Chapter 24: Q24-11RQ (page 1355)
Explain the difference between a lag indicator and a lead indicator.
Answer
A lag indicator measures past performance while a lead indicator forecasts future performance.
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Sheffield Company manufactures power tools. The Electric Drill Division (an investment center) can purchase the motors for the drills from the Motor Division (another investment center) or from an outside vendor. The cost to purchase from the outside vendor is \(20. The Motor Division also sells to outside customers. The motor needed by the Electric Drill Division sells for \)25 to outside customers and has a variable cost of $15. The Motor Division has excess capacity.
21. If Sheffield Company allows division managers to negotiate transfer prices, what is the minimum amount the manager of the Motor Division should consider?
22. What is the maximum transfer price the manager of the Electric Drill Division should consider?
What is the typical focus of responsibility reports for cost centers, revenue centers, and profit centres?
Question: Determining transfer pricing
The Hernandez Company is decentralized, and divisions are considered investment centers. Hernandez has one division that manufactures oak dining room chairs with upholstered seat cushions. The Chair Division cuts, assembles, and finishes the oak chairs and then purchases and attaches the seat cushions. The Chair Division currently purchases the cushions for \(32 from an outside vendor. The Cushion Division manufactures upholstered seat cushions that are sold to customers outside the company. The Chair Division currently sells 1,800 chairs per quarter, and the Cushion Division is operating at capacity, which is 1,800 cushions per quarter. The two divisions report the following information:
Chair Division Cushion Division
Sales Price per Chair \) 95 Sales Price per Cushion \( 34
Variable Cost (other than cushion) 56 Variable Cost per Cushion 12
Variable Cost (cushion) 32
Contribution Margin per Chair \) 7 Contribution Margin per Cushion $ 22
Requirements
1. Determine the total contribution margin for Hernandez Company for the quarter.
2. Assume the Chair Division purchases the 1,800 cushions needed from the Cushion Division at its current sales price. What is the total contribution margin for each division and the company?
3. Assume the Chair Division purchases the 1,800 cushions needed from the Cushion Division at its current variable cost. What is the total contribution margin for each division and the company?
4. Review your answers for Requirements 1, 2, and 3. What is the best option for Hernandez Company?
5. Assume the Cushion Division has capacity of 1,800 cushions per quarter and can continue to supply its outside customers with 1,800 cushions per quarter and also supply the Chair Division with 1,800 cushions per quarter. What transfer price should Hernandez Company set? Explain your reasoning. Using the transfer price you determined, calculate the total contribution margin for the quarter.
Decentralization divides company operations into various reporting units. Most decentralized subunits can be described as one of four different types of responsibility centers.
Requirements
1. Explain why companies decentralize. Describe some typical methods of decentralization.
2. List the four most common types of responsibility centers, and describe their responsibilities.
Well-designed performance evaluation systems accomplish many goals. Consider the following actions, and state which goal is being achieved by the action:
a. Comparing targets to actual results
b. Providing subunit managers with performance targets
c. Comparing actual results with industry standards
d. Providing bonuses to subunit managers who achieve performance targets
e. Aligning subunit performance targets with company strategy
f. Comparing actual results of competitors
g. Taking corrective actions
h. Using the adage “you get what you measure” when designing the performance evaluation system
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