Problem

Contribution Income Statement for Profit Centers; Strategy, International Stratford Corpor...

Contribution Income Statement for Profit Centers; Strategy, International Stratford Corporation is a diversified company whose products are marketed both domestically and internationally. Its major product lines are pharmaceutical products, sports equipment, and household appliances. At a recent meeting, Stratford’s board of directors had a lengthy discussion on ways to improve overall corporate profitability without new acquisitions. New acquisitions are problematic because the company already has a lot of debt. The board members decided that they needed additional financial information about individual corporate operations to target areas for improvement. Dave Murphy, Stratford’s controller, has been asked to provide additional data to assist the board in its investigation. Stratford is not a public company and, therefore, has not prepared complete income statements by product line. Dave has regularly prepared an income statement by product line through contribution margin. However, he now believes that income statements prepared through operating income along both product lines and geographic areas would provide the directors with the required insight into corporate operations. Dave has the following data available:

 

 

Product Lines

 

 

 

Pharmaceutical

Sports

Appliances

Total

 

Production/Sales in units

160,000

180,000

160,000

500,000

 

Average selling price per unit

$8.00

$20.00

$15.00

 

 

Average variable manufacturing cost per unit

4.00

9.50

8.25

 

 

Average variable selling expense per unit

2.00

2.50

2.25

 

 

Fixed factory overhead excluding depreciation

 

 

 

$500,000

 

Depreciation of plant and equipment

 

 

 

400,000

 

Administrative and selling expense

 

 

 

1,160,000

 

Dave had several discussions with the division managers from each product line and compiled this

information:

• The division managers concluded that Dave should allocate fixed factory overhead on the basis of the ratio of the variable costs per product line or per geographic area to total variable costs.

• Each division manager agreed that a reasonable basis for the allocation of depreciation on plant and equipment would be the ratio of units produced per product line or per geographic area to the total number of units produced.

• There was little agreement on the allocation of administrative and selling expenses, so Dave decided to allocate only those expenses that were directly traceable to the SBU that is, manufacturing staff salaries to product lines and sales staff salaries to geographic areas. He used these data for this allocation:

Manufacturing

Staff

Sales Staff

 

Pharmaceutical

$120,000

United States

$ 60,000

Sports

140,000

Canada

100,000

Appliances

80,000

Europe

250,000

• The division managers provided reliable sales percentages for their product lines by geographic area:

 

Percentage of Unit Sales

 

 

 

United States

Canada

Europe

Pharmaceutical

40%

10%

50%

Sports

40

40

20

Appliances

20

20

60

Dave prepared this product-line income statement:

STRATFORD CORPORATION Statement of Income by Product Lines For the Fiscal Year Ended April 30, 2010

 

 

Product Lines

 

 

 

 

Pharmaceutical

Sports

Appliances

Unallocated

Total

Sales in units

160,000

180,000

160,000

 

500,000

Sales

$1,280,000

$3,600,000

$2,400,000

$7,280,000

Variable manufacturing

 

 

 

 

 

and selling costs

960,000

2,160,000

1,680,000

4,800,000

Contribution margin

$ 320,000

$1,440,000

$ 720,000

$2,480,000

Fixed costs

 

 

 

 

 

Fixed factory overhead

$ 100,000

$ 225,000

$ 175,000

$500,000

Depreciation

128,000

144,000

128,000

400,000

Administrative and

 

 

 

 

 

selling expense

120,000

140,000

80,000

$ 820,000

1,160,000

Total fixed costs

$ 348,000

$ 509,000

$ 383,000

$ 820,000

$2,060,000

Operating income (loss)

$ (28,000)

$ 931,000

$ 337,000

$(820,000)

$ 420,000

Required

1. Prepare a contribution income statement for Stratford Corporation based on the company’s geographic areas of sales.


2. As a result of the information disclosed by both income statements (by product line and by geographic area), recommend areas on which Stratford Corporation should focus its attention to improve corporate profitability.


3. What changes would you make to Stratford’s strategic performance measurement system? Include the role, if any, of the firm’s international business operations in your response.

(CMA Adapted)

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