We have just examined in detail the accounting required when a company elects to use a job-order cost system. In this chapter we will look at an alternative known as process costing.
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Job-order and process costing are similar in that they both deal with assigning materials, labor and overhead to products as a way to calculate the unit product cost.
Both systems use raw materials inventory, work in process inventory, and finished goods inventory.
The flow of costs is similar, but not exactly the same, in the two systems.
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Process costing is best suited for the production of a single product that is continuously produced for a long period of time. Recall the mixing and bottling of Coca-Cola from Chapter Three. Job-order costing is best suited when jobs are produced as discrete projects. For example, building a house.
Process costing accumulates costs by department, while job-order costing accumulates costs by individual jobs.
Process costing uses a fundamental document called a department production report, while job-order costing uses the job cost sheet.
In process costing unit cost is computed by department, while in job-order systems unit cost is computed by job.
While there are similarities between the two systems, there are also significant differences.
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Can you identify the most likely circumstances where a process costing system may be used?
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Can you identify the most likely circumstances where a process costing system may be used?
A processing department is any location in an organization where materials, labor, or overhead are added to the product. The output from a processing department is homogeneous, that is, they all appear the same.
Part I
Production can take place in a sequential manner or in a parallel process. Sequential processing means that units flow in a sequence from one department to the next department. The goods must be finished in the first department before being transferred for further processing in the next department.
Part IIParallel processing is used when after some point in the production process, some units go through different processing departments than some other units. Refining petroleum products is a good example of parallel processing. From crude oil, a refiner can produce different amounts of gasoline, jet fuel, heating oil, or other petrochemical products. The future processing depends mostly on market demand for particular petroleum products.
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In all manufacturing systems, direct material, direct labor, and manufacturing overhead are charged to Work in Process Inventory. As we complete the production process, goods are transferred to the Finished Goods Inventory. Finally, when we sell the finished goods, we transfer the cost to cost of goods sold.
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In a job-order cost system costs are traced to individual jobs. All of the jobs in process make up the company’s Work in Process Inventory.
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In a process costing systems, costs are traced to departments that process the goods. In some companies there may be several processing departments that goods must pass through to become finished goods.
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Let’s look at the flow of costs through the tee accounts and related journal entries for a manufacturing process that has two departments – Department A and Department B.
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Part IDirect materials can be requisitioned for use in both Department A and Department B. These direct materials are likely to be different in nature.
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The journal entry that shows the requisition of direct materials for use in Processing Departments A and B, is to debit the processing department of the direct materials requisitioned and credit Raw Materials Inventory. Notice that the direct materials are placed into a separate work in process account for each processing department.
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Direct labor is transferred from the wages payable account into the work in process account of departments A and B depending upon where the individual employee worked.
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Here is the journal entry to place the direct labor into the work in process inventory of departments A and B.
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Manufacturing overhead is applied to each processing department based on a predetermined rate for each department. The predetermined rate does not have to be based on the same cost driver for each processing department.
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This is the journal entry we use to apply overhead to the work in process inventory of each of the processing departments.
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The cost of units complete as to processing in Department A are transferred into Department B for additional work.. Department B has incurred additional costs to work on units that were in process at the beginning of the period. The transferred-in costs from Department A are added to the manufacturing costs incurred in Department B.
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To transfer the costs, we debit the work in process inventory in Department B, and credit, or reduce, the work in process inventory in Department A.
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Here we see the transfer of completed goods our of Work in Process – Department B and into Finished Goods Inventory. The costs transferred represent the cost of good manufactured.
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The necessary journal entry is to debit finished goods inventory and credit work in process inventory in Department B to transfer finished production.
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Once we sell finished goods, we debit cost of goods sold and credit finished goods inventory.
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If we assume the company uses the perpetual inventory system, two entries are required to record a sale. The first entry is to record the sale and account receivable. The second entry is to transfer the finished goods sold to cost of goods sold.
Sales are recorded at selling price and cost of good sold is recorded at cost. The difference between the two is the gross margin on the sale.
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Partially completed units complicate the determination of a department’s output for a given period and the unit cost that should be assigned to that output.
