Norton Products, Inc., manufactures potentiometers. (A potentiometer is a device that adjusts electrical resistance.) Currently, all parts necessary for the assembly of products are produced internally. Norton has a single plant located in Wichita, Kansas. The facilities for the manufacture of potentiometers are leased, with five years remaining on the lease. All equipment is owned by the company. Because of increases in demand, production has been expanded significantly over the five years of operation, straining the capacity of the leased facilities. Currently, the company needs more warehousing and office space, as well as more space for the production of plastic moldings. The current output of these moldings, used to make potentiometers, needs to be expanded to accommodate the increased demand for the main product. Leo Tidwell, owner and president of Norton Products, has asked his vice president of marketing, John Tidwell, and his vice president of finance, Linda Thayn, to meet and discuss the problem of limited capacity. This is the second meeting the three have had concerning the problem. In the first meeting, Leo rejected Linda’s proposal to build the company’s own plant. He believed it was too risky to invest the capital necessary to build a plant at this stage of the company’s development. The combination of leasing a larger facility and subleasing the current plant was also considered but was rejected; subleasing would be difficult, if not impossible. At the end of the first meeting, Leo asked John to explore the possibility of leasing another facility comparable to the current one. He also assigned Linda the task of identifying other possible solutions. As the second meeting began, Leo asked John to give a report on the leasing alternative. JOHN: “After some careful research, I’m afraid that the idea of leasing an additional plant is not a very good one. Although we have some space problems, our current level of production doesn’t justify another plant. In fact, I expect it will be at least five years before we need to be concerned about expanding into another facility like the one we have now. My market studies reveal a modest growth in sales over the next five years. All this growth can be absorbed by our current production capacity. The large increases in demand that we experienced the past five years are not likely to be repeated. Leasing another plant would be an overkill solution.” LEO: “Even modest growth will aggravate our current space problems. As you both know, we are already operating three production shifts. But, John, you are right—except for plastic moldings, we could expand production, particularly during the graveyard shift. Linda, I hope that you have been successful in identifying some other possible solutions. Some fairly quick action is needed.” LINDA: “Fortunately, I believe that I have two feasible alternatives. One is to rent an additional building to be used for warehousing. By transferring our warehousing needs to the new building, we will free up internal space for offices and for expanding the production of plastic moldings. I have located a building within two miles of our plant that we could use. It has the capacity to handle our current needs and the modest growth that John mentioned. The second alternative may be even more attractive. We currently produce all the parts that we use to manufacture potentiometers, including shafts and bushings. In the last several months, the market has been flooded with these two parts. Prices have tumbled as a result. It might be better to buy shafts and bushings instead of making them. If we stop internal production of shafts and bushings, this would free up the space we need. Well, Leo, what do you think? Are these alternatives feasible? Or should I continue my search for additional solutions?” LEO: “I like both alternatives. In fact, they are exactly the types of solutions we need to consider. All we have to do now is choose the one best for our company.” Required: 1. Define the problem facing Norton Products. 2. Identify all the alternatives that were considered by Norton Products. Which ones were classified as not feasible? Why? Now identify the feasible alternatives. 3. For the feasible alternatives, what are some potential costs and benefits associated with each alternative? Of the costs that you have identified, which do you think are relevant to the decision?

Basuras Waste Disposal Company has a long-term contract with several large cities to collect garbage and trash from residential customers. To facilitate the collection, Basuras places a large plastic container with each household. Because of wear and tear, growth, and other factors, Basuras places about 200,000 new containers each year (about 20% of the total households). Several years ago, Basuras decided to manufacture its own containers as a cost-saving measure. A strategically located plant involved in this type of manufacturing was acquired. To help ensure cost efficiency, a standard cost system was installed in the plant. The following standards have been established for the products variable inputs: During the first week in January, Basuras had the following actual results: The purchasing agent located a new source of slightly higher-quality plastic, and this material was used during the first week in January. Also, a new manufacturing process was implemented on a trial basis. The new process required a slightly higher level of skilled labor. The higher- quality material has no effect on labor utilization. However, the new manufacturing process was expected to reduce materials usage by 0.25 pound per container. Required: 1. CONCEPTUAL CONNECTION Compute the materials price and usage variances. Assume that the 0.25 pound per container reduction of materials occurred as expected and that the remaining effects are all attributable to the higher-quality material. Would you recommend that the purchasing agent continue to buy this quality, or should the usual quality be purchased? Assume that the quality of the end product is not affected significantly. 2. CONCEPTUAL CONNECTION Compute the labor rate and efficiency variances. Assuming that the labor variances are attributable to the new manufacturing process, should it be continued or discontinued? In answering, consider the new processs materials reduction effect as well. Explain. 3. CONCEPTUAL CONNECTION Refer to Requirement 2. Suppose that the industrial engineer argued that the new process should not be evaluated after only one week. His reasoning was that it would take at least a week for the workers to become efficient with the new approach. Suppose that the production is the same the second week and that the actual labor hours were 9,000 and the labor cost was 99,000. Should the new process be adopted? Assume the variances are attributable to the new process. Assuming production of 6,000 units per week, what would be the projected annual savings? (Include the materials reduction effect.)

