Perioto Inc. currently charges manufacturing overhead costs to products using machine hours. However, company management believes that the use of ABC would provide more realistic cost estimates and, in turn, give the company an edge in pricing over its competitors. Perioto’s accountant and production manager have provided the following budgeted information for 2011, given a budgeted capacity of 1,000,000 machine hours:

Type of Manufacturing Cost Cost Amount

Electric power .............. $500,000

Work cells .................3,000,000

Material handling .............1,000,000

Quality control inspections ..........1,000,000

Machine setups ............... 350,000

Total budgeted overhead costs ........ $5,850,000

Type of Manufacturing Cost Activity Drivers

Electric power .............200,000 kilowatt hours

Work cells ................300,000 square feet

Material handling ............200,000 material moves

Quality control inspections ......... 50,000 inspections

Machine setups .............. 25,000 setups

A national construction company approached Pete Lang, the VP of marketing, about a bid for 2,500 doors. Lang asked the cost accountant to prepare a cost estimate for producing the 2,500 doors; he received the following data:

Direct material cost ......... $50,000

Direct labor cost ..........$150,000

Machine hours ............ 5,000

Direct labor hours ............ 2,500

Electric power—kilowatt hours ...... 500

Work cells—square feet ......... 1,000

Number of material handling moves ..... . 20

Number of quality control inspections ..... 15

Number of setups ........... 6

Source: Adapted from Nabil Hassa, Herbert E. Brown, and Paul M. Saunders, “Management Accounting Case Study: Beaver Window Inc.,” Management Accounting Campus Report (Fall 1990).

Copyright Institute of Management Accountants, Montvale, NJ.

a. What is the predetermined overhead rate if the traditional measure of machine hours is used?

b. What is the manufacturing cost per door as presently accounted for?

c. What is the manufacturing cost per door under the proposed ABC method?

d. If the two cost systems will result in different cost estimates, which cost accounting system is preferable as a pricing base and why?

e. If activity-based management were implemented prior to an ABC system, which of the manufacturing overhead costs might be reduced or eliminated? Why?