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The basic idea behind equivalent units is quite easy to understand, but the computation of equivalent can become complex. Here we can say the two half- completed units of production are equal to one completed unit. Using this logic, we can say that ten thousand units that are seventy percent complete are equivalent, or the same as, seven thousand complete units.
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Read the information carefully and determine how many equivalent units of production were manufactured during the period.
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The correct answer is eleven thousand five hundred equivalent units. How did you do?
Equivalent units may be calculated using the FIFO method or the weighted-average method. For the bulk of this chapter we will use the weighted-average method. We cover the FIFO method in the appendix to this chapter.
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Part I
When we use the weighted-average method we make no distinction between work done in the prior period and work done in the current period. We blend together the units and costs from both the prior and current period.
Part IIWe determine the cost per equivalent unit by dividing costs for the period by the equivalent units of production.
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In today’s economy, direct labor costs are becoming small when compared to materials and overhead costs. Automation is one of the causes for this shift.
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As a consequence of the change in volume of direct labor costs, many companies combine labor and overhead costs and refer to the total as conversion costs. That is, these are the costs incurred to convert the direct materials into a finished good. We will make extensive use of the notion of direct materials and conversion costs in the remainder of this chapter.
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Let’s look at an example of calculating the cost per equivalent unit of Department A of Smith Company. Department A is only one of the company’s processing departments.Notice that Department A started the month of June with three hundred units that are forty percent complete as to materials and twenty percent complete as to conversion (direct labor and overhead). During the month the Department started six thousand units into production. Fifty-four hundred units were transferred out to Department B during the month of June. At the end of June, Department A had nine hundred units, sixty percent complete as to materials and thirty percent complete as to conversion.
Since the Department began the month with three hundred units and started six thousand units into production, we have sixty-three hundred units to account for. Of these sixty-three hundred units, fifty-four hundred were transferred out and nine hundred remain in work in process inventory.
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The first step in calculating the equivalent units is to identity the units completed and transferred out. In the case of Department A, there were fifty- four hundred units completed and transferred out. We know these units are one hundred percent complete as to materials and conversion.
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The second step is to calculate the equivalent units as to materials in ending inventory. We know there are nine hundred units in ending inventory that are sixty percent complete as to materials. So we know that there are five hundred forty equivalent units as to materials in ending working in process inventory.
For materials we add the units completed and transferred out to the equivalent units as to materials, for total units as to materials of five thousand nine hundred forty units.
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The third step is to calculate the equivalent units in ending inventory as to conversion. We know there are nine hundred units in ending work in process inventory that are thirty percent complete as to conversion. So there are two hundred seventy equivalent units as to conversion in ending inventory.
For conversion, we add the units completed and transferred out to the equivalent units as to conversion to arrive at a total equivalent units as to conversion of five thousand six hundred seventy units.
We always follow these three steps when using the weighted-average method.
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We can restate the three-step process more quickly by saying that equivalent units of production will always be equal to the units completed and transferred out plus the equivalent units remaining in work in process inventory. Some of you may prefer the three-step approach while others may prefer the short-cut approach.
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Here is a visual showing the computation of equivalent units as to materials. The key is to look at the five thousand one hundred units started and completed. Recall that we had five thousand four hundred units completed and transferred out. Of these five thousand four hundred units, three hundred units came from beginning inventory. So of the units started into production this period, we completed five thousand one hundred units.
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Here is a similar visual for conversion costs. Again, the key to understanding the visual is the five thousand one hundred units started and completed this period.
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In each processing department we prepare a production report. The production report is divided into three parts. The first part is called the “quantity schedule” and is designed to show the computation of equivalent units.
The second part of the production report shows the computation of the cost per equivalent unit.
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The third part of the report is a cost reconciliation. We clearly show the cost of units completed and transferred out of the department and the total cost of partially completed units that still remain in ending work in process inventory.
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Let’s go through a detailed example for Double Diamond Skis. The company has several processing departments but we are concerned with the Shaping and Milling Department. The company uses the weighted average cost method to determine cost of units produced. Detail information about production and costs in the Shaping and Milling Department are shown on the next screen.
