recall that all sevices procided to other seveice departs are ignored by the direct method because this method distributes service department overhead only to producing departments. thus, the order or sequence of department distribution does not matter. for nickleby company, the distibution is as presented in exhibit 11-4.
Exhibit 11-4
Step method. The step method distributes the costs of service departments in a sequence of step; that is a prescribed order department. The step method is also called the sequential method because cost is distributed from a service department , no other service department’s cost is distributed back to it in a subsequent step. To use this method, a particular order must be decided on for distributing the service department’ costs, because the order of department makes a difference in the results. This method partially recognizes the services that service that service departments provide to each other. In contrast, the direct method ignores all interrelationships. However, the step method is still only a partial consideration of the service departments’ mutual benefits, because after distribution of a service department’s cost, no further distributions are made to that department regardless of the services it received.
Service departments’ costs usually are distributed in a sequence based on the amount of service rendered and received. On approach is to star with the department serving the greatest number of other departments and receiving and receiving service from the smallest number or other service department. Alternatively, the costs of the service department that provides the largest dollar value of services to other service departments can be distributed first.
The nickleby company data are used to demonstrate the step method in exhibit 11-5. Because the service department provide service to each other, the order of distribution is based on the amount of service department cost. The distribution begins with department y because it provides $7260 of service to department z (20% of $36,300), while department z provide only $6,000 of service to department y (30% of %20,000) if department z distributed first, different results are obtained.(the greater the number of service department, the greater is the number of different possible sequences and different results that can be obtained.)
Simultaneous method. When service departments serve each other, the step method distributes incompletely because one department is distributed before another and, therefore, before receiving any costs of a producing department may or may not be significant, the direct method and the step method fail to measure the total cost of individual service department. This total cost information can be useful be for product costing and cost control.
Exhibit 11-5
The simultaneous method, also called the algebraic method, consider completely all interrelation among all service department. The nickleby company data are used again for illustration. The cost of the service departments are distributed simultaneously, by first using algebra to solve two linear equation with two unknowns. When there is a large number of service departments matrix algebra is useful and the calculation may be done by computer.
Use the simultaneous method , each service department’s total cost is expressed in the from of an equation as follows:
Let y = $36,300+30z
Z= $20,000+20y
The first equation states that the total cost of department y is not limited to y’s reported cost of $36,300 but also include 30% of the total cost of department z, because y use states that the total cost of department z is the sum of z’ reported cost of$20,000 and 20% of the total cost of department y.
By substituting the entire right-hand side of the second equation in place of the unknown z that appears in the first equation, the result is a single equation with only one unknown, which is easily solved :
Substituting y = $36,300 + 30($20.000+20y)
Solving y = $36,000 + $6,000+ 06y
94y = $42,300
Y = $45,000
Now that the value of y is known to be $45,000, the second one of the original equation can be solved by using $45,000 in place of the unknown y :
Substituting y = $20,000 + 20($45.000)
Solving y = $20,000 + $9,000
Z=$29,000
The distribution of the service department’ costs is then accomplished as shown in
Exhibit 11-6
Exhibit 11-6
In exhibit 11-6, notice that the recalculated department costs of $45,000 and $29,000 are used in the distributions. Those amounts exceed the reported costs of the departments, so in a sense a department’s reported cost is being over allocation is exactly offset, however, when each department is then charged an additional amount representing its share of the other service department’s service; THESE ADDITIONAL
Amounts are the $9,000 and $8,700 shown in Exhibit 11-6 as charge from the service departments to each other. Essentially, the original purpose of solving the two equations with two unknowns was to determine it simultaneously for both for both of the service department.
Calculation departmental overhead rates
After service department cost have have been distributed, producing department overhead rates can be calculated by dividing each producing department’s final total factory overhead by a selected allocation base. In exhibit 11-3 three different bases are used : direct labor hours, machine hours, and direct labor cost.
This discussion has described methods by which all factory overhead cost, for both producing and service department are assigned to work in process by using factory overhead rates in the producing department only. However, it is possible to assign certain service department to work in process. For example, materials handling costs can be accumulated in a materials is materials handling department, and an overhead rate based on mater can be used for assigning those costs directly to work in process. An overhead rate based on materials is calculated by dividing the materials handling costs by a selected measure of materials usage, such as materials xost material weight, weight, or the number of materials items or pieces used.
Alternatively a separate work in process account can the used for each producing department, instead of the single work in process shown here, there would be four debits to the four departmental work in process account. The amount of the four debits would math the four credits in the journal entry shown here.
Firms, accounting, medical or dental practices and realtors
7. federal state and local governments and their agencies
large retail stores have practiced departmentalization for many years by grouping their activities into the following typical categories administration occupancy sales promotion and advertising purchasing selling and delivery these group incur costs similar factory and includes such expenses as building repairs rent and property taxes, to general factory and fixtures, light, heat, power, and depreciation on buildings and fixtures. In a parallel to manufacturing allocations costs are allocated to revenue-producing sales departments by means of a charging or billing rate.
Financial institutions departmentalize their organization to control expenses and establish a profitability rating of individual activities the size of the institution and types of services offered determine the number of department the accumulation of departmental cost again parallels that in manufacturing direct cost, such as salaries supplies and depreciation of equipment are charge directly general costs such as light heat and air conditioning are allocated to the department on appropriate bases as income and cost are ascertained it impossible to create work cost unit that permits charging customer account for service rendered and analyzing profitability of each account customer and type of service.
The work of insurance companies is facilitated by dividing work among department some of which can have several employ this departmentalization can include actuarial premium collection group insurance policyholder service registrar medical and legal information.
Educational institution and service organization find it increasingly necessary to budget their costs by department to control costs and to calculate adequate fees for their service medicare make knowledge of costs mandatory in hospital and nursing homes departmentalization assists management management in creating a costing or charging rate for short or long-term care for special for special services for nurses’ instruction and for professional services such as surgical medical x-ray laboratory examination and prescriptions.
Federal, state and local government employ a great number of people in a vast number of department and agencies municipalities are good examples because their varied services are familiar some common service or department are street cleaning street repairing and paving public work project police fire department city hospitals sewage disposal plants and trash and garbage collection.