Management Accounting Sample Paper 1 Questions and Suggested Solutions NOTES TO USERS ABOUT SAMPLE PAPERS Sample papers are published by Accounting Technicians Ireland. They are intended to provide guidance to students and their teachers regarding the style and type of question, and their suggested solutions, in our examinations. They are not intended to provide an exhaustive list of all possible questions that may be asked and both students and teachers alike are reminded to consult our published syllabus (see www.AccountingTechniciansIreland.ie) for a comprehensive list of examinable topics. There are often many possible approaches to the solution of questions in professional examinations. It should not be assumed that the approach adopted in these solutions is the only correct approach, particularly with discursive answers. Alternative answers will be marked on their own merits. This publication is copyright 2013 and may not be reproduced without permission of Accounting Technicians Ireland. © Accounting Technicians Ireland, 2013. 2 INSTRUCTIONS TO CANDIDATES In this examination paper the €/£ symbol may be understood and used by candidates in Northern Ireland to indicate the UK pound sterling and by candidates in the Republic of Ireland to indicate the Euro. Answer FIVE questions. Answer all three questions in Section A. Answer ANY Two of THREE questions in Section B. If more than the required number of questions is answered in Section B, then only the requisite number, in the order filed, will be corrected. Candidates should allocate their time carefully. All figures should be labelled, as appropriate, e.g. €, £ / € ’s, units etc. Answers should be illustrated with examples, where appropriate. Question 1 begins on Page 4 overleaf. 3 SECTION A: Answer all Questions Question 1 The following information relates to the only product manufactured and sold by Ash plc. Selling price Direct material cost Direct labour cost Variable production overhead Variable sales & marketing overhead €/£ per unit 70 25 20 5 2 The following levels of activity took place over the first three months of the products life: September October November Sales Units 4,750 5,500 6,500 Production Units 5,000 6,000 7,000 Additional information is as follows: 1. Budgeted fixed production overhead was €/£300,000 per annum. 2. Actual fixed production overhead for the period was €/£25,000 per month 3. Sales and marketing overhead of €/£25,000 per month and administration overhead of €/£18,750 per month were in line with the budget for that period. 4. All fixed overhead costs are budgeted on the basis of a projected volume of 75,000 units per year and all costs are expected to be incurred at a constant rate throughout the year. 5. The business does not expect to have any inventory at 1 September Required: a) Prepare a profit statement for each month using each of the following bases: i. Absorption costing ii. Marginal costing (14 Marks) b) Calculate the (under)/over absorbed fixed production overhead for each month. (3 Marks) c) Explain the reason for any difference in the reported profit under the two bases for each month. (3 Marks) Total: 20 Marks 4 Question 2 The following information relates to Lookin plc. a manufacturing company that has two manufacturing departments and two service departments: Allocated Overheads Manufacturing Dept. 1 €/£ 32,400 Manufacturing Dept. 2 €/£ 29,200 Service Dept. 1 €/£ 12,400 Service Dept. 2 €/£ 12,850 General Overheads Indirect Labour Heat & Light Repairs & Maintenance Canteen Subsidy Machine Depreciation Machine Insurance Total €/£ 86,850 32,000 48,600 34,700 5,100 10,400 6,250 223,900 The following additional information was extracted from the company’s management accounting records. Floor area sq. m Direct labour hours Indirect labour hours Direct labour rate per hour £/€ Number of staff Machine hours Machine value £/€ Service Dept. overheads are to be re-apportioned as follows Service Dept. 1 overheads Service Dept. 2 overheads Manufacturing Dept. 1 2,500 30,000 30,000 12 30 2,500 