Question

Cane Company manufactures two products called Alpha and Beta that sell for $205 and $164, respectively. Each product uses only one type of raw material that costs $8 per pound. The company has the capacity to annually produce 127,000 units of each product. Its average cost per unit for each product at this level of activity are given below:

	Alpha				Beta
Direct materials		$	40			$	24
Direct labor			37				30
Variable manufacturing overhead			24				22
Traceable fixed manufacturing overhead			32				35
Variable selling expenses			29				25
Common fixed expenses			32				27
Total cost per unit		$	194			$	163

The company considers its traceable fixed manufacturing overhead to be avoidable, whereas its common fixed expenses are unavoidable and have been allocated to products based on sales dollars.

5. Assume that Cane expects to produce and sell 112,000 Alphas during the current year. One of Cane's sales representatives has found a new customer who is willing to buy 27,000 additional Alphas for a price of $148 per unit; however pursuing this opportunity will decrease Alpha sales to regular customers by 12,000 units.

a. What is the financial advantage (disadvantage) of accepting the new customer’s order?

b. Based on your calculations above should the special order be accepted?

6. Assume that Cane normally produces and sells 107,000 Betas per year. What is the financial advantage (disadvantage) of discontinuing the Beta product line?

7. Assume that Cane normally produces and sells 57,000 Betas per year. What is the financial advantage (disadvantage) of discontinuing the Beta product line?

8. Assume that Cane normally produces and sells 77,000 Betas and 97,000 Alphas per year. If Cane discontinues the Beta product line, its sales representatives could increase sales of Alpha by 12,000 units. What is the financial advantage (disadvantage) of discontinuing the Beta product line?

Answer 1