C:Performance Flashcards
What is standard costing?
compare predetermined costs of products/services to actual costs incurred
What is a standard cost?
the predetermined cost of a product/service
-based on either absorption costing or marginal costing
What is a variance?
the difference between the standard cost and actual cost
What is a standard?
‘benchmark measurement of resource usage or revenue or profit generation, set in defined conditions’
How is standard profit per unit calculated?
s.p - cost in absorption costing
What is standard contribution per unit?
s.p - variable costs (marginal costing)
What are the 4 main types of standard?
ideal: 100% perfect condition 100% of the time, no waste
basic: long term standards, unchanged over years, shows trends
current: based on current working conditions, useful when anomalies arise
attainable: based on efficient but not perfect operating conditions, includes allowances, most popular, only motivational one
What is variance analysis?
‘evaluation of performance by means of variances, whose timely reporting should maximise the opportunity for managerial action’
-process by which the total difference between actual cost and standard is broken down into its different elements
What is a favourable variance?
when actuals are better than expected
How is budgetary control different from standard costing and variance analysis?
Budget control
- controlling total costs across an area of responsibility
- more flexible and can be used across variety of activities
- does not provide basis for measuring efficiency
- operates outside accounting systems
SC and VA
- unit costs
- standardised expectations
- provides basis for measuring efficiency
- integrated with actual accounting systems
What is a sales variance?
difference between:
- actual and standard sales prices
- budgeted and actual sales volumes (measured in profit/contribution/revenue)
What is a sales price variance?
effect on profit of a ‘change in revenue caused by the actual selling prices differing from the budgeted’
How is sales price variance calculated?
standard selling price x actual number of units sold
actual selling price x actual number of units sold
=>(actual - standard) x actual units sold
-favourable if above 0
What is the sales volume variance?
measured the effect on contribution/profit of not achieving the budgeted volume of sales
-difference between actual and budgeted sales volume valued at either standard profit (ABD) or standard contribution (marginal)
How is sales volume variance calculated?
actual sales volume - budgeted sales volume
-favourable is positive
How is sales volume variance contribution calculated?
(actual sales volume - budgeted sales volume) x standard contribution p.u
-favourable is positive
What are the potential causes of sales price variances?
1) larger discounts offered to persuade bulk buying
2) lower discounts due to strength of demand
3) effect of low-price offers due to marketing campaign
4) market conditions forcing industry wide price change
What are the potential causes of sales volume variances?
1) successful/unsuccessful direct selling efforts
2) successful/unsuccessful marketing efforts
3) unexpected changed in customer needs/buying habits
4) failure to satisfy demand due to production difficulties
5) Higher demand due to a cut in selling prices, or lower demand due to an increase in sales prices