40,000 Manufacturing Dept. 2 4,000 5,000 5,000 8 5 25,000 200,000 20% 50% 80% 50% 5 Service Dept. 1 1,000 10,000 Service Dept. 2 500 - Data on two jobs being undertaken by the company is as follows: Direct materials cost Machine hours Direct labour hours - Manufacturing Dept. 1 - Manufacturing Dept. 2 Job Eng230 €/£ 240 5 Job Art490 €/£ 420 20 40 4 25 5 Required: a) Prepare a statement showing the overhead cost for each department (include the basis of apportionment, where appropriate). (10 Marks) b) Calculate a suitable overhead absorption rate for each department, using a basis that you deem suitable . (4 Marks) c) Show the total cost of Job Eng230 and the total cost of Job Art490. (6 Marks) Total: 20 Marks 6 Question 3 Oak plc. uses a standard costing system. The following information relates to the company’s Acorn product for the month of May. Standard data Actual data Sales Sales Volume units Selling Price per unit (€/£) 10,000 25.00 9,700 26.50 Production Materials used per unit (kg) Materials price per kg (€/£) Labour hours per unit Labour rate per hour (€/£) 1.50 8.00 0.50 10.20 1.80 8.30 0.75 11.50 Required: a) Prepare a statement showing the budgeted profit and the actual profit for May. (4 Marks) b) Calculate the following variances: i. Sales Price ii. Sales Volume iii. Materials Price iv. Materials Usage v. Labour Rate vi. Labour Efficiency (12 Marks) c) Outline the key factors that should be considered before deciding whether or not a variance should be investigated. (4 Marks) Total: 20 Marks 7 SECTION B Answer any two of the following questions Question 4 Timber plc. manufactures and sells only one type of product, the Lumber. The following information has been projected for the first six months of 2013. January February March April May June July Sales Volume units 10,000 12,000 15,000 8,000 7,500 6,000 7,500 Administration expenses €/£ 12,500 12,500 12,500 10,000 10,000 10,000 Premises costs €/£ 25,000 25,000 25,000 22,000 22,000 22,000 1. Direct labour cost per unit is £/€2. 2. The selling price is projected to be £ / € 15 per unit in January, February and March, rising by 10% on 1 April, and remaining at that level for May & June. 3. The cost of direct materials is estimated to be £ / € 3 per unit. 4. Variable production overhead is 50% of the direct labour cost per unit. 5. Sales and marketing expenditure is projected at £ / € 3 per unit sold. 6. Depreciation is calculated at the rate of 20% per year, using the straight-line method. 7. Inventory of one-third of the following month’s projected sales volume is to be held at the end of each month. 8. Receivables at 30 June are estimated to be 10% of June sales revenue. 9. Payables at 30 June are projected to total £ / € 12,000. 8 Statement of Financial Position at 1 January 2013 ASSETS £/€ Non-current assets Equipment 165,000 Current Assets Inventory Receivables Bank 19,998 12,000 16,750 48,748 213,748 Total assets EQUITY AND LIABILITIES Equity Payables 204,148 ___9,600 Total Equity and Liabilities 213,748 Required: Prepare a budgeted monthly Statement of Profit or Loss for the period 1 January 2013 to 30 June 2013. (12 Marks) b) Prepare a budgeted Statement of Financial Position as at 30 June 2013. (5 Marks) c) Outline the main aims of budgetary control. (3 Marks) a) Total: 20 Marks 9 Question 5 You have recently been appointed as a management accountant in a company. Required: a) Prepare a document for presentation to the company’s management team discussing the annual financial budget in the context of: i. the process and role of planning; ii. levels of planning in an organisation; iii. Organisational control processes. (14 Marks) b) Outline the key elements of a Budget Manual. (6 Marks) Total: 20 Marks 10 Question 6 The following information relates to inventory holding and materials handling for a particular material in a business’ warehouse. Minimum usage Maximum usage Average usage Lead time Ordering Cost Purchase Cost Holding cost 500 units per working week 3,000 units per working week 2,500 units per working week 