WoodCrafts, Inc. is a manufacturer of furniture for specialty shops throughout the Northeast and has an annual sales volume of S12 million. The company has four major product lines: bookcases, magazine racks, end tables, and bar stools. Each line is managed by a production manager. Since production is spread fairly evenly over the 12 months of operation. Sara McKinley, WoodCrafts’ controller, has prepared an annual budget divided into 12 periods for monthly reporting purposes.
WoodCrafts uses a standard-costing system and applies variable overhead on the basis of process hours. Fixed production cost is allocated on the basis of square footage occupied using a predetermined plantwide rate; the size of the space occupied varies considerably among the product lines. All other costs are assigned on the basis of revenue dollars earned. At the monthly meeting to review November performance, Steve Clark, manager of the bookcase line, received the following report.
WOODCRAFTS, INC. Bookcase Production Performance Report For the month of November | |||
Actual | Budget | Variance | |
Units | 3,000 | 2,500 | 500 F |
Revenue | $161,000 | $137,500 | $23,500 F |
Variable production costs: | |||
Direct material | $23,100 | $20,000 | $3,100 U |
Direct labor | 18,000 | 15,000 | 3,300 U |
Machine time | 19,200 | 16,250 | 2,950 U |
Manufacturing overhead | 41,000 | 35,000 | 6,000 U |
Fixed production costs: | |||
Indirect labor | 9,400 | 6,000 | 3,400 U |
Depreciation | 5,500 | 5,500 | ― |
Property taxes | 2,400 | 2,300 | 100 U |
Insurance | 4,500 | 4,500 | ― |
Administrative expenses | 12,000 | 9,000 | 3,000 U |
Marketing expenses | 8,300 | 7,000 | 1,300 U |
Research and development | 6,000 | 4,500 | 1,500 U |
Total expenses | $149,700 | $125,050 | $24,650 U |
Operating income | $11,300 | $12,450 | $1,150 U |
While distributing the monthly reports at the meeting, McKinley remarked to Clark, “We need to talk about getting your division back on track. Be sure to see me after the meeting.”
Clark had been so convinced that his division did well in November that McKinley’s remark was a real surprise. He spent the balance of the meeting avoiding the looks of his fellow managers and trying to figure out what could have gone wrong. The monthly performance report was no help.
Required:
1. a. Identify three weaknesses in WoodCrafts, Inc.’s monthly Bookcase Production Performance Report.
b. Discuss the behavioral implications of Sara McKinley’s remarks to Steve Clark during the meeting.
2. WoodCrafts, Inc. could do a better job of reporting monthly performance to the production managers.
a. Recommend how the report could be improved to eliminate weaknesses, and revise it accordingly.
b. Discuss how the recommended changes in reporting are likely to affect Steve Clark’s behavior.
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