In: Accounting
Internal Control : Performance Measures
Essex Engineering
Topic: Performance measures,
Essex is an industrial company with three divisions. Both the Midland Division and the North Division are long established. Senior managers are concerned that these divisions have a high percentage of products that are near the end of their product life-cycle. Forecast sales increases over the next 5 years is expected to be in the region of 4-5% per annum.
The East Division was acquired in 1999 and senior managers are optimistic that this division has very good growth potential. Most of the senior managers at this division have experience of working at the other divisions.
Since 1999 the head office has ranked all divisions according to return on investment (ROI) and residual income (RI). All managers believe that the rankings are important for future promotions and career development.
A small number of other performance measures are also used by managers. These include
1. |
Non-productive time: Non-productive direct labour hours (percentage of total hours paid). Non-productive time includes time wasted as a result of production delays or material shortages. |
2. |
Customers: Customer complaints (percentage of total number of customers) |
3. |
Lead time: Time from order to delivery |
These performance measures were agreed by all managers in 1999. At the time it was thought that managers should focus on only a small number of measures.
2002
The managers at the divisions provided the following information for the head office.
Selected data from the budgeted Management Accounts to 31 December 2002
Midland Division |
Northern Division |
East Division |
|
$ |
$ | ||
Sales |
1,580,000 |
1,560,000 |
1,112,000 |
Cost data |
|||
Controllable cost of goods sold |
650,000 |
620,000 |
380,000 |
Non -controllable cost of goods sold |
116,000 |
115,000 |
100,000 |
Controllable Selling general & Administrative overheads |
370,000 |
400,000 |
370,000 |
Non-controllable Selling general & Administrative overheads |
250,000 |
250,000 |
162,000 |
Total costs |
1,386,000 |
1,385,000 |
1,012,000 |
Capital employed |
|||
Total investment |
1,400,000 |
1,440,000 |
850,000 |
Controllable investment |
1,200,000 |
1,111,000 |
800,000 |
Sales growth 2003 |
4.80% |
5.20% |
28.00% |
Sales growth 2004 |
4.30% |
5.10% |
37.00% |
1,580,000 |
1,560,000 |
1,112,000 |
Other measures
Midland Division |
Northern Division |
East Division |
||
Non-productive time: Non-productive direct labour hours (percentage of total hours paid). |
2001 |
4% |
4% |
6% |
2002 |
4.1% |
3.8% |
7.5% |
|
Customer complaints (percentage of total number of customers) |
2001 |
1% |
1.2% |
5% |
2002 |
1.1% |
1.1% |
6% |
|
Lead time: Time from order to delivery |
2001 |
10 days |
9 days |
15 days |
2002 |
11 days |
9 days |
18 days |
The head office has estimated that the group cost of capital is 10%
Ranking divisions in 2000
In 2000 the data on controllable and non-controllable costs and investments will be used to rank divisions.
Questions
Question 1
Based on the data provided comment on the relative financial performance of the two divisions and discuss how the ranking of the divisions changes if controllable and non-controllable costs and capital employed are analysed. (provide the calculation to prove your standpoint)
Question 2
Evaluate the choice of performance measures for the 3 divisions
Question 3
Identify and evaluate the difficulties faced by managers when measuring capital employed for a division.
Question 4
Discuss how using ROI can result in managers making poor investment decisions.
ROI has some built in biases that can lead managers to make poor decisions. First, ROI requires that all costs and benefits be stated in dollars. Because it is usually easier to quantify costs than benefits, ROI measurements can be biased in a way that gives undue weight to costs. Second, ROI focuses on benefits that can be predicted. It also tends to emphasize short run benefits over long run benefits. This biases ROI calculations to weigh short term costs and benefits more heavily than long term costs and benefits.
Question 5
Discuss the particular problems multinational companies have when evaluating the performance of divisions.
1) Midland Division Northern Division East Division
$ $
Sales 1,580,000 1,560,000 1,112,000
Controllable cost of goods sold 650,000 620,000 380,000
Contr. Gross profit 930,000 940,000 732,000
(1,580,000-650,000)
Non-controllable cost of goods sold 116,000 115,000 100,000
Gross profit 814,000 825,000 632,000
(930,000-116,000)
Controllable Selling general & Administrative overheads 370,000 400,000 370,000
Non-controllable Selling general & Administrative
overheads 250,000 250,000 162,000
Profit before tax 194,000 175,000 100,000
(814,000-370,000-250,000)
Controllable profit 560,000 540,000 362,000
Total costs 1,386,000 1,385,000 1,012,000
Controllable costs 1,020,000 1,020,000 750,000
Non-controllable costs 366,000 365,000 262,000
Total investment 1400000 1440000 850000
Controllable investment 1200000 1111000 800000
Interest Charge (1) 140,000 144,000 85,000
Interest Charge (2 ) 120,000 111,100 80,000
Net Residual Income 54,000 31,000 15,000
Controllable RI 440,000 428,900 282,000
ROI 13.86% 12.15% 11.76%
(194000/1400000*100)
Return on sales 12.28% 11.22% 8.99%
(194,000/1,580,000*100)
Ratios:-
% controllable costs 73.59% 73.65% 74.11%
Cost by sales:-
% controllable / sales 64.56% 65.38% 67.45%
% non-controllable / sales 23.16% 23.40% 23.56%
PBT by sales 12.28% 11.22% 8.99%
Total 100.00% 100.00% 100.00%
Controllable profit by sales 35.44% 34.62% 32.55%
Controllable profit by controllable capital employed 46.67% 48.60% 45.25%
ROI = Profit/ investment*100
ROS= Profit/total sales*100
2) Make the choice of performance measures for the 3 divisions
There must be a link between strategy and performance measures
Very unlikely that all divisions have the same strategy and measure
Other measures that are important:-
Market share, More quality measures, Details of new product development
3) What assets are included - how are they valued
What assets are not controllable, What assets are idle
Should liabilities be included or excluded
Gross book value or net book value or market value
Cost of getting information for market values
4)Behavioural problems
Examples of division with high ROI rejects good investment because ROI not quite as good. Lowers overall ROI
Company with low ROI accepts investment which improves overall ROI but gives return below cost of capital.
5) Currency translation – manager uses local currency but head office wants resultsin home currency.
Changes is exchange rate can make manager look good or bad.
Problems of criticising manager for decline in exchange rate
Cultural and language barriers–limits to number of foreign managers!
Income taxesComplicated reporting requirements
Volume of reports, Relative inflation
Legal differences can complicate evaluation, Import duties / tariffs, Management charges