10 - 20 days £ / € 360 per order £ / € 5 per unit 8% of purchase cost per year The business works 5 days each week for 50 weeks each year. Required: a) i. ii. iii. iv. Calculate the following inventory management ratios: Inventory Re-Order Level Minimum Inventory Level Economic Order Quantity Maximum Inventory Level (16 Marks) b) Outline the key advantages and disadvantages of using inventory management ratios to manage inventory levels. (4 Marks) Total: 20 Marks END OF PAPER 11 SUGGESTED SOLUTIONS Solution 1 a) Profit Statement using Absorption Costing Sales Revenue September £/€ 332,500 October £/€ 385,000 November £/€ 455,000 0 125,000 100,000 25,000 20,000 (13,500) 256,500 76,000 13,500 150,000 120,000 30,000 24,000 (40,500) 297,000 88,000 40,500 175,000 140,000 35,000 28,000 (67,500) 351,000 104,000 9,500 25,000 18,750 5,000 11,000 25,000 18,750 1,000 13,000 25,000 18,750 (3,000) 59,250 17,750 55,750 32,250 53,750 50,250 Production costs Opening Inventory Direct Materials Direct Labour Variable Production Overhead Fixed Production Overhead Closing Inventory Gross profit Non production Costs Variable Sales & Marketing Overhead Fixed Sales & Marketing Overhead Fixed Administration Overhead Under-absorbed / Over-absorbed fixed production overhead Net Profit 12 b) Profit Statement using Marginal Costing Sales Revenue September £/€ 332,500 October £/€ 385,000 November £/€ 455,000 0 125,000 100,000 25,000 (12,500) 237,500 9,500 247,000 85,500 12,500 150,000 120,000 30,000 (37,500) 275,000 11,000 286,000 99,000 37,500 175,000 140,000 35,000 (62,500) 325,000 13,000 338,000 117,000 25,000 25,000 18,750 68,750 25,000 25,000 18,750 68,750 25,000 25,000 18,750 68,750 16,750 30,250 48,250 Production costs Opening Inventory Direct Materials Direct Labour Variable Production Overhead Closing Inventory Variable Sales & Marketing Overhead Contribution Fixed overheads Fixed production overheads Fixed Sales & Marketing Overhead Fixed Administration Overhead Net Profit c) Difference between reported profits Absorption Costing Profit Marginal Costing Profit Difference September £/€ 17,750 16,750 1,000 October £/€ 32,250 30,250 2,000 November £/€ 50,250 48,250 2,000 Total £/€ 100,250 95,250 5,000 September £/€ nil 250 250 €/£1,000 October £/€ 250 750 500 €/£2,000 November £/€ 750 1,250 500 €/£2,000 Total £/€ nil 1,250 1,250 €/£ 5,000 Analysis of the difference Opening Inventory Closing Inventory Difference Difference x €/£ 4 The absorption costing figures are driven by production volume and include fixed production overhead as part of the cost of production. This fixed production overhead is included at the pre-determined overhead absorption rate of €/£ 4 per unit. Therefore this fixed overhead rate is included in the inventory valuation at the end of each month. This results in a higher net profit each month when using absorption costing because production volume exceeds sales volume each month. The total difference in calculated profits of £/€ 5,000 is represented by the difference in the inventory valuation at the end of November (£/ €67,500 using absorption costing - £/ €62,500 using marginal costing). The marginal costing figures exclude the fixed production overhead element in inventory valuations and hence net profits each month are lower. Profit is recognised only when sales are recorded. Workings Working 1: Fixed production overhead absorption rate per unit Budgeted fixed production overheads Budgeted production £/€300,000 75,000 units Fixed production overhead absorption rate per unit = £/€300,000/75,000 = £/€4 per unit. Working 2: Production cost per unit £/€ Direct Materials cost Direct Labour cost Variable Production Overhead Unit value for Marginal Costing Fixed Production Overhead Unit value for Absorption Costing 25 20 5 50 (variable cost per unit) 4 54 (variable and fixed cost per unit) Working 3: Inventory valuation Opening Inventory Production Sales Closing Inventory Marginal Costing Valuation (@ £/€50 per unit) Absorption Costing Valuation (@ £/€54 per unit) September units 0 5,000 