Step Method. The step method distributes the costs of service departments in a sequence of steps: that is, in a prescribed order by department The step method is also called the sequential method because costs are distributed from service departments in a predetermined sequence. Once 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 departments' costs, because the order of departments makes a difference in the results. This method partially recognizes the services that service departments provide to each other. In contrast, the direct method ignores all such interrelationships, However, the step method is still only a partial consideration of the service departments mu benefits, because after distribution of a service department's costs, no further distributions are made to that department regardless of the services it received.