Question

Highland Company produces a lightweight backpack that is popular with college students. Standard variable costs relating to a single backpack are given below:

	Standard Quantity or Hours	Standard Price or Rate			Standard Cost
Direct materials	?	$	3.00	per yard	$	?
Direct labor	?		?			?
Variable manufacturing overhead	?	$	2	per direct labor-hour		?
Total standard cost per unit					$	?

Overhead is applied to production on the basis of direct labor-hours. During March, 570 backpacks were manufactured and sold. Selected information relating to the month’s production is given below:

	Materials Used			Direct Labor			Variable Manufacturing Overhead
Total standard cost allowed*	$	8,550		$	6,384		$	1,596
Actual costs incurred	$	6,080			?		$	2,812
Materials price variance		?
Materials quantity variance	$	570	U
Labor rate variance					?
Labor efficiency variance					?
Variable overhead rate variance								?
Variable overhead efficiency variance								?

*For the month's production.

The following additional information is available for March’s production:

Actual direct labor-hours		855
Difference between standard and actual cost per backpack produced during March	$	0.20	F

Required:

Hint: It may be helpful to complete a general model diagram for direct materials, direct labor, and variable manufacturing overhead before attempting to answer any of the requirements.

1. What is the standard cost of a single backpack?

2. What was the actual cost per backpack produced during March?

3. How many yards of material are required at standard per backpack?

4. What was the materials price variance for March if there were no beginning or ending inventories of materials?

5. What is the standard direct labor rate per hour?

6. What was the labor rate variance for March? The labor efficiency variance?

7. What was the variable overhead rate variance for March? The variable overhead efficiency variance?

8. Prepare a standard cost card for one backpack.

Answer 1

Solution 1:

Computation of Standard cost of a Single Backpack
Standard cost for March Production
Materials	$8,550
Direct Labor	$6,384
Variable Manufacturing Overhead	$1,596
Total Standard Cost	$16,530
Number of Backpacks Produced	570
Standard cost of a single Backpack	$29.00

Solution 2:

Computation of Actual cost per Backpack
Standard cost of a single Backpack	$29.00
Less: Difference Between Standard and actual Cost	$0.20
Actual Cost per Backpack	$28.80

Solution 3:

Computation of Number of yards at standard per Backpack
Total Standard cost of materials allowed during march	$8,550
/Number of Backpacks Produced during march	570
Standard material cost per Backpack	$15.00
/Standard material cost per yard	$3.00
Number of yards per Backpack	5.00

Solution 4:

Material price variance = Total material variance - Material quantity variance

Total material cost variance = $8550 - $6080 = $2470 F

Material quantity variance = $570 U

Material price variance = $2470 F - ($570 U) = $3040 F

Material Price Variance	$3,040	F
Material Quantity Variance	$570	U
Spending Variance	$2,470	F

Solution 5:

Computation of standard Direct labor rate per hour
Standard Variable manufacturing overhead cost	$1,596
Standard Variable manufacturing overhead rate per hour	$2
Standard Direct labor hours for March	798
Standard Direct labor Cost for march	$6,384
Standard direct labor rate per hour	$8.00

Solution 6:

Total actual cost of backpack produced = 570* $28.80 = $16,416

Direct labor cost incurred = $16416 - $6080 - $2812 = $7,524

Actual direct labor hours = 855 hours

Actual rate of Direct labor = $7524 / 855 = $8.80 per hour

Direct labor rate variance = (SR - AR) * AH = ($8- $8.80) *855 = $684 U

Direct labor efficiency variance = (SH - AH) * SR = (798 - 855) * $8 = $456 U

Solution 7:

Actual rate of variable overhead = $2812/855 = $3.2888889 per hour

Variable overhead rate variance = (SR - AR) * AH = ($2 -$3.2888889) *855 = $1102 U

Variable overhead efficiency variance = (SH - AH) * SR = (798 - 855) * $2 = $114 U

Solution 8:

Standard cost Card - Highland Company
	Standard Quantity or Hours		Standard price or rate		Standard Cost
Direct material	5	yards	$3.00	Per Yard	$15.00
Direct labor (798/570)	1.4	hours	$8.00	Per DLH	$11.20
Variable overhead	1.4	hours	$2.00	Per DLH	$2.80
Standard cost per unit					$29.00