4,750 250 October units 250 6,000 5,500 750 November units 750 7,000 6,500 1,250 £/€ 12,500 £/€ 37,500 £/€ 62,500 13,500 40,500 67,500 Working 4: Under / Over-absorbed Fixed Production head Production units Fixed Production OAR per unit Absorbed Fixed Production Overhead Actual Fixed Production Overhead 14 September 5,000 October 6,000 November 7,000 £/€ 4 20,000 25,000 £/€ 4 24,000 25,000 £/€ 4 28,000 25,000 Fixed Production Overhead Under/ Over absorbed Basis of Apportionment Dept. 1 £/€ Solution 2 a) 5,000 under-absorbed Overheads cost by Department 15 Dept. 2 £/€ 1,000 under-absorbed Service 1 £/€ 3,000 over-absorbed Service 2 £/€ Total £/€ Allocated Overheads Apportioned Overheads Indirect Labour Heat & Light Repairs & Maintenance Canteen Subsidy Machine depreciation Machine Insurance Re-Apportioned Overheads Re-Apportion Service 1 Re-Apportion Service 2 Total Overheads Indirect Labour Hours Floor Area Floor Area Number of Staff Machine Value Machine Value 20% / 80% 50% / 50% 16 32,400 29,200 27,429 15,188 10,844 4,371 1,664 1,000 92,896 4,571 24,300 17,350 729 8,320 5,000 89,470 4,696 9,028 106,620 18,783 9,027 117,280 12,400 12,850 6,075 4,338 3,037 2,168 416 250 23,479 18,055 32,000 48,600 34,700 5,100 10,400 6,250 223,900 (18,055) 0 0 0 223,900 (23,479) 0 86,850 b) Overhead Absorption Rate for each Department Department 1 Overhead absorption rate based on labour hours as this department is labour intensive £ / € 106,620 30,000 labour hours = £ / € 3.55 per direct labour hour Department 2 Overhead absorption rate based on machine hours as this department is machine intensive £ / € 117,280 25,000 machine hours c) = £ / € 4.69 per machine hour Job Costs Job Eng230 Direct Materials Direct Labour - Dept. 1 - Dept. 2 Overhead - Dept. 1 - Dept. 2 £/€ 240.00 40 hours x £ / € 12 per hour 4 hours x £ / € 8 per hour 480.00 32.00 40 DLH x £ / € 3.55 per DLH 5 MH x £ / € 4.69 per MH 142.00 23.45 917.45 Total Cost Job Art490 Direct Materials Direct Labour - Dept. 1 - Dept. 2 Overhead - Dept. 1 - Dept. 2 £/€ 420.00 25 hours x £ / € 12 per hour 5 hours x £ / € 8 per hour 25 DLH x £ / € 3.55 per DLH 20 MH x £ / € 4.69 per MH 300.00 40.00 88.75 93.80 942.55 Total Cost 17 18 Solution 3 a) Budgeted Profit £/€ Sales Revenue (10,000 x £/€25) Cost of Sales Materials Cost Labour Cost (10,000 x 1.50 kg x £/€8) (10,000 x 0.5 x £/€10.20) £/€ 250,000 120,000 51,000 171,000 79,000 Budgeted Profit (£/€ 7.9 per unit) Actual Profit £/€ Sales Revenue (9,700 x £/€26.50) Cost of Sales Materials Cost Labour Cost (9,700 x 1.80 kg x £/€8.30) (9,700 x 0.75 x £/€11.50) £/€ 257,050 144,918 83,662 228,580 28,470 Actual Profit b) Variances i. Sales Price Variance 9,700 units generated revenue of 9,700 units x £/€26.50 9,700 units should have generated revenue of 9,700 units x £ / € 25.00 per unit £/€ 257,050 242,500 14,550 F or (Actual Sales Volume x Actual Selling Price) – (Actual Sales Volume x Standard Selling Price) (9,700 units x £ / € 26.50 per unit) - (9,700 units x £ / € 25.00 per unit) £ / € 257,050 - £ / € 242,500 = £ / € 14,550 favourable ii. Sales Volume Variance units Oak plc. actually sold 9,700 Oak plc. should have sold 10,000 300 A 19 x standard contribution per unit ( £/€ 7.9) £/€2,370 A or Budgeted Sales Volume – Actual Sales Volume = -300 -300 @ £/ €7.90 = £/€2,370 adverse iii. Material price Variance £/€ 17,460 kg of materials actually cost (17,460 x £/€8.30) 144,918 17,460 kg of materials should have cost (17,460 x £/€8) 139,680 5,238 A or (Actual Quantity of Inputs x Actual Price) – (Actual Quantity of Inputs x Standard Price) (17,460 kg x £ / € 8.30 per kg) - (17,460 kg x £ / € 8.00 per kg) £ / € 144,918 - £ / € 139,680= £ / € 5,238 adverse iv. Materials Usage Variance kg Oak plc. actually used (9,700 x 1.8 kg) 17,460 Oak plc. should have used (9,700 x 1.50 kg) 14,550 2,910A £/€23,280 A x standard cost per kg ( £/€ 8.00) or (Actual Quantity of Inputs x Standard Price) – (Flexed Quantity of Inputs x Standard Price) (17,460 kg x £ / € 8 per kg) - ((9,700 units x 1.5 kg per unit) x £ / € 8 per kg) £ / € 139,680 - £ / € 116,400 = £ / € 23,280 adverse v. Labour Rate Variance £/€ 7,275 labour hours actually cost (7,275 x £/€11.50) 83,662 7,275 labour hours should have cost (7,275 x £/€10.20) 74,205 9,457A or (Actual Labour Hours x Actual Pay Rate) – (Actual Labour Hours x Standard Pay Rate) (7,275hours x £ / € 11.50 per hour) - (7,275 hours x £ / € 10.20 per hour) £ / € 83,662 - £ / € 74,205 = £ / € 9,457adverse 20 vi. Labour Efficiency Variance hours Oak plc. actually used (9,700 x 0.75 hours) 7,275 Oak plc. should have used (9,700 x 0.50 hours) 4,850 2,425A x standard cost per hour ( £/€10.20) £/€24,735A or (Actual Labour Hours x Standard Rate) – (Flexed Labour Hours x Standard Rate) (7,275 hours x £ / € 10.20 per hour) - ((9,700 units x 0.5 hours per unit) x £ / € 10.20 per hour) £ / € 74,205 - £ / €49,470 = £ / € 24,735 adverse c) Factors to be considered before deciding whether or not to investigate a variance i. The size of the variance and whether the impact on profitability is positive or negative. ii. The likelihood of the variance being controllable / uncontrollable. iii. Investigation costs. iv. Benefits to be gained from the investigation v. The likelihood of the variance re-occurring. 21 Solution 4 Workings Working 1: Inventory movement Dec units Sales volume Closing inventory Less opening inventory Production requirement Jan units 10,000 4,000 (3,333) 10,667 3,333 Feb units 12,000 5,000 (4,000) 13,000 Mar units 15,000 2,667 (5,000) 12,667 Apr units 8,000 2,500 ( 2,667) 7,833 May units 7,500 2,000 (2,500) 7,000 June units 6,000 2,500 (2,000) 6,500 Working 2: Cost per unit of production Direct labour Direct material Variable overhead (£/€2.00 x 50%) £/€ 2.00 3.00 1.00 6.00 Working 3: Inventory Valuation & Production Costs Closing inventory value @ £/€ 6.00 per unit Direct Materials @ € / £ 3 per unit Direct labour @ £/€2 per unit Variable overhead @ £/€1 per unit Depreciation Sales and marketing expenditure Dec £/€ 19,998 Jan €/£ 24,000 Feb €/£ 30,000 Mar €/£ 16,000 Apr €/£ 15,000 May €/£ 12,000 32,000 21,333 10,667 2,750 30,000 39,000 26,000 13,000 2,750 36,000 38,000 25,333 12,667 2,750 45,000 23,500 15,667 7,833 2,750 24,000 21,000 14,000 7,000 2,750 22,500 Apr €/£ May €/£ Working 4: Sales Revenue Jan €/£ Feb €/£ Mar €/£ 22 Jun €/£ J Sales price per unit Total sales revenue 15.00 150,000 15.00 180,000 15.00 225,000 16.50 132,000 16.50 123,750 16.50 99,000 a) Budgeted Statement of Profit or Loss 1 January 2013 to 30 June 2013 Sales Revenue Jan £/€ 150,000 Feb £/€ 180,000 Mar £/€ 225,000 Apr £/€ 132,000 May £/€ 123,750 Jun £/€ 99,000 Total £/€ 909,750 Cost of Sales Opening Inventory Direct Materials Direct Labour Variable Production O/head Less closing inventory Cost of sales Gross Profit 19,998 32,000 21,333 10,667 (24,000) 59,998 90,002 24,000 39,000 26,000 13,000 (30,000) 72,000 108,000 30,000 38,000 25,333 12,667 (16,000) 90,000 135,000 16,000 23,500 15,667 7,833 (15,000) 48,000 84,000 15,000 21,000 14,000 7,000 (12,000) 45,000 78,750 12,000 19,500 13,000 6,500 (15,000) 36,000 63,000 19,998 173,000 115,333 57,667 (15,000) 350,998 558,752 30,000 12,500 25,000 2,750 70,250 19,752 36,000 12,500 25,000 2,750 76,250 31,750 45,000 12,500 25,000 2,750 85,250 49,750 24,000 10,000 22,000 2,750 58,750 25,250 22,500 10,000 22,000 2,750 57,250 21,500 18,000 10,000 22,000 2,750 52,750 10,250 175,500 67,500 141,000 16,500 400,500 158,252 Overheads Sales & marketing Administration Premises costs Depreciation Net Profit / (Loss) 23 b) Budgeted Statement of Financial Position as at 30 June 2013 ASSETS £/€ Non-current Assets Equipment £/€ 148,500 Current Assets Inventory Receivables (10% of June Sales Revenue) Bank account 15,000 9,900 201,000 225,900 374,400 Total Assets EQUITY AND LIABILITIES Payables Equity Total Equity and liabilities c) 12,000 362,400 374,400 Main Aims of Budgetary Control • • • To provide a formal basis for monitoring the progress of an organisation, and individual sections within the organisation, towards the achievement of the financial objectives, as specified in the budget. To provide targets for goal congruence between organisational and individual objectives encouraging motivation and participation. To provide a tool for performance measurement this may be developed into a reward / incentive scheme. 