Spending variance definition

As the allocated lot size variance amount is recorded on a separate ledger account, a parallel standard cost and actual cost inventory valuation can be achieved. In addition, the cost growth for each claim problem is applied to each relevant cost account to demonstrate that the “sum of the parts” of each claim does not exceed the whole cost overrun for each cost account. The discrete damages/cost variance analysis method is illustrated by Figure 1. Variance analysis, as a whole, is imperative for companies because it gives management information that may not necessarily be obvious. On the other hand, market size variance is the difference between actual industry sales and estimated industry sales at a constant market share percentage. When the market share and market size variances are added together, they will be equal to the total sales quantity variance of all products sold by the company.

An advantage of isolating price and quantity variances is that it allows for separate responsibility to be assigned. This is consistent with the responsibility accounting concept introduced in Chapter 9. However, a disadvantage is that isolating the variances for separate responsibility tends to ignore the fact that purchasing and production are interdependent. Purchasing inferior materials can cause favorable price variances, but result in unfavorable quantity variances. This can easily cause behavioral conflicts between purchasing and production employees. Purchasing higher quality materials (i.e., higher design quality) than required by the product specifications tends to have the opposite effect.

What does a spending variance measure?

Despite its popularity, I do believe there is a better way to tackle this analysis. However, this method is popular enough that I want to show you how to do it in Excel using Zebra BI Excel Add-in.

• For example, a quantity effect occurs when a salaried employee resigns during the period, and when there are increases or decreases in the company’s fixed assets during the period.
• The scraps of material are called waste, which is not avoidable, given that the chair is being produced with this specific fabric.
• The effects of variations in product diversity are reflected in the standard quantities allowed.
• Have you launched new products which didn’t sell last year?
• The price variance is favorable if actual costs are less than flexible budget costs.
• It also combines the volume effects into one variance and then shows how this can be separated to show the sales volume effects on revenue and cost.

This is quite beneficial from the viewpoint of performance measurement and corrective action. An early report will help the management in measuring the performance so that poor performance can be corrected or good performance can be expanded at an early date. Close the factory overhead account to the variance accounts. Compare the standard cost control methodology to the statistical process control methodology and discuss how you believe each should be used. 7 Another way to say this using Cooper’s ABC cost hierarchy, is that all variable indirect resource costs are assumed to be unit level costs. By understanding what drives your revenues and profit margins, you can quickly address deteriorating margins and focus your efforts on the products that matter.

Direct Labor Efficiency Variance Calculation

A typical cost account structure is shown by Figure 2. The bid cost and the actual cost for each cost element of each project activity are identified. Once the variances are calculated, management completes the analysis by obtaining explanations for why the variances occurred. For example, a question raised is “Why did materials cost less than planned?

• Identification and utilization of other categories is commonly performed.
• The Uncontrollable variance is just another term for the production volume variance.
• This is consistent with the responsibility accounting concept introduced in Chapter 9.
• Variable overhead spending variance is favorable if the actual costs of indirect materials — for example, paint and consumables such as oil and grease—are lower than the standard or budgeted variable overheads.

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Management Accounting: Concepts,

In some situations, different materials can be substituted for each other as in the case of many liquid products (e.g., beverages, soups cleaning fluids). These variations in the materials mix are influenced by the substitutability and availability of the various materials, as well as the skill and experience of the workers involved3. Direct material purchases and usage are recorded and analyzed in T-accounts in Exhibit 10-3. The 22,000 sheets of direct material purchased are charged to materials control at the standard price of $10, although the actual price is $10.20 per sheet.

A standard cost in a manufacturing company such as Pickup Trucks Company consists of per unit costs for direct materials, direct labor, and overhead. Within the expected amount of materials, waste or spoilage must be considered when determining the standard amount. For example, if a product, such as a chair, requires material, more material than is actually needed for the chair must be ordered because the shape of the seat and the fabric are usually not exactly the same. The scraps of material are called waste, which is not avoidable, given that the chair is being produced with this specific fabric. The cost of the full piece of material is used as the standard cost because the waste has no other use. Similarly, when considering labor hours, downtime from production due to maintenance or start up and break time must be included in the number of hours it takes to make a product.

4: Factory overhead variances

One unit of finished product requires 10 kg of material. Calculate the following variances and indicate if each one if favorable or unfavorable. Assume 20 percent of the payroll is withheld for federal income taxes and FICA. Calculate the following and indicate if each variance is favorable or unfavorable. Why are favorable variances not necessarily good and unfavorable variances not necessarily bad? What is the difference between a complete standard cost system and a partial system? Yield refers to the productivity measure for materials.

Does variance analysis identify these causes of the variances? Briefly discuss the two purposes of a standard cost system and compare them to the needs of lower, middle and upper management as well as the Company’s needs for external reporting. This example extends the Expando Company illustration to include direct labor. The information needed to record and analyze direct labor cost is given below. Show how two of the variances explain the total variance in variable cost. The combined flexible budget approach presented in Exhibit 13-4 emphasizes these cost relationships.

The credit to finished goods represents the actual cost of the units sold. One reason for using this method is to avoid having to adjust the inventory accounts from standard to actual costs for external reporting purposes. However, for internal evaluation and control purposes this is even less useful than the second method illustrated, because only the work performed on the units sold is evaluated. For this reason, the illustrations in this chapter are based on a complete a cost variance can be further separated into the quantity variance and the price variance. standard cost method, rather than either of the partial methods. Assuming the three products are substitute products, then the sales mix variances may be useful is evaluating an attempt to improve the sales mix, i.e., trade customers up to the more expensive, higher margin products. In this example there is a larger proportion of the less profitable products in the actual mix. The expectation is that 3,000 units will be produced during a time period of two months.

Show how two of the variances explain the total variance in sales dollars. Assume the Riley Company manufactures and sells a single product.

Budgeted fixed costs are represented by a horizontal line which indicates that budgeted fixed overhead costs do not change as the level of production changes. However, the standard fixed overhead cost line is up-sloping which shows that standard costs increase as production increases. This is because fixed overhead is treated as a variable cost when applied to the units produced, i.e., for inventory valuation purposes. In the two variance approach on the left-hand side of Exhibit 10-21, the Controllable variance is the difference between actual total overhead and a flexible budget based on standard hours allowed . The Controllable variance is a combination of the two spending variances and the VO Efficiency variance.

• The price cost variance combines the effects of both sales price differences and unit cost differences.
• In my example, I’m simply checking whether revenue was first generated this year or last generated last year .
• We’re not just adding up all the volume changes from our products and are instead doing the calculation on the level of the group.
• The direct labor rate variance would likely be favorable, perhaps totaling close to $620,000,000, depending on how much of these savings management anticipated when the budget was first established.
• Deviations of actual purchase prices from the standard price may not be known until the direct materials are issued to production.
• Cost posting to an incorrect period is all too common for materials, outside equipment rental, and subcontractors.