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The department started the month of May with two hundred units, fifty-five percent complete as to materials and thirty percent complete as to conversion (labor and overhead).
During May, five thousand units were started into production and forty-eight hundred units were completed and transferred out.You can see the costs associated with materials and conversion.
At the end of May, there were four hundred units in ending working in process inventory, forty percent complete as to materials and twenty five percent complete as to conversion.
Let’s prepare the Production Report for May. Remember, we start with the first section that computes the equivalent units as to materials and conversion.
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We always start the first section with the units completed and transferred out during May. You can see that forty-eight hundred units were complete as to materials and conversion and transferred to the next processing department. Now, we turn our attention to the calculation of equivalent units of production for May.
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Let’s calculate the equivalent units in ending inventory as to materials. We have four hundred units in ending work in process inventory that are forty percent complete as to materials, so we calculate one hundred sixty equivalent units in ending inventory as to materials. For materials, we have four thousand nine hundred sixty units.
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Now calculate the equivalent units in ending working in process inventory as to conversion costs. We multiply the four hundred units in ending inventory by the twenty-five percent completion as to conversion to get one hundred equivalent units. As to conversion costs we have forty-nine hundred units.
Now let’s move to the second section of the Production Report.
Recall how we calculate the cost per equivalent unit of production. It is the key to successfully completed the second step in the process.
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We begin by adding the costs in beginning inventory to the costs incurred during the current period. The sum of the cost of materials and conversion equal the total cost to be accounted for during the period. Notice that we have four thousand nine hundred sixty equivalent units as to materials, and four thousand nine hundred equivalent units as to conversion.
Let’s look at materials first.
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We have a total cost of three hundred seventy-eight thousand two hundred dollars and forty-thousand nine hundred sixty equivalent units, so the cost per equivalent unit is seventy-six dollars and twenty-five cents.
Now let’s do the same computation for conversion costs.
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With total costs of three hundred fifty-six thousand four hundred seventy-five dollars and total equivalent units of forty thousand nine hundred, we have an average cost per equivalent unit of seventy-two dollars and seventy-five cents.
We add our materials and conversion cost per equivalent unit to get a total cost per equivalent unit during May of one hundred forty-nine dollars.
This completes the second section of the Production Report. The last section is the cost reconciliation.
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We have already placed the units completed and transferred out during May and the equivalent units in ending work in process inventory.
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We begin the schedule by multiplying the forty thousand eight hundred units by the average cost per equivalent unit of one hundred forty-nine dollars and get a total of seven hundred fifteen thousand two hundred dollars.
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Next, we multiply the number of equivalent units as to materials times the average cost per equivalent unit of seventy-six dollars and twenty-five cents. The total for material costs in ending working in process inventory is twelve thousand two hundred dollars.
For our conversion costs we multiply our one hundred equivalent units times the seventy two dollars and seventy five cents to get out total of seven thousand two hundred seventy five dollars. We sum the costs and see that all costs have been accounted for. This completes our Production Report.
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In the last two chapters we discussed the job-order and process costing systems as if they were the two most popular choices for accumulating manufacturing costs. For many companies, a hybrid system that takes some of the best attributes of each system works quite well.
When you go to work, don’t be surprised if your company uses some variation of the job-order or process costing system.
FIFO is considered a more accurate measure of cost than weighted-average. It is important to be careful with your handling of beginning work in process inventory when using the FIFO method. While the calculations in weighted-average and FIFO appear to be similar, there are significant differences between the two methods. We will be using our previous example material to illustrate the FIFO method.
Recall this basic information from the Smith Company. We completed the calculation of equivalent units for the Smith Company using the weighted-average method. Now, we will use the same information to determine equivalent units under FIFO.
The first step in the accounting process is to determine the units completed and transferred out of Department A to the next process department. Recall that we completed and transferred five thousand four hundred units. These units are completed as far as Department A is concerned even though additional processing may be necessary.
Next, we add the equivalent units in ending work in process inventory to the units completed and transferred out. There are nine hundred units in ending work in process inventory that are sixty percent complete as to material and thirty percent complete as to conversion costs. We add together the units completed and transferred out to the equivalent units for material and conversion. For material we have five thousand nine hundred forty equivalent units, and five thousand six hundred seventy units as to conversion.
