Question
Harrison Wolfe operates a residential landscaping business in an affluent suburb of Atlanta. In an effort to provide quality service, he has concentrated solely on
Harrison Wolfe operates a residential landscaping business in an affluent suburb of Atlanta. In an effort to provide quality service, he has concentrated solely on the design and installation of upscale landscaping plans (e.g., trees, shrubs, fountains, and lighting). With his clients continually requesting additional services, Wolfe recently expanded into lawn maintenance, including fertilization. |
The following data relate to his first years experience with 55 fertilization clients. Each client required six applications throughout the year and was billed $40 per application. |
Two applications involved Type I fertilizer, which contains a special ingredient for weed control. The remaining four applications involved Type II fertilizer. | |
Wolfe purchased 5,000 pounds of Type I fertilizer at $0.53 per pound and 10,000 pounds of Type II fertilizer at $0.40 per pound. Actual usage amounted to 3,700 pounds of Type I and 7,800 pounds of Type II. | |
A new, part-time employee was hired to spread the fertilizer. Wolfe had to pay premium wages of $11.50 per hour because of a very tight labor market; the employee logged a total of 165 hours at client residences. | |
Based on previous knowledge of the operation, articles in trade journals, and conversations with other landscapers, Wolfe established the following standards: |
Typical hourly wage rate of landscape personnel: $9 |
Labor time per application: 40 minutes |
Fertilizer purchase price per pound: Type I, $0.50; Type II, $0.42 |
Fertilizer usage: 40 pounds per application |
Unfortunately, Wolfe's new lawn fertilization service did not go as smoothly as planned, with customer complaints being much higher than expected. |
Required: |
1. | Compute Wolfe's direct-material variances for each type of fertilizer. (Indicate the effect of each variance by selecting "Favorable" or "Unfavorable". Select "None" and enter "0" for no effect (i.e., zero variance).)
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