CFE Technical review - master set Flashcards
What are prime costs?
Direct materials and labour
What are conversion costs?
Direct labour and manufacturing overhead
Why is direct labour both a prime and conversion cost?
Because labour is directly attributed to a product, and is also incurred to convert a raw material into a finished product.
What is a period cost?
Any non-manufacturing costs.
What is a “relevant range”?
Range of units that a company can produce without changing their fixed cost levels.
What are the three ways to estimate the cost function for manufacturing?
- High-low method
- Account Analysis
- Regression Analysis
What are the advantages and disadvantages to using the high-low method to estimate costs?
A. Quick and easy to implement
D. Only serves as a “rough estimate” of costs due to the low volume of data. Assumes costs are indicative of “normal” activity
How does the account analysis method work for estimating costs?
Requires a knowledge of the cost behaviours of each account. In some cases, can break out the cost analysis by separate inputs if there isnt enough correlation.
How would you select a cost driver in calculating the rate to apply manufacturing overhead?
You would pick the activity that correlates most to the overhead costs. If the chosen driver increases in activity, the overhead costs would increase at a similar rate.
What is variable costing?
Only variable manufacturing costs are included in inventory. Fixed costs are expensed along with other period costs.
Expensing fixed costs impacts the IS immediately as it doesnt go to inventory and then cost of goods sold.
IFRS/ASPE requires the use of absorption costing.
What is absorption costing?
Inventoriable costs that include both fixed and variable costs.
What is the difference between how normal and abnormal spoilage are recorded?
Normal spoilage is charged to manufacturing overhead, and abnormal is charged as a period cost.
What methods are used to allocate joint costs in process costing?
- Physical output (lbs/meters/# of items produced)
- Sales value at split-off method (proportion of sales value of each product)
- Net Realizable value method (same as #2, but reduced by separate related costs)
- Constant gross margin% of NRV method (allocated so gross margin is the same across all joint products)
What methods are used to allocate service department costs?
- Direct allocation method (allocated to operating departments based on the quantity of an allocation base)
- Step-down allocation method (to both op & service departments)
- Reciprocal allocation method (allocated simultaneously from all service departments to both operating and service depts)
What is an equivalent unit?
A way to determine the fully completed units based on the inputs so far into partial units.
What are the two methods of costing equivalent units/
Weighted average and FIFO
How is spoilage treated in a process costing system?
Normal spoilage: Include in costs transferred out of WIP
Abnormal spoilage: Charge to the period - gets own loss account
What is the difference between traditional and activity-based costing?
Traditional - allocated overhead using a single cost driver.
ABC - allocated costs by defining different cost pools and assigning a driver to each.
What are some pros and cons to using Activity-based costing?
Pro
-improved accuracy
-identifies the activities to impact costs - can reduce unnecessary costs
Cons:
-Entensive and costly to implement
-may not align with GAAP, therefore another system would have to be used.
What are joint products?
Products that share one or more production processes
What is the physical output method?
Allocates joint costs by the volume of product converted into a particular joint product.
What is the customer focus principle in total quality management
Organizations need to be focused on customer expectations and preferences when it comes to quality, price, and dependability.
What is the executive leadership principle in total quality management
Executive leadership should provide a clear direction and an internal culture that drives product quality foremost.
What is the people involvement principle in total quality management
Empower and involve employees in the quality initiative. Clear lines of responsibility and accountability over TQM should be established.