In the next step, we subtract the equivalent units in beginning inventory from our previous total. There were three hundred units in beginning that were forty percent complete as to material and twenty percent complete as to conversion. After the subtraction, we have five thousand eight hundred twenty equivalent units for material and five thousand six hundred ten units for conversion. Our calculation of equivalent units is quite different under the FIFO method.
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Here is a visual showing the computation of equivalent units as to materials using FIFO. The key is to look at the five thousand four hundred units started and completed. Recall that we had five thousand four hundred units completed and transferred out. Of these five thousand four hundred units, three hundred units came from beginning inventory that constitute one hundred twenty equivalent units. At the end of the period there are nine hundred units in work in process inventory that are sixty percent complete as to materials, for equivalent units of five hundred forty.
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Here is a similar visual for conversion costs. Again, the key to understanding the visual is the five thousand four hundred units started and completed this period.
Pay particular attention to the beginning work in process inventory. Notice that the percentages used are from our given information. For example, we were told the beginning work in process inventory contained three hundred units that were forty percent complete as to material. We can reconcile equivalent units using the weighted-average cost method with the FIFO method.
Let’s return to our Double Diamond Skis information and apply FIFO to our production report. The information on your screen is the same as we used earlier in this chapter.
We begin our production report by determining the total number of units to account for and computing the number of equivalent units. On May 1st work in process inventory contained two hundred units and we started five thousand units into production. Total units to account for is five thousand two hundred.
Next, we calculate the equivalent units in beginning work in process inventory. Our two hundred units are fifty five percent complete as to material and thirty percent complete as to conversion. In the current period, we must add the other forty five percent of our materials, and seventy percent more conversion to complete the units.
We started and completed four thousand six hundred units in May. We started four thousand eight hundred units, but two hundred of the completed units came from beginning inventory. Remember, we are using FIFO.
We can look back and see that there are four hundred units in ending work in process inventory. These units are forty percent complete as to material and twenty five percent complete as to conversion.
We sum the beginning work in process equivalent units, units started and completed, and the equivalent units in ending work in process inventory to arrive at our total equivalent units for both materials and conversion.
After we have determined the number of equivalent units as to material and conversion, we begin our calculation of the cost per equivalent. Notice that we do not break out the materials and conversion costs for beginning work in process inventory.
For the cost per equivalent unit as to material we divide the material costs added this period by the total number of equivalent unit for material. In our case, the cost of material per equivalent unit is seventy six dollars. Next, we turn to the unit cost for conversion.
Once again we divide the costs added this period by the number of equivalent units for conversion and get a cost per equivalent unit of seventy-two dollars and fifty cents. The get the total cost per equivalent units we merely add the unit cost of materials to the unit cost for conversion. Our total cost per equivalent unit is one hundred forty-eight dollars and fifty cents. We will use all this cost information to complete our cost reconciliation.
We begin our cost reconciliation with the determination of the total cost of beginning work in process inventory. We started the month with a cost in beginning work in process inventory of fifteen thousand one hundred seventy-five dollars. To that amount we are the material and conversion costs incurred this period to complete the units in beginning inventory. The total cost is thirty-two thousand one hundred sixty-five dollars.
The four thousand six hundred units started and completed this month are assigned a total cost of six hundred eighty-three thousand one hundred dollars. We multiply the number of units times the total cost per equivalent unit of one hundred forty-eight dollars and fifty cents.
We multiply the number of equivalent units in ending work in process inventory by the appropriate cost for material and conversion. The cost of ending work in process inventory is nineteen thousand four hundred ten dollars. We sum the costs assigned to beginning inventory, units started and completed during May, and ending work in process inventory to get a total cost accounted for of seven hundred thirty-four thousand six hundred seventy-five dollars. So, we have accounted for all the costs for May.
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This chapter provided us with a good contrast to the job-order costing system. There is a great deal of similar information in both the job-order and process costing chapters. In this chapter the two most difficult concepts to master are the equivalent units and the Production Report.