Management Accounting Flashcards
Explain what is meant by Costs.
Amount that has to be paid in order to get something.
Explain what is meant by Revenue.
Income generated from normal business operations
Explain what is meant by Profit.
Money that is earned in trade or business after paying the costs of producing and selling goods.
Explain what is meant by Total Costs.
Is the sum of all expenses paid to produce a product.
Explain what is meant by Average Costs.
Total costs divided by the number of units produced.
Explain what is meant by Fixed Costs.
Costs do not vary with the level of output.
Explain what is meant by Variable Costs.
Costs that change in proportion to the level of goods / services a business produces.
Explain what is meant by Total Revenue.
total receipts from sales of a given quantity of goods or services.
Explain what is meant by Average Revenue
the revenue generated per unit of output sold.
Explain what is meant by Price.
The monetary value of a good, service or resource established during a transaction.
Explain what is meant by Direct Costs.
Costs that are directly attributed to a unit output
Explain what is meant by Indirect Costs/ Overheads.
Costs that can not be attributed (caused by) to a particular unit of output.
How do you calculate Total Costs?
Fixed Costs + Variable Costs
How do you calculate revenues?
Number of products sold X Sale price
How do you calculate profits?
Total Revenue - Total Expenses
How do you calculate Total Costs?
Fixed Costs + Variable Costs
How do you calculate Variable Costs?
Labour + Materials
How do you calculate Direct Costs?
The costs of labour
Explain the importance of Overheads/Indirect Costs to a business.
- It ensures that all overheads are evenly covered somewhere in the business, can understand which sectors of the business are performing.
Explain the importance of Direct Costs to a business.
- Is useful because a business can allocate overheads/indirect costs in relation to direct costs.
Evaluate the impact of costs and revenue on business decisions.
- A business may want to make a profit so it tries to maximise revenue in order to exceed its costs, business may reduce profit to reduce price in order to gain market share. - A firm may want to be more competitive in the market so it will reduce its costs, it also may do this to increase profit margins.
Advantages of Cost Centres.
- The information will help to highlight those departments that are performing well and those that are not - The information can be used to help motivate the workforce
What is a Cost Centre?
Cost centre is a specific part of a business where costs can be identified and allocated with responsible ease.
Disadvantages of a Cost Centre.
- Collecting and separating information into different cost centres can be EXPENSIVE - Can be overlaps in the production process, so it cannot allocate information correctly.
What are Profit Centres?
Profit centre is a specific part of a business where profits can be identified and allocated with responsible ease.
Disadvantages of Profit Centres.
- Sometimes a department (eg. marketing) which mat generate costs for the business but not receive profit directly, so this will not be possible.
What is the Effect of Cost and Profit Centres for stakeholders?
- Shareholders - will look at the level of profit as it affects their dividends - Employees - may be affected by the accuracy of the method, this will affect sales and therefore the likelihood the employees retain their job. - Management - Decisions may be made that affect a managers reputation - Suppliers - Will be affected by how much the business is willing to pay for its supplies
What is Absorption Costing?
All the indirect costs/overheads of a business are absorbed by different cost centres.
How do you calculate absorption costing?
Example - Electric Kettle Output per annum - 60,000 Direct Costs - £200,000 Electric Hob Output per annum - 20,000 Direct Costs - £100,000 OVERHEADS = £250,000 (you should be given the overheads information) Calculate the % output of each product Electric kettle Kettle Output / Total Output 60,000 / 80,000 x 100 = 75% Electric Hob Hob Output / Total Output 20,000 / 80,000 x 100 = 25% Calculate the allocated overheads Calculate 75% of the Overheads £250,000 Electric Kettle = 0.75 x 250,000 = £187,500 Electric Hob = 0.25 x 250,000 = £62,500
How do you calculate Marginal Costing?
Difference in total Costs for a year / Difference in output for a year
Evaluate the usefulness of different costing methods to a business and its stakeholders.
- Can be disastrous if the figures are inaccurate as some parts of the business may be allocated in correct overheads - Can lead to demotivation.
Explain what is meant by Break-Even.
Is the point where total revenue covers (is equal to) the total costs
Explain what is meant by Contribution.
Is a method whereby fixed costs or overheads are ignored and the business considered only the variable costs of production. (Marginal Costing)
Explain what is meant by margin of safety.
The amount of sales that are above the break-even point.
Explain what is meant by Target Level of Profit.
The expected amount of profit that the managers of a business expect to achieve by the end of a designated accounting period
Explain what is meant by Stepped Fixed Cost.
Is when there is an increase in fixed costs so the firm can cope with an increase in production.
Show a Break Even Graph.
How do you calculate the margin of safety?
Total sales - Break Even Point