Moving from this extreme toward the middle of the continuum, we find costs trace
able to a batch or lot of like units of the product, such as setup cost (the cost of adjusting
machinery before the batch can be produced). Setup cost can be identified with a single
product unit in the batch only by means of an allocation: the setup costs can be divided
by the actual number of units produced in a batch, or by the normal number, or by the
ideal number. Again, an essentially arbitrary choice is required if these costs are to be
allocated to each unit of product. Notice that if the batch is defined as the cost object,
setup costs can be classified as directly traceable.