Two dollars of gross margin per briefcase That's ridiculous roared Roy Thurmond, president of First Line Cases, Inc Why do we go on producing those standard briefcases when were able to make over $10 per unit on our specialty items Maybe its time to get out of the standard line and focus the whole plant on specialty work Mr Thurmond was referring to a summary of unit costs and revenues that he had just received from the companys accounting department Standard Briefcases Specialty Briefcases Selling price per unit $ 27 45 $ 42 90 Unit product cost 25 45 32 62 Gross margin per unit $ 2 00 $ 10 28 FirstLine Cases produces briefcases from leather, fabric, and synthetic materials in a single plant The basic product is a standard briefcase that is made from leather lined with fabric The standard briefcase is a high quality item and has sold well for many years Last year, the company decided to expand its product line and produce specialty briefcases for special orders These briefcases differ from the standard in that they vary in size, they contain the finest leather and synthetic materials, and they are imprinted with the buyers name To reduce labor costs on the specialty briefcases, automated machines do most of the cutting and stitching These machines are used to a much lesser degree in the production of standard briefcases I agree that the specialty business is looking better and better, replied Beth Mersey, the company's marketing manager And there seems to be plenty of demand out there, particularly because the competition hasn't been able to touch our price Did you know that Velsun Company, our biggest competitor, charges over $51 a unit for its specialty items Now thats what I call gouging the customer A breakdown of the manufacturing cost for each of FirstLine Cases products is given below Standard Briefcases Specialty Briefcases Units produced each month 15,000 3,000 Direct materials Leather $ 8 40 $ 12 40 Fabric 2 40 1 10 Synthetic 0 7 40 Total materials 10 80 20 90 Direct labor (0 50 DLH and 0 4 DLH $12 40 per DLH) 6 20 4 96 Manufacturing overhead (0 5 DLH and 0 4 DLH $16 90 per DLH) 8 45 6 76 Total cost per unit $ 25 45 $ 32 62 Manufacturing overhead is applied to products on the basis of direct labor hours The rate of $16 90 per hour was determined by dividing the total manufacturing overhead cost for a month by the direct labor hours Predetermined overhead rate Manufacturing overhead $147,030 00 $16 90 per DLH Direct labor hours 8,700 DLHs The following additional information is available about the company and its products a Standard briefcases are produced in batches of 1,000 units, and specialty briefcases are produced in batches of 100 units Thus, the company does 15 setups for the standard items each month and 30 setups for the specialty items A setup for the standard items requires one hour, whereas a setup for the specialty items requires two hours b All briefcases are inspected to ensure that quality standards are met Each month a total of 240 hours is spent inspecting the standard briefcases and 360 hours is spent inspecting the specialty briefcases c A standard briefcase requires 4 hours of machine time, and a specialty briefcase requires 1 1 hours of machine time d The company is considering the use of activity based costing as an alternative to its traditional costing system for computing unit product costs The activity based costing system has already been designed and costs have been allocated to the activity cost pools The activity cost pools and activity measures are detailed below Activity Cost Pool Activity Measure Estimated Overhead Cost Purchasing Number of orders $ 12,000 Material handling Number of receipts 21,250 Production orders and setups Setup hours 8,250 Inspection Inspection hours 24,630 Frame assembly Assembly hours 15,800 Machine related Machine hours 65,100 $ 147,030 Expected Activity Activity Measure Standard Briefcases Specialty Briefcases Total Number of orders Leather 40 15 55 Fabric 60 25 85 Synthetic material 0 160 160 Number of receipts Leather 75 15 90 Fabric 90 25 115 Synthetic material 0 220 220 Setup hours Inspection hours 240 360 600 Assembly hours 740 840 1,580 Machine hours Required 1 Using activity based costing, determine the amount of manufacturing overhead cost that would be assigned to each standard briefcase and each specialty briefcase (Do not round intermediate calculations Round your answers to 2 decimal places ) 2 Using the data computed in part (1) above and other data from the case as needed, determine the unit product cost of each product line from the perspective of the activity based costing (Do not round intermediate calculations Round your answers to 2 decimal places ) 3 a Within the limitations of the data that have been provided, evaluate the presidents concern about the profitability of the two product lines (Negative amounts should be indicated by a minus sign Do not round intermediate calculations Round your answers to 2 decimal places )

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Two dollars of gross margin per briefcase? That's ridiculous! roared Roy Thurmond, president of First-Line Cases, Inc. Why do we go on producing those standard

