In process costing, the general ledger's work in process account may be supported by subsidiary records of departments'costs, with one record for each department.Alternatively, if the number of departments is small, a separate work in process account for each department may be maintained in the general ledger instead of a single work in process controlling account; the journal entries illustrated previously for New Hope Manufacturing Company assume that a single work in process controlling account is used.The detailed tracking of work in process distinguishes these two cost accumulation methods from a third method, called backflushing or backflush costing, in which little or no separate accounting is done for work in process inventory