Zenon Computer (a fictitious company) competes at the retail level on the basis

Question

Zenon Computer (a fictitious company) competes at the retail level on the basis of customer service. It has invested significant resources in its customer service department. Recently, the company has installed a traditional activity-based costing (ABC) system to provide better-quality cost information for pricing, decision making, and customer-profitability analysis. Most of the costs of running the customer service department are considered committed (i.e., short-term fixed) costs (principally, personnel and equipment costs). The budgeted cost for the upcoming period is $800,000. Activity analysis, recently conducted when the ABC system was implemented, revealed the following information:

Required

1. Based on the preceding information, calculate the activity-cost driver (ABC) rates for each of the three activities performed by the customer service department. Assume that during the period actual costdriver activity levels are exactly as planned. Under this situation, what is the total cost assigned to each of the three activities? For each activity, what is the cost of unused capacity?

2. Suppose that during the upcoming period, activities (i.e., cost-driver quantities) are exactly as budgeted. Suppose, too, that the practical capacity level for each of these activities is 10,000 customer orders, 500 customer complaints, and 500 credit checks. Using cost-driver rates based on practical capacity levels for each activity, what is the cost assigned to each of the three activities? Also, what is the unused capacity and the associated cost of unused capacity for each activity?

3. What actions might the management of Zenon Computer take in response to the analysis conducted in response to (2) above?

4. What nonfinancial performance indicators do you recommend Zenon Computer monitor in terms of its customer service department? In general, how are these indicators chosen? (That is, how do you justify the items you are recommending?)

Percentage of Employee Time 5% 10 15 Estimated (Budgeted) Cost-Driver Quantity 8,000 customer orders 400 customer complaints 500 credit checks Activities Handling customer orders Processing customer complaints Conducting customer credit checks

Explanation / Answer

Ans;

1)

If activity level is same as planned total cost assigned will remain same as budgeted

i.e

120000

There will be no un used capacity as we have been operating at panned level

Allocation of overheads can be done on basis of employees time utilized in various activities Total Budgeted cost has been given as 800000 Activities Percentage of Employee time Overheads allocated Handling Customer Orders 75% 600000 Processing Customer complaints 10% 80000 Conducting Customer credit checks 15% 120000 Total 100% 800000 Now, we can calculate Activity Rate as Activities Overheads allocated Cost driver quantity Activity Rate Handling Customer Orders 600000 8000 orders 75 Processing Customer complaints 80000 400 complaints 200 Conducting Customer credit checks 120000 500 credit checks 240 Total 800000

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