24 Workings Working 1: Inventory movement Dec units Sales volume Closing inventory Less opening inventory Production requirement Jan units 10,000 4,000 (3,333) 10,667 3,333 Feb units 12,000 5,000 (4,000) 13,000 Mar units 15,000 2,667 (5,000) 12,667 Apr units 8,000 2,500 ( 2,667) 7,833 May units 7,500 2,000 (2,500) 7,000 June units 6,000 2,500 (2,000) 6,500 Working 2: Cost per unit of production Direct labour Direct material Variable overhead (£/€2.00 x 50%) £/€ 2.00 3.00 1.00 6.00 Working 3: Inventory Valuation & Production Costs Closing inventory value @ £/€ 6.00 per unit Direct Materials @ € / £ 3 per unit Direct labour @ £/€2 per unit Variable overhead @ £/€1 per unit Depreciation Sales and marketing expenditure Dec £/€ 19,998 Jan €/£ 24,000 Feb €/£ 30,000 Mar €/£ 16,000 Apr €/£ 15,000 May €/£ 12,000 June €/£ 15,000 32,000 21,333 10,667 2,750 30,000 39,000 26,000 13,000 2,750 36,000 38,000 25,333 12,667 2,750 45,000 23,500 15,667 7,833 2,750 24,000 21,000 14,000 7,000 2,750 22,500 19,500 13,000 6,500 2,750 18,000 25 Working 4: Sales Revenue Sales price per unit Total sales revenue Jan €/£ 15.00 150,000 Feb €/£ 15.00 180,000 Mar €/£ 15.00 225,000 Apr €/£ 16.50 132,000 Working 5: Equity at 30 June Equity @ 1 January Projected Profit / Loss (per Budgeted Statement of Profit or Loss) Projected Equity at 30 June 204,148 158,252 362,400 Working 6: Bank Account at 30 June Opening Bank balance Net Profit Reduction in inventory Reduction in receivables Increase in payables Depreciation (Non-Cash) Closing bank balance 16,750 158,252 4,998 2,100 2,400 16,500 184,250 201,000 or Opening bank balance Receipts December receivables Sales January to June Receivables at 30 June 16,750 12,000 909,750 (9,900) 911,850 Payments December payables Expenses January to June Expenses January to June Payables at 30 June (9,600) (384,000) (346,000) 12,000 (727,600) 26 May €/£ 16.50 123,750 Jun €/£ 16.50 99,000 Closing bank balance 201,000 Solution 5 a) Document Re Annual Financial Budget To: Management Team From: Management Accountant Date: X/ X/ XX Re: Budgetary Processes - Planning and Control Process and role of planning The planning and control cycle Formulating Plans (Planning) Comparing actual & planned performance (Controlling) DECISION MAKING Implementing Plans Measuring Performance (Controlling) The process of planning, control and its link with decision-making processes is illustrated in the diagram above. Planning can be defined as ‘The establishment of objectives, the formulation, evaluation and selection of policies, strategies, tactics and action required to achieve these objectives. Planning comprises long-term strategic planning and short-term operational planning’ Planning is a key function of management which precedes control and feedback to assist in the effective running of an organisation. Levels of planning There are a number of different types of planning: • Long-term, strategic planning normally covers a period of 3, 5 or 10 years and is an involved process including assessment of internal and external environments, opportunities and expectations. Once objectives are established, options are evaluated and appraised to formulate the long-term corporate plan. 27 • • Tactical planning is the process of developing specific strategies or tactics relevant to prevailing circumstances (e.g.; a new marketing strategy) in the context of the long-term strategic plan. Short-term planning usually involves the deployment of resources to effectively achieve specific objectives and normally covers a period up to one year. Organisational control processes Organisational control is concerned with the efficient use of resources to achieve a plan. Control involves the measurement of activity, comparison with plans and identification of performance issues. Control