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Chapter 25: Q25-16RQ (page 1373)

What questions should managers answer when considering dropping a product or segment?

Short Answer

Expert verified

Answer

When considering dropping a product or segment, managers must answer some major questions, such as the impact of dropping theoverall contributionand avoidable fixed costs factors associated with such segment or product.

Step by step solution

01

Step-by-Step SolutionStep 1: Meaning of Contribution

Contribution refers to the profit left in the hands of a business entity after recovering all its variable costs from the sales revenue. It is computed by taking the difference betweenselling price per unit and variable cost per unit.

02

Factors to be answered when dropping a product or segment

Manager must answer the following questions when dropping a product or a segment:

  • First of all, managers must answer whether dropping a segment or product will result in an improved contribution.

It is the responsibility of managers to consider the factors associated with the contribution margin before dropping aproduct or segment. If the product has a negative contribution, it shows that the same will not be able to cover its variable costs, which will result in decreased overall contribution and vice-versa.

  • Managers should verify whether such a product or segment has anyavoidable fixed cost.

If there is any avoidable fixed cost, then dropping a segment or product generally improves the company'snet income. This is one reason why managers must consider avoidable fixed costs before dropping a product or segment.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

What questions should managers answer when setting regular prices?

Members of the board of directors of Security Check have received the following operating income data for the year ended May 31, 2018:

SECURITY CHECK

Income Statement

For the Year Ended May 31, 2018

Product Line

Industrial Systems

Household Systems

Total

Net Sales Revenue

\( 360,000

\) 380,000

\( 740,000

Cost of Goods Sold:

Variable

37,000

47,000

84,000

Fixed

260,000

63,000

323,000

Total Cost of Goods Sold

297,000

110,000

407,000

Gross Profit

63,000

270,000

333,000

Selling and Administrative Expenses:

Variable

64,000

73,000

137,000

Fixed

44,000

26,000

70,000

Total Selling and Administrative Expenses

108,000

99,000

207,000

Operating Income (Loss)

\) (45,000)

\( 171,000

\) 126,000

Members of the board are surprised that the industrial systems product line is not profitable. They commission a study to determine whether the company should drop the line. Company accountants estimate that dropping industrial systems will decrease fixed cost of goods sold by \(80,000 and decrease fixed selling and administrative expenses by \)12,000.

Requirements

1. Prepare a differential analysis to show whether Security Check should drop the industrial systems product line.

2. Prepare contribution margin income statements to show Security Check’s total operating income under the two alternatives: (a) with the industrial systems line and (b) without the line. Compare the difference between the two alternatives’ income numbers to your answer to Requirement 1.

3. What have you learned from the comparison in Requirement 2?

What is differential analysis?

Nautical manufactures flotation vests in Tampa, Florida. Nautical’s contribution margin income statement for the month ended December 31, 2018, contains the following data:

NAUTICAL

Income Statement

For the Month Ended December 31, 2018

Sales in Units 29,000

Net Sales Revenue \(551,000

Variable Costs:

Manufacturing 116,000

Selling and Administrative 111,000

Total Variable Costs 227,000

Contribution Margin 324,000

Fixed Costs:

Manufacturing 123,000

Selling and Administrative 92,000

Total Fixed Expenses 215,000

Operating Income \)109,000

Suppose Water Works wishes to buy 4,800 vests from Nautical. Nautical will not incur any variable selling and administrative expenses on the special order. The Nautical plant has enough unused capacity to manufacture the additional vests. Water Works has offered \(15 per vest, which is below the normal sales price of \)19.

Requirements

1. Identify each cost in the income statement as either relevant or irrelevant to Nautical’s decision.

2. Prepare a differential analysis to determine whether Nautical should accept this special sales order.

3. Identify long-term factors Nautical should consider in deciding whether to accept the special sales order.

Brinn, located in Port St. Lucie, Florida, produces two lines of electric toothbrushes: deluxe and standard. Because Brinn can sell all the toothbrushes it can produce, the owners are expanding the plant. They are deciding which product line to emphasize. To make this decision, they assemble the following data:

Per Unit

Deluxe Toothbrush Standard Toothbrush

Sales price \(86 \)56

Variable costs 20 18

Contribution margin \(66 \)38

Contribution margin ratio 76.7% 67.9%

After expansion, the factory will have a production capacity of 4,100 machine hours per month. The plant can manufacture either 50 standard electric toothbrushes or 35 deluxe electric toothbrushes per machine hour.

Requirements

1. Identify the constraining factor for Brinn.

2. Prepare an analysis to show which product line to emphasize.
See all solutions

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