"Two dollars of gross margin per briefcase? That's ridiculous!" roared Roy Thurmond, president of First-Line Cases, Inc. "Why do we go on producing those standard briefcases when were able to make over $10 per unit on our specialty items? Maybe its time to get out of the standard line and focus the whole plant on specialty work." Mr. Thurmond was referring to a summary of unit costs and revenues that he had just received from the companys accounting department:

	Standard Briefcases		Specialty Briefcases
Selling price per unit	$	27.45	$	42.90
Unit product cost		25.45		32.62

Gross margin per unit	$	2.00	$	10.28

FirstLine Cases produces briefcases from leather, fabric, and synthetic materials in a single plant. The basic product is a standard briefcase that is made from leather lined with fabric. The standard briefcase is a high-quality item and has sold well for many years. Last year, the company decided to expand its product line and produce specialty briefcases for special orders. These briefcases differ from the standard in that they vary in size, they contain the finest leather and synthetic materials, and they are imprinted with the buyers name. To reduce labor costs on the specialty briefcases, automated machines do most of the cutting and stitching. These machines are used to a much lesser degree in the production of standard briefcases. "I agree that the specialty business is looking better and better," replied Beth Mersey, the company's marketing manager. "And there seems to be plenty of demand out there, particularly because the competition hasn't been able to touch our price. Did you know that Velsun Company, our biggest competitor, charges over $51 a unit for its specialty items? Now thats what I call gouging the customer!"

A breakdown of the manufacturing cost for each of FirstLine Cases products is given below:

	Standard Briefcases		Specialty Briefcases
Units produced each month		15,000		3,000
Direct materials:
Leather	$	8.40	$	12.40
Fabric		2.40		1.10
Synthetic		0		7.40

Total materials		10.80		20.90
Direct labor (0.50 DLH and 0.4 DLH @ $12.40 per DLH)		6.20		4.96
Manufacturing overhead (0.5 DLH and 0.4 DLH @ $16.90 per DLH)		8.45		6.76

Total cost per unit	$	25.45	$	32.62

Manufacturing overhead is applied to products on the basis of direct labor-hours. The rate of $16.90 per hour was determined by dividing the total manufacturing overhead cost for a month by the direct labor-hours:

Predetermined overhead rate

Manufacturing overhead

$147,030.00

$16.90 per DLH

Direct labor-hours

8,700 DLHs

The following additional information is available about the company and its products:
a.	Standard briefcases are produced in batches of 1,000 units, and specialty briefcases are produced in batches of 100 units. Thus, the company does 15 setups for the standard items each month and 30 setups for the specialty items. A setup for the standard items requires one hour, whereas a setup for the specialty items requires two hours.
b.	All briefcases are inspected to ensure that quality standards are met. Each month a total of 240 hours is spent inspecting the standard briefcases and 360 hours is spent inspecting the specialty briefcases.
c.	A standard briefcase requires .4 hours of machine time, and a specialty briefcase requires 1.1 hours of machine time.
d.	The company is considering the use of activity-based costing as an alternative to its traditional costing system for computing unit product costs. The activity-based costing system has already been designed and costs have been allocated to the activity cost pools. The activity cost pools and activity measures are detailed below:

Activity Cost Pool	Activity Measure	Estimated Overhead Cost
Purchasing	Number of orders	$	12,000
Material handling	Number of receipts		21,250
Production orders and setups	Setup-hours		8,250
Inspection	Inspection-hours		24,630
Frame assembly	Assembly-hours		15,800
Machine-related	Machine-hours		65,100

		$	147,030

	Expected Activity

Activity Measure	Standard Briefcases	Specialty Briefcases	Total
Number of orders:
Leather	40	15	55
Fabric	60	25	85
Synthetic material	0	160	160
Number of receipts:
Leather	75	15	90
Fabric	90	25	115
Synthetic material	0	220	220
Setup-hours	?	?	?
Inspection-hours	240	360	600
Assembly-hours	740	840	1,580
Machine-hours	?	?	?

Required:
1.	Using activity-based costing, determine the amount of manufacturing overhead cost that would be assigned to each standard briefcase and each specialty briefcase. (Do not round intermediate calculations. Round your answers to 2 decimal places.)

2.	Using the data computed in part (1) above and other data from the case as needed, determine the unit product cost of each product line from the perspective of the activity-based costing. (Do not round intermediate calculations. Round your answers to 2 decimal places.)

3-a.

Within the limitations of the data that have been provided, evaluate the presidents concern about the profitability of the two product lines. (Negative amounts should be indicated by a minus sign. Do not round intermediate calculations. Round your answers to 2 decimal places.)