Question

Exercise 12-3 Make or Buy Decision [LO12-3]

Troy Engines, Ltd., manufactures a variety of engines for use in heavy equipment. The company has always produced all of the necessary parts for its engines, including all of the carburetors. An outside supplier has offered to sell one type of carburetor to Troy Engines, Ltd., for a cost of $35 per unit. To evaluate this offer, Troy Engines, Ltd., has gathered the following information relating to its own cost of producing the carburetor internally:

	Per Unit				15,000 Units Per Year
Direct materials	$	14		$	210,000
Direct labor		10			150,000
Variable manufacturing overhead		3			45,000
Fixed manufacturing overhead, traceable		6	*		90,000
Fixed manufacturing overhead, allocated		9			135,000
Total cost	$	42		$	630,000

*One-third supervisory salaries; two-thirds depreciation of special equipment (no resale value).

Required:

1. Assuming the company has no alternative use for the facilities that are now being used to produce the carburetors, what would be the financial advantage (disadvantage) of buying 15,000 carburetors from the outside supplier?

2. Should the outside supplier’s offer be accepted?

3. Suppose that if the carburetors were purchased, Troy Engines, Ltd., could use the freed capacity to launch a new product. The segment margin of the new product would be $150,000 per year. Given this new assumption, what would be financial advantage (disadvantage) of buying 15,000 carburetors from the outside supplier?

4. Given the new assumption in requirement 3, should the outside supplier’s offer be accepted?

Answer 1

1.Financing advantage of buying = Relevant cost of making – cost of buying

Only avoidable costs are relevant for producing the carburetors. Hence, Depreciation and allocated costs are not relevant

Financial Advantage of buying = (14+10+3)*15,000 + 90,000*1/3 – 15,000*35

= $(90,000)

i.e. disadvantage

2.No, since disadvantage

3.Financial Advantage = Segment Margin – Disadvantage of buying

= $150,000-90,000

= $60,000

i.e. advantage

4.Yes, since advantage