Badger Valve and Fitting Company, located in southern Wisconsin, manufactures a variety of industrial valves and pipe fittings that are sold to customers in nearby states. Currently, the company is operating at about 70 percent capacity and is earning a satisfactory return on investment. Management has been approached by Glasgow Industries Ltd. of Scotland with an offer to buy 130,000 units of a pressure valve. Glasgow Industries manufactures a valve that is almost identical to Badger's pressure valve; however, a fire in Glasgow Industries' valve plant has shut down its manufacturing operations. Glasgow needs the 130,000 valves over the next four months to meet commitments to its regular customers. Glasgow is prepared to pay $30.40 each for the valves. Badger's total product cost, based on current attainable standards, for the pressure valve is $32.00, calculated as follows: Direct material Direct labor Manufacturing overhead Total product cost Manufacturing overhead is applied to…

Ayayai Inc., a manufacturer of steel school lockers, plans to purchase a new punch press for use in its manufacturing process. After contacting the appropriate vendors, the purchasing department received differing terms and options from each vendor. The Engineering Department has determined that each vendor's punch press is substantially identical and each has a useful life of 20 years. In addition, Engineering has estimated that required year-end maintenance costs will be $1,020 per year for the first 5 years, $2,020 per year for the next 10 years, and $3,020 per year for the last 5 years. Following is each vendor's sales package. Vendor A: $51,520 cash at time of delivery and 10 year-end payments of $19.750 each. Vendor A offers all its customers the right to purchase at the time of sale a separate 20-year maintenance service contract, under which Vendor A will perform all year-end maintenance at a one-time initial cost of $10,170. Vendor B: Forty semiannual payments of $9,780 each,…

Chilton Peripherals manufactures printers, scanners, and other computer peripheral equipment. In the past, thecompany purchased equipment used in manufacturing from an outside vendor. In March 2018, Chilton decidedto design and build equipment to replace some obsolete equipment. A section of the manufacturing plant was setaside to develop and produce the equipment. Additional personnel were hired for the project. The equipment wascompleted and ready for use in September.Required:1. In general, what costs should be capitalized for a self-constructed asset?2. Discuss two alternatives for the inclusion of overhead costs in the cost of the equipment constructed by Chilton. Which alternative is generally accepted for financial reporting purposes?3. Under what circumstance(s) would interest be included in the cost of the equipment?

The Baccus Corp. manufactures medical equipment. This is a capital intensive industry and investments in fixed assets exceed $5 million a year. The minimum cost for production equipment is $75,000. When supervisors want new production machinery, they contact the plant manager. The plant manager approves or denies the request based on discussions with the production supervisor, the repair and maintenance supervisor, and the quality control supervisor. The repair department performs routine maintenance on all of the production equipment. Occasionally the repair department rebuilds a machine to extend its useful life. All of the costs associated with the repair department are charged to manufacturing overhead. When a machine becomes obsolete, production employees move it to a corner of the factory floor and break it down so that parts can be used in other machines. Production employees routinely remove parts for personal use. Some smaller machines have disappeared completely from the…

To automate one of its production processes, Milwaukee Corporation bought three flexible manufacturing cells at a price of $400,000 each. When they were delivered, Milwaukee paid freight charges of $30,000 and handling fees of $15,000. Site preparation for these cells cost $50,000. Six employees, each earning $15 an hour, worked five 40-hour weeks to set up and test the manufacturing cells. Special wiring and other materials applicable to the new manufacturing cells cost $2,000. Determine the cost basis (the amount to be capitalized) for these cells.

