Sorrentino Company, which has been in business for one year, manufactures specialty Italian pastas. The pasta products

Question:

Sorrentino Company, which has been in business for one year, manufactures specialty Italian pastas. The pasta products start in the mixing department, where durum flour, eggs, and water are mixed to form dough. The dough is kneaded, rolled flat, and cut into fettucine or lasagna noodles, then dried and packaged. Paul Gilchrist, controller for Sorrentino Company, is concerned because the company has yet to make a profit. Sales were slow in the first quarter but really picked up by the end of the year. Over the course of the year, 726,800 boxes were sold. Paul is interested in determining how many boxes must be sold to break even. He has begun to determine relevant fixed and variable costs and has accumulated the following per-unit data:
Price ......$0.90
Direct materials ..0.35
Direct labor ...0.25
He has had more difficulty separating overhead into fixed and variable components. In examining overhead-related activities, Paul has noticed that machine hours appear to be closely correlated with units in that 100 boxes of pasta can be produced per machine hour. Setups are an important batch-level activity. Paul has accumulated the following information on overhead costs, number of setups, and machine hours for the past 12 months:

Selling and administrative expenses, all fixed, amounted to $180,000 last year.
Required:
Form a group of three to four students. The group will work this exercise together, then designate one member of the group to present the results to the class.
1. Separate overhead into fixed and variable components using ordinary least-squares (regression) analysis. Run three regressions, using the following independent variables: (a) number of setups, (b) number of machine hours, and (c) a multiple regression using both number of setups and machine hours. Which regression equation is best? Why?
2. Using the results from the multiple regression equation (from Requirement 1), calculate the number of boxes of pasta which must be sold to break even.
PART II: MULTIPLE-PRODUCT CVP ANALYSIS, ABC
(This problem is an extension of Part I of Problem 17-27.) Sorrentino Company has decided to expand into the production of sauces to top its pastas. Sauces are also started in the mixing department, using the same equipment. The sauces are mixed, cooked, and packaged into plastic containers. One jar of sauce is priced at $2 and requires $0.75 of direct materials and $0.50 of direct labor. Fifty jars of sauce can be produced per machine hour. The setup is identical to the setup for pasta and should cost the same amount. The production manager believes that with careful scheduling, he can keep the total number of setups (for both pasta and sauce) to the same number as used last year. The marketing director believes Sorrentino Company can sell two boxes of pasta for every one jar of sauce.
Required:
Maintain the same group that was formed in Part I. One to two members of your group should work Requirement 1, and the remaining members will work Requirement 2. The group will come together to discuss Requirement 3.
1. Using the data from Problem 17-27, Part I and the results of the multiple regression equation, calculate the break-even number of boxes of pasta and jars of sauce.
2. Suppose that the production manager is wrong and that the number of setups doubles. Calculate the new break-even number of boxes of pasta and jars of sauce.
3. Comment on the effect of uncertainty in the sales mix and in cost estimates and on risk for SorrentinoCompany.