will provide information on corrective action required to alter performance so as to conform to plan or to modify original plans. The key elements of control include a specification, measurement of actual performance, comparison between specification and actual performance, feedback on performance, action to control performance, on-going feedback. Control actions must be appropriately timed - otherwise the action may have a detrimental effect. Control is exercised in organisational systems by feedback loops which gather information on performance from the output of the system. The annual budget The detailed annual budget is set in the context of long-term financial objectives (E.g.: achieve a 10% market share; achieve a 20% profit increase). • The annual budget is an example of a short-term tactical plan. It sets out a financial plan for the organisation to ensure that resources are appropriately deployed. • The annual budget provides clarity of roles and responsibilities and provides a target for coordination purposes • Control is exercised through the measurement and comparison of actual results against planned / budgeted performance. • Feedback from variance analysis reports should result in corrective action aimed at addressing adverse variances and promoting favourable variances. • Decision-making activities may include for example the decision to change supplier to improve an adverse materials price variance • There may be a number of budgetary revisions throughout a year to implement tactical plans b) Key Elements of a Budget Manual A Budget Manual is an important tool for the communication of the budgetary process, providing information about budget-setting, budgetary control procedures and the general operation of the budget. The main contents of a Budget Manual should include: • Explanation of the budgetary process • Organisational structures and responsibilities • Main budgets and inter-relationship between them • Budget development • Accounting procedures 28 Solution 6 Workings Minimum usage per day 500 units per working week / 5 working days = 100 units per working day Maximum usage per day 3,000 units per working week / 5 working days = 600 units per working day Average usage per day 2,500 units per working week / 5 working days = 500 units per working day Average usage per year 2,500 units per working week x 50 working weeks = 125,000 units per year a) i. Inventory Re-Order Level Re-order level = Maximum usage per day x maximum lead time (in days) 600 units per day x 20 days = 12,000 units ii. Minimum Inventory Level = Re-order level – (average usage (per day) x average lead time (in days)) 12,000 units - (500 units per day x 15 days) = 4,500 units iii Economic Order Quantity . 2 Co D Cc = Co D Hc Cost per order Demand per year Holding Cost per year = 2 x £ / € 360 x 125,000 units (£ / € 5 x 8%) 15,000 units iv. Maximum Inventory Level (Re-Order Level + Economic Order Quantity) – (Minimum Usage Rate x Minimum Lead Time) 12,000 units + 15,000 units - (100 units per day x 10 days) = 26,000 units 29 b) Advantages & disadvantages of calculating inventory management ratios to manage inventory levels Advantages of using inventory management ratios include: 1. On average, lower inventory levels resulting in cost savings; 2. Efficiency savings due to economic order quantities; 3. More responsive to inventory demand fluctuations; 4. Avoid costs and losses associated with running out of inventory; 5. Applicable for a wide range of inventory. Disadvantages of such a system include: 1. As there is no sequence to re-ordering, the system can involve variations – with many orders at one time and few at other times; 2. Economic order quantity assumptions may not always be valid and may not suit all circumstances; 3. Resources are required to collect data and perform calculations. In general it is recommended that a re-ordering system should be implemented in conjunction with ‘pareto analysis’ (i.e. with a concentration on high-value / high-activity inventory items) END OF SOLUTIONS 30