Borges Machine Shop, Inc., has a 1-year contract for the production of 75,000 gear housings for a new off-road vehicle. Owner Luis Borges hopes the contract will be extended and the volume increased next year. Borges has developed costs for three alternatives. They are general-purpose equipment (GPE), flexible manufacturing system (FMS), and expensive, but efficient, dedicated machine (DM) The cost data follow General Purpose Equipment (GPE) Flexible Manufacturing System (FMS) 75,000 $125,000 $15.00 Annual contracted units Annual fixed cost Per unit vanable cost Based on the total cost, the process that is best suited for the current contracted volume is Suppose the contracted volume changes to 275,000 gear housings. Based on the total cost, the process that is best suited for the new volume is Suppose the contracted volume changes to 375,000 gear housings. Based on the total cost, the process that is best suited for the new volume is Dedicated Machine (DM) 75,000 $225,000 $14.00…

Bonita Inc., a manufacturer of steel school lockers, plans to purchase a new punch press for use in its manufacturing process. After contacting the appropriate vendors, the purchasing department received differing terms and options from each vendor. The Engineering Department has determined that each vendor's punch press is substantially identical and each has a useful life of 20 years. In addition, Engineering has estimated that required year-end maintenance costs will be $1,030 per year for the first 5 years, $2,030 per year for the next 10 years, and $3,030 per year for the last 5 years. Following is each vendor's sales package. Vendor A: $58,000 cash at time of delivery and 10 year-end payments of $16,360 each. Vendor A offers all its customers the right to purchase at the time of sale a separate 20-year maintenance service contract, under which Vendor A will perform all year-end maintenance at a one-time initial cost of $9,640. Vendor B: Forty semiannual payments of $9,120 each,…

TufStuff, Incorporated, sells a wide range of drums, bins, boxes, and other containers that are used in the chemical industry. One of the company’s products is a heavy-duty corrosion-resistant metal drum, called the WVD drum, used to store toxic wastes. Production is constrained by the capacity of an automated welding machine that is used to make precision welds. A total of 2,140 hours of welding time is available annually on the machine. Because each drum requires 0.4 hours of welding machine time, annual production is limited to 5,350 drums. At present, the welding machine is used exclusively to make the WVD drums. The accounting department has provided the following financial data concerning the WVD drums: WVD Drums Selling price per drum $ 177.00 Cost per drum: Direct materials $ 52.10 Direct labor ($25 per hour) 5.00 Manufacturing overhead 8.70 Selling and administrative expense 31.20 97.00 Margin per drum $ 80.00 Management believes 6,275…

The Pittsburgh division of Vermont Machinery, Inc., manufactures drill bits.One of the production processes for a drill bit requires tipping, whereby carbide tips are inserted into the bit to make it stronger and more durable. This tipping process usually requires four or five operators, depending on the weekly workload. The same operators are also assigned to the stamping operation, where the size of the drill bit and the company's logo is imprinted on the bit. Vermont is considering acquiring three automatic tipping machines to replace the manual tipping and stamping operations. If the tipping process is automated, the division's engineers will have to redesign the shapes of the carbide tips to be used in the machine. The new design requires less carbide, resulting in savings on materials. The following financial data have been compiled: Project life: six years. Expected annual savings: reduced labor, $56,000; reduced material, $75,000; other benefits (reduced carpal tunnel syndrome…

Your company operates a fleet of light trucks that are used to provide contract delivery services. As the engineering and technical manager, you are analyzing the purchase of 55 new trucks as an addition to the fleet. These trucks would be used for a new contract the sales staff is trying to obtain. If purchased, the trucks would cost $21,200 each; estimated use is 20,000 miles per year per truck; estimated operation and maintenance and other related expenses (year-zero dollars) are $0.45 per mile, which is forecasted to increase at the rate of 5% per year; and the trucks are MACRS (GDS) three-year property class assets. The analysis period is four years; t = 38%;MARR = 15% per year (after taxes; includes an inflation component); and the estimated MV at the end of four years (in year-zero dollars) is 35% of the purchase price of the vehicles. This estimate is expected to increaseat the rate of 2% per year. Based on an after-tax, actual-dollar analysis, what is the uniform annual…

Two alternative suppliers are offering to provide a system to recover an organic compound from a process stream in your company's chemical production facility. The cost of the two identical options are quoted as follows: Supplier #1: Total cost of $175,000; 70% of which must be paid now, and the balance to be paid in 12 months time upon completion of the installation of the system. Supplier #2: Total price of $180,000; 25% to be paid now, and the balance to be paid in 3 equal installments at 4 month intervals. You are asked to proceed with the project using the lower cost supplier. Assuming a nominal annual interest rate of 12%, compounded monthly, which one do you choose?

Solution Summary: The author explains tactical decision making as a process in which the company can choose the correct alternative based on the profitability.

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