Using practical capacity as the denominator level also gives the manager a more
accurate idea of the resources needed and used to produce a unit by excluding the cost of
unused capacity. As discussed earlier, the cost of manufacturing resources supplied to
produce a telescope is $290 ($200 variable manufacturing cost per unit plus $90 fixed
manufacturing cost per unit). This cost is lower than the prices offered by Stassen’s competitors
and would have correctly led the manager to match the prices and retain the
accounts (assuming for purposes of this discussion that Stassen has no other costs). If,
however, the prices offered by competitors were lower than $290 per unit, the Stassen
manager would not recover the cost of resources used to supply telescopes. This would
signal to the manager that Stassen was noncompetitive even if it had no unused capacity.
The only way then for Stassen to be profitable and retain customers in the long run
would be to reduce its manufacturing cost per unit. The Concepts in Action feature on
page 319 highlights the downward spiral currently at work in the traditional landline
phone industry.