Maples has a production plant where keeping a clean working environment is important to them. Cleaning the plant is the responsibility of the maintenance department. Two of the resources needed to clean the plant are labor and cleaning supplies. The cost driver for both resources is square feet cleaned. Plant cleaning laborers are paid the same wages regardless of the number of times the plant is cleaned. Cleaning supplies is a variable cost. The 25,000 square foot plant is thoroughly cleaned from four to eight times a month depending on the level and stage of production. For the most recent month, June, the plant was cleaned four times. The June cost of labor was $15,000 and cleaning supplies used cost $4,250. The production schedule for the next quarter (July through September) indicates that the plant will need to be cleaned five, six, and eight times respectively

Requirements:

1-Prepare a table that shows how labor cost, cleaning supplies cost, total cost, and total

cost per square feet cleaned changes in response to the square feet cleaned. What is the

predicted total cost of plant cleaning for the next quarter?

2- Suppose Maples can hire an outside cleaning company to clean the plant as needed. The charge rate for cleaning is $3,500 per plant cleaning. If the outside cleaning company is hired, Maples can lay off the workers who are now cleaning the plant and will spend nothing for cleaning supplies. Will Maplessave money with the outside cleaning company over the next quarter? Prepare a schedule that supports your answer.

3- Create a line chart that reflects the Total Cleaning Costs and Square Feet (Times Cleaned)

for the two options (Maples vs Outside Company). Must be properly labeled and on one

chart.

4- At what level of activity (SqFt Cleaned) will the two options be indifferent?