000 $ 217,000 $ 108,500 Manufacturing overhead Direct labor Assembly $ 97,650 $ 325,500 Total Plant $ 911,400 $ 651,000 Jobs require varying amounts of work in the three departments. The Koopers job, for example, would have required manufacturing costs in the three departments as follows: Department Machining $ 300 $ 600 Fabricating $4,700 $ 6, 200 Direct materials Direct labor Manufacturing overhead Assembly $3,100 $7,900 Total Plant $ 8,100 $14,700 Required: 1. Using the company's plantwide approach: a. Compute the plantwide predetermined rate for the current year. b. Determine the amount of manufacturing overhead cost that would have been applied to the Koopers job. 2. Suppose that instead of using a plantwide predetermined overhead rate, the company had used departmental predetermined overhead rates based on direct labor cost. Under these conditions: a.Compute the predetermined overhead rate for each department for the current year. b. Determine the amount of manufacturing overhead cost that would have been applied to the Koopers job. 4. Assume that it is customary in the industry to bid jobs at 150% of total manufacturing cost (direct materials, direct labor, and applied overhead). a.What was the company's bid price on the Koopers job using a plantwide predetermined overhead rate? b.What would the bid price have been if departmental predetermined overhead rates had been used to apply overhead cost?

Answer 1

1a) Predetermine overhead rate = 911400/651000 = 140% of labor cost

1b) Overhead applied

	Fabricating	Machining	Assembly	Total
Overhead applied	6200*1.4 = 8680	600*1.4 = 840	7900*1.4 = 11060	20580

2a) Departmental overhead rate :

Fabricating = 379750/217000 = 175% of labor cost

Machining = 434000/108500 = 400% of labor cost

Assembly = 97650/325500 = 30% of labor cost

2b) Overhead applied

	Fabricating	Machining	Assembly	Total
Overhead applied	6200*1.75 = 10850	600*4 = 2400	7900*30% = 2370	15620

3a) Bid price = (8100+14700+20580)*1.5 = 65070

3b) Bid price = (8100+14700+15620)*1.5 = $57630