Plant-wide, department, and ABC indirect cost rates. Automotive Products (AP) designs and produces automotive parts. In 2014, actual variable manufacturing overhead is $308,600. AP’s simple costing system allocates variable manufacturing overhead to its three customers based on machine hours and prices its contracts based on full costs. One of its customers has regularly complained of being charged noncompetitive prices, so AP’s controller Devon Smith realizes that it is time to examine the consumption of overhead resources more closely. He knows that there are three main departments that consume overhead resources: design, production, and engineering. Interviews with the department personnel and examination of time records yield the following detailed information

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Home Insert Page Layout B Formulas Data Review View A D E F Usage of Cost Drivers by Customer Contract Leland Manufacturing Overhead in 2014 $ 39,000 United Holden Cost Driver CAD-design-hours Engineering-hours Machine-hours Motors Motors Auto Department 3 Design 4 Production 5 Engineering 6 Total 2 110 200 B0 29,600 70 60 240 2,800 1,080 240,000 $308,600 120 1. Compute the manufacturing overhead allocated to each customer in 2014 using the simple costing system that uses machine-hours as the allocation base. 2. Compute the manufacturing overhead allocated to each customer in 2014 using department-based manufacturing overhead rates. 3. Comment on your answers in requirements 1 and 2. Which customer do you think was complaining about being overcharged in the simple system? If the new department-based rates are used to price contracts, which customer(s) will be unhappy? How would you respond to these concerns? 4. How else might AP use the information available from its department-by-department analysis of manu- facturing overhead costs? 5. AP's managers are wondering if they should further refine the department-by-department costing system into an ABC system by identifying different activities within each department. Under what conditions would it not be worthwhile to further refine the department costing system into an ABC system? Home Insert Page Layout B Formulas Data Review View A D E F Usage of Cost Drivers by Customer Contract Leland Manufacturing Overhead in 2014 $ 39,000 United Holden Cost Driver CAD-design-hours Engineering-hours Machine-hours Motors Motors Auto Department 3 Design 4 Production 5 Engineering 6 Total 2 110 200 B0 29,600 70 60 240 2,800 1,080 240,000 $308,600 120 1. Compute the manufacturing overhead allocated to each customer in 2014 using the simple costing system that uses machine-hours as the allocation base. 2. Compute the manufacturing overhead allocated to each customer in 2014 using department-based manufacturing overhead rates. 3. Comment on your answers in requirements 1 and 2. Which customer do you think was complaining about being overcharged in the simple system? If the new department-based rates are used to price contracts, which customer(s) will be unhappy? How would you respond to these concerns? 4. How else might AP use the information available from its department-by-department analysis of manu- facturing overhead costs? 5. AP's managers are wondering if they should further refine the department-by-department costing system into an ABC system by identifying different activities within each department. Under what conditions would it not be worthwhile to further refine the department costing system into an ABC system?